George Richardson Memorial Trophy

The George T. Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1972, by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" Champions. The Trophy is named in honour of George T. Richardson, an Allan Cup winner with Queen’s University in 1909. He was killed in action in World War I on February 9, 1916.

The trophy was won in a two stage playoff. In the semi-finals, the southern Ontario champion from the Ontario Hockey Association would play the northern Ontario champion from the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, and the Quebec champion from the QJHL would play the Maritimes league champion. The winners of those series would would play an elimination series for the title. No team from the Maritimes ever won the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, and the last Northern Ontario team to win it occurred in 1937.

The winner of the Trophy competed against the winner of the Abbott Cup for the Memorial Cup. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was retired in 1972. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) replaced the CAHA as the top junior league in Canada, and subsequently, the Memorial Cup become a round-robin series between the winners of the three CHL members leagues, the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Champions

*1932 - Sudbury Cub Wolves *1933 - Newmarket Redmen *1934 - Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1935 - Sudbury Cub Wolves *1936 - West Toronto Nationals *1937 - Copper Cliff Redmen *1938 - Oshawa Generals *1939 - Oshawa Generals *1940 - Oshawa Generals *1941 - Montreal Royals *1942 - Oshawa Generals *1943 - Oshawa Generals *1944 - Oshawa Generals *1945 - Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1946 - Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1947 - Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1948 - Barrie Flyers *1949 - Montreal Royals *1950 - Montreal Junior Canadiens *1951 - Barrie Flyers

*1952 - Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters *1953 - Barrie Flyers *1954 - St. Catharines Teepees *1955 - Toronto Marlboros *1956 - Toronto Marlboros *1957 - Ottawa Junior Canadiens *1958 - Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens *1959 - Peterborough Petes *1960 - St. Catharines Teepees *1961 - Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1962 - Hamilton Red Wings *1963 - Niagara Falls Flyers *1964 - Toronto Marlboros *1965 - Niagara Falls Flyers *1966 - Oshawa Generals *1967 - Toronto Marlboros *1968 - Niagara Falls Flyers *1969 - Montreal Junior Canadiens *1970 - Montreal Junior Canadiens *1971 - Québec Remparts

Pre-1932 Eastern Canadian Champions

"Before the 1931-32 season, the Eastern Canadian Champion was awarded a birth in the Memorial Cup, but not the Richardson Trophy -- as it was first awarded in 1932."

*1919 - University of Toronto Schools *1920 - Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers *1921 - Stratford Midgets *1922 - Toronto Aura Lee *1923 - Kitchener Colts *1924 - Owen Sound Greys *1925 - Toronto Aura Lee

*1926 - Queen's University *1927 - Owen Sound Greys *1928 - Ottawa Gunners *1929 - Toronto Marlboros *1930 - West Toronto Nationals *1931 - Ottawa Primroses