The Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League are mourning the passing of longtime CHL President and OHL Commissioner David Branch.
Both leagues confirmed Branch passed away at the age of 77 on Sunday, January 4.
Branch, who was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick and lived in Whitby, Ontario for many years, served an incredible 45 years as OHL Commissioner from 1979-2024. He also served as CHL President from 1996-2019, overseeing the entirety of the Canadian major junior hockey landscape during that time.
The introduction of the OHL Scholarship Program was spearheaded by Branch, to ensure that players who played in the league had access to post-secondary education after playing.
Branch received the Order of Canada in 2016, was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, and served for many years on the Hockey Hall of Fame's selection committee.
The CHL annually has awarded the David Branch Player of the Year Award to the player judged to be the most outstanding across the CHL, since 2019-20, when the award was renamed in Branch's honour. The OHL also hands out the David Branch Leader of the Year Award, given to the OHL's top executive annually.
Both the CHL and OHL say that funeral arrangements and memorial services will be announced in the coming days.
"This is a very sad day for a lot of people," said OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford. "David’s contributions to the game of hockey will continue to impact the game for generations. The entire league mourns the loss of a great leader and visionary who oversaw the growth and evolution of the Ontario Hockey League, always prioritizing the players and putting their experience first."
"The CHL would not be the top development hockey league in the world without David Branch," said Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. "His relentless focus on the player experience, both on and off the ice, will be his greatest legacy, as the game is safer, faster, and more skilled because of his influence and leadership. David had both the vision and the will to do big things, and he brought people together to get them done. He was a true builder, and his rightful place should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day."
