In 1970, the Suburban Junior C Hockey League divided into two leagues. Most of the westerly teams formed the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League, while most of the easterly teams formed the Central Lakeshore Junior C League. In 1972, the Eastern Junior B Hockey League was also divided up, half to the Metro Junior B Hockey League and the other half to the Central League. With this, the Eastern Junior C Loop became the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey League, the Central League's main territorial rival until 1986.
With a plethora of major towns in the league: Trenton, Ajax, Bowmanville, Port Hope, Lindsay, Cobourg, and the retirement community-backed Wellington Dukes; the Central Junior B Hockey League absorbed many of these franchises over the course of a couple years in their run to Junior A status—obtained in 1993.
Since losing half of their teams, the Central Ontario League has survived with the likes of Georgina, Lakefield, Little Britain, Port Perry, and Uxbridge. A sixth team has failed to stick in most cases, in towns like Bobcaygeon and Madoc. Due to retraction in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, the Bowmanville Eagles have returned in 2011 in the form of the Clarington Eagles but Ajax remains unserviced after their team left Junior A, both having folded in 2010.
Following the 2015-16 seasons the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League amalgamated with the other southern Ontario junior "C" hockey leagues and became a division within the Provincial Junior Hockey League.
