Western Canada junior ice hockey championship founded 1983
The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada . From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia , Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba , and Northwestern Ontario . In 2018, citing costs for travel and accommodations, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan withdrew from competition for the Keystone Cup, making it a championship between Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
There is no national championship for Junior B hockey in Canada, but similar championships are held in Southern Ontario (Sutherland Cup ), Ottawa District (Barkley Cup ), Quebec (Coupe Dodge ), and Atlantic Canada (Don Johnson Memorial Cup )—leaving five teams at the end of each year with a shared claim to being the best Junior B team in Canada.
History
The Keystone Cup was donated to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association by Keystone Sports from Selkirk, Manitoba . The inaugural tournament took place in 1983 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba , and was won by the Selkirk Fishermen of the Manitoba Junior B Hockey League .
The championship is determined through a round-robin of the winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup in British Columbia , the winner of the Russ Barnes Trophy in Alberta , the winner of the Athol Murray Trophy in Saskatchewan , the Keystone Junior Hockey League , and the William Ryan Trophy in Northwestern Ontario . In previous years, the winner of the Keystone Junior B League would have had to go through the Manitoba Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship , but in 2004 their only competition, the Northwest Junior Hockey League , folded. The same thing happened in the William Ryan Trophy Championship for the Thunder Bay Junior B League, as their only competition, the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League , folded in 2004.
For the 2018 edition of the tournament in Thunder Bay, Ontario , teams from British Columbia and Alberta pulled out of the event. NEAJBHL President Ned Graling cited economic concerns while Kamloops Storm general manager Barry Dewar made claims about playing conditions and accommodations in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.[ 1] The Prairie Junior Hockey League followed British Columbia and Alberta and also withdrew from the 2018 Keystone Cup[ 2] bringing it to a cross-border clash between the Keystone Junior Hockey League and the Lakehead Junior Hockey League, won by the host Northern Hawks.[ 3] In mid-November 2019 the teams of the Prairie Junior Hockey League of Saskatchewan decided to send their provincial champion as their representative to the 2020 Keystone Cup.[ 4] However, the 2020 competition was cancelled as part of the effort to minimize the COVID-19 pandemic .[ 5]
Central Canada Cup 2024
In Flin Flon , Manitoba – PBCN Selects host team
Round Robin
Round Robin
Game
Away
Score
Home
Score
April 17, 2024
1
Peguis
2
St. Paul
5
2
Saskatoon
6
Current River
6
3
PBCN
4
Peguis
2
April 18, 2024
4
PBCN
2
Saskatoon
5
5
Current River
3
St. Paul
6
6
Peguis
5
Saskatoon
6
7
St. Paul
7
PBCN
0
8
Current River
8
Peguis
1
Championship Round
Championship Round
Game
Away
Score
Home
Score
Championship
Saskatoon
1
St. Paul
3
2024 Roll of Representatives
Champions
Keystone Cup Champions
Year
Champions
Runners-Up
Consolation Champions
Host City
Pre-Keystone Cup Era
1978
Quesnel Millionaires
Saskatoon Quakers
--
1979
1980
Transcona Railers
Selkirk Fishermen
Notre Dame Hounds
Winnipeg, MB
1981
Transcona Railers
Northwest Americans
Hudson Bay Saints
Winnipeg, MB
1982
Saskatoon Quakers
Hudson Bay Saints
Transcona Railers
Hudson Bay, SK
Keystone Cup Era
1983
Selkirk Fishermen
Saskatoon Wesleys
Thunder Bay Hornets
Portage la Prairie, MB
1984
Portage la Prairie Terriers
Selkirk Fishermen
Thunder Bay Hornets
Schreiber, ON
1985
Vermilion Tigers
North Winnipeg Satelites
Winnipeg, MB
1986
Vermilion Tigers
Prince Albert North Stars
Nipawin, SK
1987
Calgary Bruins
Vermilion Tigers
Vermilion, AB
1988
Warman Valley Crusaders
Columbia Valley Rockies
North Winnipeg Satelites
Saskatoon, SK
1989
Columbia Valley Rockies
Kinistino Tigers
Stony Plain Flyers
Gimli, MB
1990
Columbia Valley Rockies
Calgary Bruins
Kinistino Tigers
Invermere, BC
1991
Kinistino Tigers
Lloydminster Bandits
Stony Plain Flyers
Stony Plain, AB
1992
Kinistino Tigers
Saskatoon Chiefs
Selkirk Fishermen
Kinistino, SK
1993
Lloydminster Bandits
Kinistino Tigers
Selkirk Fishermen
Selkirk, MB
1994
Kinistino Tigers
Selkirk Fishermen
Fort William Hurricanes
Thunder Bay, ON
1995
Lloydminster Bandits
Regina Capitals
Fort William Hurricanes
Lloydminster, SK
1996
Assiniboia Southern Rebels
St. Albert Merchants
Ridge Meadows Flames
Sicamous, BC
1997
Grenfell Storm
St. Malo Warriors
Saskatoon Royals
Grenfell, SK
1998
Ridge Meadows Flames
Lloydminster Bandits
Hearst Elans
Winnipeg, MB
1999
Fort William Hurricanes
Edmonton Royals
Campbell River Storm
Thunder Bay, ON
2000
Edmonton River Kings
Airdrie Thunder
Abbotsford Pilots
Airdrie, AB
2001
Assiniboia Southern Rebels
Ridge Meadows Flames
Beaver Valley Nitehawks
Maple Ridge, BC
2002
Sicamous Eagles
Spruce Grove Regals
Assiniboia Southern Rebels
Assiniboia, SK
2003
Assiniboia Southern Rebels
Spruce Grove Regals
Richmond Sockeyes
Portage la Prairie, MB
2004
Regina Capitals
Richmond Sockeyes
Red Deer Vipers
Schreiber, ON
2005
Osoyoos Storm
Saskatoon Royals
Medicine Hat Cubs
Medicine Hat, AB
2006
Red Deer Vipers
Campbell River Storm
Delta Ice Hawks
Campbell River, BC
2007
Saskatoon Royals
Fort Qu'Appelle Fort Knox
Winnipeg Saints
Fort Qu'Appelle, SK
2008
Sherwood Park Knights
Norway House North Stars
Grandview Steelers
Selkirk, MB
2009
Richmond Sockeyes
Thunder Bay Wolverines
Saskatoon Royals
Thunder Bay, ON
2010
Revelstoke Grizzlies
Tri-Town Thunder
Kamloops Storm
Kamloops, BC
2011
Blackfalds Wranglers
Sherwood Park Knights
Pilot Butte Storm
Sherwood Park, AB
2012
Abbotsford Pilots
Thunder Bay Northern Hawks
Whitecourt Wolverines
Saskatoon, SK
2013
Richmond Sockeyes
Saskatoon Royals
Okotoks Bisons
St. Malo, MB
2014
Beaver Valley Nitehawks
Abbotsford Pilots
Blackfalds Wranglers
Abbotsford, BC
2015
Campbell River Storm
North Edmonton Red Wings
Saskatoon Quakers
Cold Lake, AB
2016
100 Mile House Wranglers
Saskatoon Quakers
North Peace Navigators
Regina, SK
2017
Wainwright Bisons
Beaver Valley Nitehawks
Regina Capitals
Arborg, MB
2018
Thunder Bay Northern Hawks
Peguis Juniors
Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye
Thunder Bay, ON
2019
Thunder Bay Northern Hawks
Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye
Cross Lake Islanders
Peguis, MB
2020
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
Thunder Bay, ON
2021
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
2022
Competition not scheduled
-
Central Canada Cup Era
Year
Champions
Runner-up
Championship result
Host City
2023
OCN Storm
Schrieber Falcons
6-3
Thunder Bay, ON
2024
St. Paul Canadiens
Saskatoon Royals
3-1
Flin Flon, MB
Most Top 3 Finishes by Province (since 1999)
References
External links
British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Ontario
Member branches Associate bodies Interbranch events
National teams International events
HC organized IIHF organized Other