Most of the teams originated from the Island Junior B Hockey League, except for the Charlottetown Abbies who played the previous season in the Central New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League.
In 1989, the Summerside Western Capitals hosted the Canadian Junior A Championship, then known as the Manitoba Centennial Cup, and represented the IJHL at the tourney.
The Western Capitals came in second place, losing to the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League 4–1 in the final after beating the Moncton Hawks 3–2 in a triple-overtime thriller in the semi-final.
In 1991, the IJHL folded when two teams, Charlottetown Abbies and Summerside Western Capitals, jumped to the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League (MVJHL).
The MVJHL immediately changed its name to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL) – a tribute to the short-lived Maritime Junior A Hockey League (1968–1971).