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yesterday

David Branch, Longtime OHL Commissioner and Former CHL President, Dies at 77

Peers credit him with centering player welfare across major junior hockey.

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OHL Commissioner David Branch presents retiring Ottawa 67’s coach Brian Kilrea with a plaque bearing his name on March 14, 2009. (Pat McGrath/Postmedia Network file photo)
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OHL Commissioner David Branch presents London Knights forward Mitch Marner with the Wayne Gretzky Award as playoff MVP after the Knights won the OHL championship on May 11, 2016. (Free Press file photo)

Overview

  • The Ontario Hockey League announced Monday that David Branch died Sunday at age 77.
  • Branch served as OHL commissioner from 1979 until his 2024 retirement and led the CHL as president from 1996 to 2019.
  • OHL commissioner Bryan Crawford lauded Branch’s player-first leadership, while CHL president Dan MacKenzie said the league’s status as a top development path reflects Branch’s influence.
  • League statements highlight his initiatives on player safety, mental-health support, education, and the OHL Scholarship Program.
  • His legacy includes the CHL David Branch Player of the Year award, the Order of Hockey in Canada (2016), induction into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame (2017), and service on the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee.