Three periods
A game is three 20-minute periods of 5-on-5 hockey, with intermissions in between. The team that scores more goals wins.
Canada · 2026–27
QMJHL, explained.
Eighteen major-junior clubs. One Gilles-Courteau Trophy. A shot at the Memorial Cup. Here’s the quick guide.
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League is the CHL's eastern circuit: 18 clubs in Quebec and the Maritimes, including the Newfoundland Regiment. The playoff champion wins the Gilles-Courteau Trophy and goes to the Memorial Cup.
A short history
The QMJHL (LHJMQ in French) is the third CHL member, covering Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The 2026–27 regular season is a 64-game slate opening September 18, with a handful of interleague games against the OHL.
Current teams
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East
Maritimes
How the league works
Major junior in French and English markets, same CHL age band as the OHL and WHL.
Standings points
A win is worth two points. A regulation loss is zero. If the game goes to overtime or a shootout, the loser still gets one point.
Conferences
The East is the East and Maritimes divisions. The West is a single West division.
Power play
A penalty puts the other team a skater up. That extra-man advantage is the power play; the shorthanded side is on the penalty kill.
Offside and icing
A player cannot enter the offensive zone ahead of the puck (offside). Icing is shooting the puck the length of the ice from behind centre; play stops and the faceoff comes back.
Age
Players are typically 16–20, with a limited number of 20-year-old overagers on each roster.
The CHL
The QMJHL champion meets the OHL, WHL, and Memorial Cup host in May.
How the playoffs work
Sixteen of the 18 clubs qualify. The winner lifts the Gilles-Courteau Trophy.
Who gets in
Sixteen teams make the QMJHL playoffs — most of the league.
Knockout rounds
Best-of-seven series through the Gilles-Courteau Trophy Final.
Two trophies
The QMJHL champion lifts the Gilles-Courteau Trophy, then plays the Memorial Cup.