J. Ross Robertson Cup

The J. Ross Robertson Cup has been awarded to the Ontario Hockey League champion since 1975, but the man it honours cast a shadow over Canadian hockey long before the OHL existed. John Ross Robertson was born in Toronto in 1841 and became one of the city's most powerful figures - a newspaper magnate, philanthropist, and tireless champion of amateur sport.

Robertson founded the Toronto Evening Telegram in 1876 and used his platform to advocate for hockey at a time when the sport was still finding its identity. He served as president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1899 to 1905 and donated generously to promote the game at every level, funding trophies and facilities across the province with the conviction that sport built character.

The trophy itself reflects that traditional spirit. A classic silver goblet-style cup sits atop a tall cylindrical base ringed with rows of engraved name plates listing every OHL champion. It is one of the oldest-styled trophies in Canadian junior hockey, and deliberately so - a connection to the amateur roots Robertson fought to preserve.

The OHL traces its own lineage to 1890, making it one of the oldest continuously operating hockey leagues in the world. Over more than a century it has produced an extraordinary list of alumni: Bobby Orr, Eric Lindros, Steven Stamkos, and John Tavares all wore OHL jerseys before becoming NHL legends. Every spring, the team that lifts the Robertson Cup earns its place in that long history.