Quebec Senior Hockey League

The origins of the Quebec Senior Hockey League (QSHL) rest with the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association (QAHA) which grew out of the Inter-Provincial Amateur Hockey Union which began play in Quebec from 1908. The bulk of the teams that formed the QSHL were part of the Montreal Senior Group of the QAHA. The QAHA re-organized its senior league for 1941 and the QSHL was formed.[1] In November 1944, the QSHL was at odds with the Ottawa District Hockey Association which denied permission for a team from Hull, Quebec to play in the QSHL. George Dudley mediated the dispute and decided that no players would be suspended from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) while talks were ongoing.[2]

The QSHL and other senior leagues requested a new deal with the CAHA and complained that their players were too costly to obtain and could easily leave since no contractual commitment was required.[3][4] In 1950, the CAHA decided that its five best calibre senior leagues would compete for a new trophy at a higher level than the Allan Cup.[3] The Alexander Cup became the championship trophy of the Major Series.[5] The 1951 Valleyfield Braves and the 1952 Quebec Aces won the Alexander Cup.[6]

The Ottawa Senators contested that according to the Major Series agreement, the handling of player eligibility questions and infractions of rules should be done by the CAHA instead of the QAHA. CAHA president W. B. George conducted discussions in December 1952, which resulted in recommended changes to the QSHL constitution and assertion of CAHA control over the Major Series.[7][8]

In May 1953, the league decided to leave the CAHA by resigning from the QAHA, which was itself under suspension from the CAHA.[9][10][11] After leaving the CAHA, the team owners voted to become professional to protect their player contracts. However, QSHL players who had signed forms with NHL clubs to play professionally, could not sign with the new QHL teams. The players who signed QHL contracts became QHL team property and their contracts could be sold or traded to NHL or other professional leagues.

The QHL disbanded following the 1958–59 season, with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens, Montreal Royals and Trois-Rivières Lions going to the Eastern Professional Hockey League and the Quebec Aces heading to the American Hockey League.

Montreal Senior Group

• Lafontaine
• McGill University Redmen
• Montreal Junior Canadiens
• Montreal Royals (1933–41)
• Montreal Victorias (1908–1939)
• Ottawa Senators (1934–41)
• Quebec Aces (1936–41)
• Verdun

QSHL

• Boston Olympics (1947–49) ^†Played a split schedule between the QSHL and the EAHL
• Chicoutimi Sagueneens (1949–59)
• Cornwall, Ontario Flyers (1941–?)
• Hull Volants (1944–46)
• Hull-Ottawa Canadiens (1956–57) ^†Played a split schedule between the QSHL and the OHA Senior A league.
• Chicoutimi Sagueneens (1949–59)
• Montreal Royals (1941–59)
• Montreal Junior Canadiens (1941–)
• Montreal Pats (1941–42)
• New York Rovers (1947–49) ^†Played a split schedule between the QSHL and the EAHL
• Ottawa RCAF Flyers - (1942–1943)
• Ottawa Senators/Ottawa Commandos (1941–54)
• Quebec Aces (1941–59)
• Shawinigan Falls Cataracts (1945–53)
• Shawinigan Cataracts (1954–58)
• Sherbrooke St. Francis (1948–49)
• Sherbrooke Saints (1949–54)
• Springfield Indians (1953–54)
• Trois-Rivières Lions (1955–59)
• University of Montreal (1943–44)
• Valleyfield Braves (1945–55)

Amateur QSHL: 1941–42 through 1952–53
Semi-professional QHL: 1953–54 through 1958–59

• QSHL 1944-53 history & standings
• QHL 1953-59 history & standings