The Grizzlys were a dominant team in the AJHL in the early 1990s with three straight league championships and a Centennial Cup title as Junior A national champions, won on home ice, in 1994.

On June 30, 2017, the league announced that the franchise had been transferred to new ownership called the "Friends of the Grizzlys.

Since 1986, the tournament has consisted of the regional Junior A champions and a previously selected host team.

The tournament begins with round-robin play between the five teams followed by the top four teams playing a semifinal game, with the top seed facing the fourth seed and the second facing the third.

The winners of the semifinals then face each other in final game for the national championship.