Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.The Memorial Cup
is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the
Canadian Hockey League champion. Each year the champions from three CHL
member leagues-the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League,
and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, along with a host team-compete in
the MasterCard Memorial Cup Tournament. The OHL's Windsor Spitfires are
the defending champions, having won the 2009 Memorial Cup in Rimouski,
Quebec and the 2010 tournament in Brandon, Manitoba. Known originally as
the OHA Memorial Cup, it was donated in 1919 by the Ontario Hockey
Association in honour of the soldiers who died fighting for Canada in
World War I. From its donation in 1919 until 1971, the Memorial Cup was
awarded via a series of playoffs to the junior hockey champion of
Canada. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association moved to the current
tournament format in 1972 when it divided Junior A hockey into two
tiers, naming the Memorial Cup as the championship of the Major Junior
rank. Sixty teams across the CHL's three member leagues are eligible to
compete for the Memorial Cup, representing nine provinces and five
American states.
