• The Stouffville Spirit and Markham Royals will compete for the new Markham Stouffville Cup this OJHL season.
  • The trophy was created by the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation to connect rivalry with fundraising.
  • Four regular-season games will decide the winner.
  • The Foundation will sell 50/50 tickets at the Oct. 9 home opener, with a minimum $10,000 grand prize.
  • Mayors Iain Lovatt and Frank Scarpitti added a friendly wager: the losing mayor will wear their rival’s jersey.
  • The Spirit have started the season at 5-2, currently ranked second in the Eastern Conference.

 

The Stouffville Spirit and Markham Royals will battle for more than bragging rights this Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) season. The two clubs will meet four times during the 2025–26 regular season, with their head-to-head record deciding the winner of the inaugural Markham Stouffville Cup.

The trophy, created by the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation, connects the region’s long-standing hockey rivalry to a meaningful community cause. To kick off the series, the Foundation will be at the Oct. 9 opener selling 50/50 tickets in support of the hospital. The draw’s grand prize, guaranteed at $10,000, will be awarded Oct. 24.

The Spirit will host series games on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 18 at 3:30 p.m. at the Stouffville Arena. Away contests are taking place on Nov. 21 and Feb. 27, both at 7:30 p.m., at the Markham Centennial Community Centre.

If the two teams split the series evenly, the OJHL’s tie-breaking rules will determine the winner. The process adds a team’s total goals scored to its goals allowed, then divides goals scored by that total. The team with the higher percentage comes out on top.

Local officials joined players and Foundation representatives for the trophy’s launch on Sept. 23 at Markham Stouffville Hospital, including Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt and Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. In an added twist, the two agreed that the losing side’s mayor will don their opponent’s jersey during York Region’s Committee of the Whole meeting on March 5, 2026.

“This new ‘9th Line’ hockey series was easy to get behind,” Lovatt told Bullet Point News. “Mayor Scarpitti and I are co-chairs of the Foundation’s capital campaign, so it made sense to create a fun series that aligned with the OJHL schedule and our collective fundraising goals.”

“I look forward to seeing the community come out in support, and to Mayor Scarpitti wearing the Spirit jersey on March 5,” he added.

For the Foundation, the new cup is about more than hockey. Proceeds will help fund life-saving medical equipment and support ongoing hospital priorities.

“Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital is the lifeline that connects Markham and Stouffville, and the Foundation is thrilled to be included in this special tradition shared between our communities,” said Suzette Strong, CEO of the MSH Foundation. “No matter which team takes the cup in the end, what truly counts is the spirit of the game, and the spirit of giving.”

The Spirit are off to a strong start this season, sitting second in the Eastern Conference at 5-2. Delivering five decisive victories, their two setbacks came in close losses to the Pickering Panthers and Buffalo Jr. Sabres. The home team trails only the 6-1 Trenton Golden Hawks.

The Royals, meanwhile, hold a 2-3 record, placing them seventh. The OJHL, which runs the 24-team league, has formally endorsed the new series. Fans unable to attend the Oct. 9 game can still purchase 50/50 tickets through the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation’s website.

 

Cover image taken by Ray MacAloney, OJHL Images