What Hockey Team Is in Newfoundland and Labrador? (Pro, University, Juniors)

Did you know Newfoundland was once home to the Maple Leafs?

But… not the Leafs you’re probably thinking of, based out of Toronto (in the NHL).

Rather, Newfoundland was once home to a professional hockey team called the St. John’s Maple Leafs.

The team was established in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 1991 as the minor league farm team for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and operated until 2005.

In this article, I’ll show you what professional hockey teams are in Newfoundland and Labrador (and have operated here in the past), and what university and junior hockey teams currently compete in the province.

Pssssst! Are you curious about hockey teams in other Canadian provinces? You can learn more by checking out our other posts: What Hockey Team Is in Quebec and What Hockey Teams Are In Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Newfoundland and Labrador:

Newfoundland’s top hockey team is the Newfoundland Growlers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). The Growlers are a mid-level professional hockey team that operates out of the province’s capital city, St. John’s.

Does Newfoundland and Labrador Have a Hockey Team?

So, what is Newfoundland’s hockey team?

Newfoundland has dozens of high-level hockey teams but no NHL or AHL teams.

The top hockey team in the province is the Newfoundland Growlers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).

Are There Any NHL Teams in Newfoundland?

So, will you find an NHL hockey team in Newfoundland?

Unfortunately, no. Newfoundland was once home to several professional teams that competed in the AHL: St. John’s IceCaps and St. John’s Maple Leafs. The top team is the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL.

NHL Players from Newfoundland and Labrador

Are there any Newfoundlanders playing in the NHL?

While Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t have its own NHL team, the province is home to many current and retired hockey players from the National Hockey League (NHL).

NHL Players Born in Newfoundland:

Michael Ryder
Daniel Cleary
Teddy Purcell
Dawson Mercer
Alex Newhook
Keith Brown
Ryane Clowe
Dave Pichette
Colin Greening
John Slaney
Tony White
Harold Druken
Darren Langdon
Adam Pardy
Luke Adam
Brad Brown
Kason King
Clark Bishop
Jason Morgan
Dwayne Norris
Daniel Lacosta

What Hockey Teams Are in Newfoundland and Labrador?

So, what hockey teams are in Newfoundland? Newfoundland has had several professional hockey teams over the years and currently has one pro team. The top hockey teams in the province are listed below:

NHL

Newfoundland doesn’t have an NHL team. While they have had several professional hockey teams over the years, they haven’t had one compete in the NHL.

So, what is the most popular NHL team in Newfoundland?

Hockey fans from Newfoundland typically cheer for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs or the Montreal Canadiens.

AHL

The AHL is a high-level professional sports league just one step below the NHL.

So, is there an AHL team in Newfoundland?

Well, the province was once home to three AHL teams over the years but doesn’t currently have one. Here are the three AHL teams that have existed in Newfoundland over the years:

St. John’s IceCaps (2015–2017)
St. John’s IceCaps (2011–2015)
St. John’s Maple Leafs (1991–2005)

ECHL

The East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) is a mid-level professional sports league just one step below the American Hockey League (AHL).

The ECHL team in Newfoundland is called the Newfoundland Growlers. They’ve been operating in the province out of St. John’s since 2018.

University Hockey

While Newfoundland and Labrador is better known for its ECHL team, the province was once led by its D1 university hockey team: The Memorial University Sea-Hawks.

The team competed within the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference as a part of the U Sports League — the top-tier university sports league in Canada.

The Sea-Hawks operated out of St. John’s, Newfoundland between 1968 and 1982.

College Hockey

Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t currently have any college hockey programs.

Junior Hockey

Wondering what junior hockey teams are in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Well, Newfoundland has a handful of junior ice hockey teams in a Junior B league.

Here are the junior hockey teams in Newfoundland and Labrador, broken down by the different leagues:

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL – Major Junior) Teams:

So, does Newfoundland and Labrador have a major junior hockey team?

Not currently. The province used to have a major junior team though: the St. John’s Fog Devils. The team operated from 2005 to 2008.

St. John’s Junior Hockey League (SJJHL – Junior B) Teams:

CBN Junior Stars
CBR Junior Renegades
Mount Pearl Junior Blades
Northeast Junior Eagles
Paradise Junior Warriors
Southern Shore Junior Breakers
St. John’s Junior Caps
The Bigs Avalon Junior Celtics

Is There High School Hockey in Newfoundland?

Yes, there is plenty of high school hockey in Newfoundland. There is one primary high school hockey league: BMO Doug Marshall Hockey League (BMO-DMHL). The league is split into two divisions in the province.

Tier 1

Gonzaga Vikings
Holy Heart Highlanders
O’Donel Patriots
MP Senior High Huskies
Holy Trinity Tigers
Holy Spirit Falcons
Queen Elizabeth Pioneers
PWC Cavaliers

Tier 2

St. Bon’s Phoenix
Mobile Monarchs
Waterford Valley Warriors
Roncalli Cardinals
St. Kevin`s Mavericks
Gonzaga Vikings 2

Royal Newfoundland Regiment Memorial High School Hockey Tournament

The largest high school hockey tournament in the province is the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Memorial High School Hockey Tournament.

The tournament is hosted once a year with nearly 900 players, coaches, and officials — and hundreds of fans.

It’s an invitational tournament run by former members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

To learn about minor hockey leagues in Newfoundland and Labrador, check out the Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador website here.

Are you curious to know what hockey teams compete in different U.S. states? Be sure to check out our post: Hockey Teams in Every U.S. State: Complete NHL & College List (2023).