Canadian Hockey Association (1968–1970)

The Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) was a junior ice hockey governing body in Canada from 1968 to 1970. It was formed when the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) broke away from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), due to disagreements with the CAHA and the National Hockey League (NHL) establishing the NHL Amateur Draft in 1967. Ron Butlin became president of both the CHA and the WCHL with the objective of the getting a better financial deal for teams in Western Canada which had greater expenses than teams in Eastern Canada, and to fight the age limit on players imposed by the NHL. Butlin was also opposed to the CAHA structure of elected officials who determined hockey policy, rather than representation by team owners and operators of hockey businesses. The CHA added the Western Ontario Junior Hockey League (WOJHL) to its ranks in opposition to how hockey was controlled. The WOJHL was denied the financially desirable junior hockey A-level status by the Ontario Hockey Association despite being based in the industrialized Southwestern Ontario region, and was discontent with losing its best players annually to other leagues in Ontario.

The CHA experienced growing pains during its existence, and was unsuccessful in expanding into Northern Ontario and British Columbia. Its attempt to establish an east-west national championship in competition with the Memorial Cup and the CAHA, ended in a default win by the Flin Flon Bombers when the St. Thomas Barons abandoned the series after an on-ice brawl. The CHA and CAHA also competed for the use of on-ice officials, had disagreements over civil law contracts for players, and saw legal action for the WCHL to receive financial compensation from the NHL Amateur Draft. The WCHL signed a two-year agreement with the CAHA in 1970, which gained direct representation on the CAHA junior council, recognition as a top tier league in Canada, the ability to select players from lower-tier leagues, automatic qualification for the Memorial Cup final, and increased financial compensation from the NHL. The WCHL conceded to the NHL's age limit and the CAHA agreed to distribute outstanding draft money. Once the WCHL rejoined the CAHA, the CHA was subsequently phased out and the WOJHL was replaced by the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League in 1970.