The CIHL was officially announced on April 8, 2014 with the unveiling of its website.The league was started by Tim Clayden, current owner of the Espanola Rivermen, a team that just finished their first year in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and then left. In May 2014, the league was accepted into the Amateur Athletic Union's United Hockey Union The AAU provides insurance and oversight to its leagues, but is not a recognized governing body of ice hockey by Hockey Canada or the International Ice Hockey Federation.