The cup was donated to the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association by Mr. John Mowat of Victoria, BC, for competition in the 1927-28 hockey season. In past years, junior teams in BC played in various regional leagues, including the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League, and Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. Various formats for Mowat Cup competition usually saw the champions of these regional leagues compete for the Mowat Cup. Since 1999, the Mowat Cup has been exclusive to the province-wide Junior "A" British Columbia Hockey League.