Former OHL commissioner, CHL president David Branch dead at 77

TORONTO — Former Ontario Hockey League commissioner and Canadian Hockey League president David Branch has died. He was 77.

The OHL and Canadian Hockey League announced his death Monday, stating he died Sunday. No cause of death was revealed.

Branch was commissioner of the OHL from 1979 until his retirement in 2024. He was also president of the CHL from 1996-2019.

“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 player of the year award was renamed after him in 2019-20, in addition to the leader of the year award given to the top OHL executive.

Branch, a Bathurst, N.B., native and longtime resident of Whitby, Ont., had served on the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, received the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2016 and was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 2017.

“The CHL would not be the top development hockey league in the world without David Branch,” said CHL president Dan MacKenzie. “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.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Branch a “trusted colleague,” saying he and deputy commissioner Bill Daly worked alongside him on a “myriad of ventures to grow the game of hockey at all levels.”

“David Branch devoted his life’s work to major junior hockey in Canada, always prioritizing the development, education and well-being of its players,” Bettman said in a statement. “Throughout his nearly 50 years serving as president of both the Ontario Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League, David combined his passion for the game and visionary leadership to guide tremendous growth and modernization for the leagues that have long been the greatest source of players who make the NHL.”

In a release, the OHL credited Branch for guiding “the OHL through an era of unprecedented growth and progress, establishing standards that elevated junior hockey across the country.”

“Mr. Branch was a pioneer in prioritizing player welfare, championing initiatives that addressed player safety, mental health support, and educational advancement.”

Branch introduced the OHL Scholarship Program to ensure that players who passed through the league would have access to post-secondary education.

“Let’s start with he’s a pioneer,” said Dean McIntosh, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of events and properties at a press conference in St. Paul, Minn. “And if you think of Mr. Branch’s tenure with the Canadian Hockey League, which I believe started in 1978, you think of a young, under-30 (executive) taking over a league and leading that amongst peers that were probably much older and much more experienced, certainly would be a challenge.

“We can all recognize that. From where the Canadian Hockey League grew at that point to where it is today is incredible growth. I think the other thing you want to remember people for is who they are as people and who they are as a person.

“He always brought a personal note and gave back to the community. A tremendous ambassador for the game, but a much better person.”

– With files from Joshua Clipperton in St. Paul, Minn.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2026.