1972 To 1982
In 1970, the CAHA divided the Junior A ranks into two levels, creating a Major–Junior tier that consisted of three leagues: the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA, now the OHL) and the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL, now WHL). It was decided that the Memorial Cup would be the championship trophy of the Major Junior leagues, while the Manitoba Centennial Trophy was created as the Junior A championship. The CAHA decided that beginning in 1972, the Memorial Cup would be determined via a double round-robin tournament (four games each) between the champion of the three leagues, featuring a single game championship involving the top two finishers in the tournament. The creation of the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks in 1976 opened the competition up to non-Canadian teams for the first time, and in 1982, the Winter Hawks became the first American team in Memorial Cup history to compete for the trophy.
| Cup | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Additional participants | Host location(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) | 2–1 | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) | Ottawa |
| 1973 | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) | 9–1 | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL) | Montreal |
| 1974 | Regina Pats (WCHL) | 7–4 | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) | Calgary |
| 1975 | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) | 7–3 | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) | Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL) | Kitchener |
| 1976 | Hamilton Fincups (OHA) | 5–2 | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | Montreal |
| 1977 | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) | 6–5 | Ottawa 67's (OHA) | Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL) | Vancouver |
| 1978 | New Westminster Bruins (WHL) | 7–4 | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) | Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie |
| 1979 | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | 2–1 (OT) | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) | Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) | Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Verdun |
| 1980 | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) | 3–2 (OT) | Peterborough Petes (OHA) | Regina Pats (WHL) | Brandon and Regina |
| 1981 | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) | 5–2 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | Victoria Cougars (WHL) | Windsor |
| 1982 | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | 7–4 | Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL) | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) | Hull |
Read more about this topic: List Of Memorial Cup Champions, Champions and Challengers