CCHL path to higher ranks
It is a tidy 12-team junior loop centrally located in the Ottawa region and the Ontario-based Central Canada Hockey League has forged a top-shelf reputation for developing and advancing its players.
Whether it is moving players to the Division 1 and Division 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association level, the Ontario Hockey League, the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League or Canadian Intercollegiate Sport ranks, CCHL teams combine to advance well over 100 players annually.
Kevin Abrams, the 56-year old commissioner of the CCHL who has spent a lifetime in the game and has been at the helm of the league since 2006, takes pride in the development factor.
“Usually we have 35 to 40 Division I commits each year,” Abrams told HockeyNewsNorth.com. “Another 50 to 60 play Division 3 NCAA each year. We are proud to move over 100 players each year to higher levels like the NCAA, major junior or CIS.
“We usually are well represented on Team Canada East,” Abrams continued, “and most years we have players rated by National Hockey League Central Scouting and selected.”
From the NCAA standpoint, 13 players from the CCHL already have commitments for next season, the 2017-2018 campaign.
Established teams in the CCHL include the Brockville Braves, Cornwall Colts, Carleton Place Canadians, Smiths Falls Bears, Kemptville 73’s and Hawkesbury Hawks of the Robinson Division and the Pembroke Lumber Kings, Gloucester Rangers, Ottawa Jr. Senators, Nepean Raiders, Cumberland Grads and Kanata Lasers of the Yzerman Division.
As for the aforementioned Abrams, the CCHL has as a commissioner a man with a high-level coaching background that dates back to 1986.
Besides having coached in the CCHL with Pembroke and Smiths Falls, Abrams has also had OHL coaching and scouting affiliations with the Belleville Bulls, Sudbury Wolves, Ottawa 67’s, Sarnia Sting and Kingston Frontenacs. He has also coached the Team Ontario under-17 squad and had a three-year coaching stint at the minor-pro level.
Notable graduates of the CCHL include a legendary pair who not only went on to become OHL stars but NHL stars as well — centre Steve Yzerman and defenseman Jeff Brown.
Yzerman is now the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL while Brown is in his third season of re-building the venerable Ottawa 67’s of the OHL as their coach and GM.
A former Soo Greyhounds coach, held the reigns at a time when the Pembroke Lumber Kings were league champions for 5 straight seasons, while also being the only team in the past 20 years from the CCHL to win the RBC Cup.
Many of these victories came before the age of 30.
Surprised Kanata is still holding on to CCHL membership after many years of failing attendance. Since the Canadian Tire Centre was build, the main focus was on the Ottawa Senators and less on the Kanata Valley Lasers/Stallions/Lasers. They won 2 league championships (1992 and 1997), and won the Fred Page Cup in 1997.