Originally known as the
Metro Valley Junior Hockey League (MVJHL), the league was founded in 1967 by Fred McGillivray and Louie Lewis of
Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Don Stewart of
Berwick, Nova Scotia, as a Junior "B" level hockey league. Originally an exclusively Nova Scotia hockey league, it included six teams: East Hants Junior Penguins, Halifax Colonels, Dartmouth Hoyts, Windsor Royals, Kentville Riteways, and Berwick Shell Juniors. 1968 saw the Truro Bearcats and Amherst Ramblers replace the teams from Kentville and Berwick. In 1971–72 the New Glasgow Bombers and the Pictou Maripacs entered the league. Stellarton and a new Kentville franchise entered the league in 1973 and 1974 respectively. In 1977, the MVJHL entered into the Tier II Junior "A" level. The jump to Junior "A" was, in theory, to be a catalyst for the development of the league. However the budgets necessary to play at the Jr. 'A' level resulted in the immediate withdrawal of the Chester Ravens and the East Hants Penguins. The Cole Harbour Colts (Scotia Colts), who entered the league in 1976, became the first team in league history to host the national Junior A championship, then known as the Centennial Cup, in 1980. The 1983 season saw the addition of the expansion Moncton Midland Hawks of
Moncton, New Brunswick, the league's first non-Nova Scotia team. The Hawks came from the
New Brunswick Junior Hockey League and are now known as the
Edmundston Blizzard. In 1986, the league expanded to
Antigonish and the Scotia Colts, again, hosted the Centennial Cup. Future Maritime Junior Hockey League team
Summerside Western Capitals, then competing in the
Island Junior Hockey League (IJHL), hosted the 1989 Centennial Cup. In 1991, the Summerside Western Capitals and the
Charlottetown Abbies left
Prince Edward Island's IJHL and joined the MVJHL, which was immediately renamed the
Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL). According to league officials, it is believed that goaltender
Lisa Herritt of the
Dartmouth Oland Exports became the first female MHL player in the 1995–96 season. On April 26, the Bulldogs had to choose between two groups trying to buy the team and relocate it. The first group would move the franchise to
New Richmond, Quebec. The other group would relocate the team to the Halifax area. At the board of governors meeting that day, the proposal to relocate the franchise to Quebec was deemed to not be in the best interests of the league and its members. The Governors did leave the door open to the sale to a Halifax group and a move to Metro Halifax. The sale and relocation of the franchise to Halifax was later approved. At the same Governors meeting, in response to the decision to leave the door open on the sale of the Bulldogs, the owners of the Halifax Wolverines announced their plans to move to
Bridgewater. The Governors approved the move. Following a name the team contest, the franchise was dubbed the
Bridgewater Lumberjacks. Later that week on April 29, the Moncton Beavers announced that they had failed to come to terms on a new lease for the
Tim Hortons 4-Ice centre and had subsequently moved themselves to the neighboring city of
Dieppe. The team was renamed the Dieppe Commandos. On May 1, with the fifth and final change for the MJAHL within a span of 16 days, the Charlottetown Abbies applied for a leave of absence for one year, which was accepted. The Halifax franchise (former
Antigonish Bulldogs) announced on August 22 that the club would be known as the
Halifax Lions. This was the name of the successful Halifax team in the 1980s. In 2010, the MJAHL changed its name to the
Maritime Junior Hockey League and unveiled a new logo. In 2011, the Halifax Lions moved to
Dartmouth and were renamed the
Metro Marauders. Two years later the Marauders were renamed the
Metro Shipbuilders for the 2012–13 season. That season was a disaster for the Shipbuilders, as they only recorded four wins in their 52-game schedule and averaged just 232 fans per game. The relocation rumours had them moving back to
Halifax after three years in Dartmouth but they finally moved to
Kentville and were renamed the
Valley Wildcats. After one season in Kentville they moved to Berwick. In 2014 the league approved an expansion team in
St. Stephen named the
County Aces. As a result of the expansion, the league was back up to 12 teams for the first time since the folding of the Charlottetown Abbies in April 2008. In November 2014, the league took over the ownership of the Bridgewater Lumberjacks after owner Ken Petrie left the team because of financial trouble. The team was sold two weeks later to a local businessman and the team was renamed the
South Shore Lumberjacks. In November 2016, the
Dieppe Commandos announced they would be moving to
Edmundston, New Brunswick, after the 2016–17 season, and be renamed the Edmundston Blizzard. In May 2018, the
Woodstock Slammers applied for a leave of absence for the 2018–19 season; the team is later sold and relocated to
Grand Falls, New Brunswick, and renamed the
Grand Falls Rapids. In April 2019, the
St. Stephen Aces were sold to a group from
Fredericton, New Brunswick, and became the third team in three years to relocate. The Aces relocated to Fredericton for the 2019–20 season and were renamed the
Fredericton Red Wings. The current MHL has twelve teams, six in each division. The league has hosted the Royal Bank Cup and Centennial Cup seven times, winning twice. MHL teams have also won seven Fred Page Cups as the Junior "A" Eastern Canadian champions to earn the right to compete for the Royal Bank Cup. In September 2024, female goaltender
Rhyah Stewart signed with the
West Kent Steamers. In 2025, the franchise formerly known as the Fredericton Red Wings relocated to
Bathurst, New Brunswick, and was renamed the
Chaleur Lightning. ==Teams==