The Centennial Cup—For The "A" Teams

The late 1960s saw a growing divide between the ranks of newly-designated "major" junior hockey and junior "A" level teams. With the rise of the Western Major Hockey League across British Columbia and the Prairie Provinces, the junior "A" Alberta Junior Hockey league was struggling to produce quality teams.

Since the major junior powerhouses like the Edmonton Oil Kings, New Westminster Bruins and Brandon Wheat Kings were able to scoop the top teenage talent, junior "A" clubs were overmatched in their quest for the Memorial Cup; the national championship which had once been exclusively their domain. This was not simply a Western phenomenon; the scenario was played out all across Canada. By 1970, the three "major" junior leagues, Western, Quebec and Ontario, were recruiting the best teenage talent in the country. 

If the junior "A" leagues were to survive, they needed to cooperate with the majors. A deal was struck, where the major junior clubs would be allowed to draft players from the "A" teams. For many players, the junior "A" leagues acted as a proving ground before moving onto major junior or a career in American college hockey. Players would not lose their eligibility to play in the American college system by playing in "A," but did if they played in major junior hockey.

In 1970, the Canadian Hockey Association decided that the Memorial Cup would now become the national championship played out between the champions of the major junior leagues. The "A" level clubs would vie for a new national championship, the Manitoba Centennial Trophy. Donated by the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association to commemorate the 100th anniversary of that province’s entry into confederation, the prize became better known as the "Centennial Cup."

The Centennial Cup has never enjoyed the popularity of the Memorial Cup, but it has established itself as another important event on the hockey calendar. In 1971, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, hosted the first-ever Centennial Cup series.  That year the visiting Red Deer Rustlers stole the show, winning the series in six games. Red Deer would go on to win another Centennial Cup in 1980 before major junior hockey squeezed the junior "A" team out of the picture. But that 1980 team was legendary; three members of the famous Viking-based Sutter family—Brent and twins Rich and Ron—led the team to the Centennial Cup. All three later went on to play in the NHL, joining brothers Brian, Darryl and Duane.

Still, the Centennial Cup has been an excellent place for Canadian hockey fans and pro scouts to watch up-and-coming talent. Maybe no team is remembered as fondly as the 1988 champion Notre Dame (Saskatchewan) Hounds—a team that featured future NHL stars like centre Rod Brind’Amour and Oilers goaltender Curtis Joseph.

In 1996, the championship tournament got a higher profile thanks to the help of a national sponsor. However, the Centennial Cup name was discarded—and from that year on the tournament has been known as the Royal Bank Cup.

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