Canadian Hockey League

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; French: Ligue canadienne de hockey ‒ LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. For the 2012-13 season, its three leagues and 60 teams represent nine Canadian provinces (52 teams) as well as four American states (8 teams).

The CHL schedule culminates in the Memorial Cup tournament, which sees each of the three league champions, as well as a host team, play a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. The CHL also hosts the CHL Top Prospects Game, for the top draft eligible players in the league, as well as the Subway Super Series, a six-game all-star exhibition series against a team of Russian juniors.