ChathamMaroons2

CHATHAM MAROONS

(1959 - 1976)

The Chatham Maroons were members of the Border Cities Junior 'B' Hockey League until 1964 when they left to join the stronger Western Ontario Junior 'B' Hockey League. The league wanted to elevate its status to a Junior 'A' league but was rebuffed by the OHA. So, in 1968, the league broke away from the OHA and declared themselves to be the Western Ontario Junior 'A' League. The league gained some of their motivation from the apparent success of a similar move a couple of years earlier when the formation of the WCHL (now WHL). In fact, the WO Jr'A' champions faced off against the rebel WCHL champions for their own version of a national championship on season. The WCHL was finally accepted as a true Junior 'A' league while the WO Jr'A' league had to settle for membership in the new Tier II Junior 'A' level. The league was renamed the Southern Ontario Junior 'A' league in 1970. The Maroons hung on to the bitter end when the league ceased operations in 1976.