QMJHL changes name to include Maritimes

In a move that seemingly came out of nowhere, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is no more.

The league announced a major rebrand on Thursday, renaming itself to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and introducing an English-specific logo. The name change means the acronym "QMJHL" in English and "LHJMQ" in French remain the same.

From the QMJHL's news release:

By doing so, the League wished to specifically incorporate the Maritimes within the League’s brand identity. Most teams in the Maritimes Division have been integral members of major junior hockey in Eastern Canada for over 20 years, significantly contributing to the League’s success since the expansion of the “Q” out East.

“Recognizing the immeasurable contributions of our six Maritimes-based franchises to the growth of our League has been of paramount importance since I have taken on the role of Commissioner,” commented Mario Cecchini. “Out of respect for our clubs in the Maritimes and their fans, it has been a priority for me to include them in the name of the League. The vote to change the designation was unanimous.”

This is one of the first major moves by new commissioner Marion Cecchini. This has been a topic of discussion amongst fans and media for many years but never seemed to have a lot of traction at the league level. 

The timing of this decision is a bit odd. This is a move that should have been done many years ago, but to change it mid-season is not something you see too often. The banner on the league's website has already been adjusted.