| British Columbia Hockey League | |
| |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1961 |
| CEO | Chris Hebb (2018-19) |
| No. of teams | 17 |
| Country(ies) |  Canada
|
| Most recent champion(s) | Surrey Eagles (7th) (2023-24) |
| Most championship(s) | Penticton Vees – 14 |
| Official website | www.bchl.bc.ca |
The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior (formerly a Junior "A") ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, the league was a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League until 2021. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 18 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior. The winner of the BCHL playoffs (Fred Page Cup) formerly continued on to play in the Doyle Cup in a best-of-7 series against the champion of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Doyle Cup competed in the Junior "A" National Championship for the Centennial Cup.
History[]
In 1961, the heads of four junior "B" hockey teams in the Okanagan region of British Columbia got together and formed a new Junior "A" league in British Columbia when no other existed. The Okanagan-Mainline Junior "A" Hockey League, the precursor to the BCHL, was comprised originally of the Kamloops Jr. Rockets, the Kelowna Buckaroos, the Penticton Jr. Vees, and the Vernon Jr. Canadians.
In 1967, the league expanded out of the Okanagan region, bringing in the New Westminster Royals and the Victoria Cougars. With the expansion, the league decided that since it had stretched out of the Okanagan region, that it need a new name - The British Columbia Junior Hockey League. A year later, the Vancouver Centennials joined the league as well. In the 1970s, the Victoria Cougars jumped to the Western Hockey League and the New Westminster team was forced to fold due to the invasion of the Estevan Bruins into their arena. In 1972, the Bellingham Blazers and the Nanaimo Clippers expanded the league to 8 teams.
On a side note, in the early 1970s the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association separated the two tiers of Junior "A" hockey. The BCJHL, being a Tier II league, was disallowed from competing for the Memorial Cup. Therefore, the variety of Tier II Junior "A" leagues across Canada agreed to compete for a new trophy called the Centennial Cup. The '70s also saw the rise of a rival league for the BCJHL. The Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League, which briefly existed in the 1960s, was resurrected by Fred Page, the man that the Eastern Champion Junior "A" Fred Page Cup and the BCHL Championship trophy are named for. The Richmond Sockeyes were the PCJHL's most dominant team, which even defeated Nanaimo in the BC Championship, the Mowat Cup, to move on to what was the precursor to the Doyle Cup. In 1979, the PCJHL and the BCJHL merged. The 77-78 season proved to be a strange one. The BCJHL sent their regular season champion, the Merritt Centennials off to play in the interprovincial playdowns as league champions without playing a single playoff game. The BCJHL continued their league playoffs without them, crowning Nanaimo as the playoff champion after Penticton refused to finish the playoff finals due to a series of brawls in the third game of the series. Merritt played off against the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in the Abbott Cup (the Western Canada Championship) and lost in 5 games (best-of-7). The Raiders lost the Centennial Cup finals to the Guelph Platers of the Ontario Hockey Association.
In 1986, Penticton won the BCJHL's first ever National Championship defeating the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League's Cole Harbour Colts by a score of 7-4 to win the Centennial Cup. A year later, the BCJHL's Richmond Sockeyes won the league's second national title as well.
In 1990, the BCJHL was renamed to its current name, British Columbia Hockey League, and changed its logo twice, in 1990 and 2000, continues to expand with new teams and younge players.
The most notable star to come from the BCHL is Olympian and National Hockey League hall of famer Brett Hull who played for Penticton. Hull holds the BCHL record for most goals in a season (105), which he set in 1983-84, a record that still stands today. Other NHLers who once played in the BCHL include Chuck Kobasew of the Boston Bruins who played for the since-renamed Penticton Panthers, Scott Gomez of the New York Rangers, who played for South Surrey, Paul Kariya of the St. Louis Blues who played for Penticton and Carey Price of Montreal Canadiens who played for the Quesnel Millionaires. Willie Mitchell is a native of British Columbia and happens to be the only current member of the Vancouver Canucks to have played in the BCHL, as a member of the Kelowna Spartans, in 1994-95.
On April 30, 2015 the Wenatchee Wild were approved by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada to transfer from the NAHL to the British Columbia Hockey League. The Wild had been trying since 2013 to make this transfer but could not get approval from both national governing bodies. The Wild organization motivation for the move was simply that the BCHL was a better fit travel wise, with the porential savings of tens of thosands of dollars just on travel expenses.
On October 8, 2019 the league announced the addition of the Cranbrook Bucks as an expansion team for the 2020-21 BCHL season. The team will be replacing the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League, who relocated to Winnipeg for the 2019-20 season.[1]
On March 31, 2024 the board of directors of the Merritt Centennials announced that they would withdraw from the British Columbia Hockey League and cease operations at the end of the 2023-24 season.[2]
Departure from Canadian Junior Hockey League[]
The British Columbia Hockey League announced in March of 2021 that it was withdrawing from the Canadian Junior Hockey League. This means that the league will no longer be part of the Canadian Junior A classification. The league remains a member of BC Hockey and Hockey Canada. The full impact of the decision is not yet known but the league, its' players, and teams will no longer be eligible to compete for the Centennial Cup or in the World Junior A Challenge or the CJHL Prospects Game.[3]
Teams[]
| Alberta Conference | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | City | Arena | Joined BCHL |
| Blackfalds Bulldogs | Blackfalds, Alberta | Eagle Builders Centre | 2024 |
| Brooks Bandits | Brooks, Alberta | Centennial Regional Arena | 2024 |
| Okotoks Oilers | Okotoks, Alberta | Pason Centennial Arena | 2024 |
| Sherwood Park Crusaders | Sherwood Park, Alberta | Randy Rosen Rink | 2024 |
| Spruce Grove Saints | Spruce Grove, Alberta | Grant Fuhr Arena | 2024 |
Timeline of Teams[]
- Kamloops Rockets (1967-73; became White Rock Centennials)
- Kelowna Buckaroos (1967-83; became Summerland Buckaroos)
- New Westminster Royals (1967-71; folded)
- Penticton Broncos (1967-75; renamed Penticton Vees)
- Vernon Essos (1967–73; renamed Vernon Vikings)
- Victoria Cougars (1967-71; joined Western Hockey League)
- Vancouver Centennials (1969-72; renamed Vancouver Villas)
- Chilliwack Bruins (1970-76; joined PCJHL)
- Bellingham Blazers (1972-75; folded)
- Nanaimo Clippers (1972-1983; became Esquimalt Buccaneers)
- Vancouver Villas (1972-73; folded)
- Langley Lords (1973-76; renamed Langley Thunder)
- Merritt Centennials (1973-85; renamed Merritt Warriors)
- Vernon Vikings (1973–79; folded)
- White Rock Centennials (1973; became Merritt Centennials)
- Maple Ridge Blazers (1975-76; renamed Maple Ridge Bruins)
- Penticton Vees (1975-78; renamed Penticton Knights)
- Bellingham Blazers (1976-80; folded)
- Kamloops Braves (1976-77; renamed Kamloops Chiefs)
- Langley Thunder (1976-79; folded)
- Maple Ridge Bruins (1976-77; folded)
- Abbotsford Flyers (1976-85; renamed Abbotsford Falcons)
- Kamloops Chiefs (1977-78; renamed Kamloops Rockets)
- Revelstoke Bruins (1977-79; renamed Revelstoke Rockets)
- Chilliwack Colts (1978-81; folded)
- Delta Suns (1978-79; folded)
- Kamloops Rockets (1978-79; became Revelstoke Rockets)
- Penticton Knights (1978-90; renamed Penticton Panthers)
- Nor Wes Caps (1979-81; folded)
- Revelstoke Rockets (1979-83; renamed Revelstoke Rangers)
- Richmond Sockeyes (1979-90; became Chilliwack Chiefs)
- Coquitlam Comets (1980-81; folded)
- Cowichan Valley Whalers (1980-81; renamed Cowichan Valley Capitals)
- Vancouver Jr. Canucks (1980-81; folded)
- Vernon Lakers (1980–83; renamed Vernon Rockets)
- Cowichan Valley Capitals (1981-84; became Sidney Whalers)
- Langley Eagles (1981-87; became Chilliwack Eagles)
- New Westminster Royals (1981-83; folded)
- Vancouver Bluehawks (1981-82; became Burnaby Bluehawks)
- Burnaby Bluehawks (1982-85; folded)
- Shuswap/Salmon Arm Totems (1982-83; renamed Shuswap Totems)
- Esquimalt Buccaneers (1983; became Nanaimo Clippers)
- Revelstoke Rangers (1983-85; folded)
- Shuswap Totems (1983-84; renamed Salmon Arm Totems)
- Summerland Buckaroos (1983-88; folded)
- Vernon Rockets (1983-84; renamed Vernon Lakers)
- Nanaimo Clippers (1984-present)
- Salmon Arm Totems (1984-85; renamed Shuswap Blazers)
- Sidney Whalers (1984-86; renamed Juan de Fuca Whalers)
- Vernon Lakers (1984–96; renamed Vernon Vipers)
- Abbotsford Falcons (1985-88; folded)
- Delta Flyers (1985-88; became Powell River Paper Kings)
- Kelowna Packers (1985-89; renamed Kelowna Spartans)
- Merritt Warriors (1985-87; renamed Merritt Centennials)
- Shuswap Blazers (1985-86; folded)
- Juan de Fuca Whalers (1986-88; became Cowichan Valley Whalers)
- Chilliwack Eagles (1987-90; folded)
- Merritt Centennials (1987-2024; withdrew to join Kootenay International Junior Hockey League)
- Salmon Arm Tigers (1987-89; folded)
- Cowichan Valley Whalers (1988-89; renamed Cowichan Valley Capitals)
- New Westminster Royals (1988-91; folded)
- Powell River Paper Kings (1988-1998; renamed Powell River Kings)
- Cowichan Valley Capitals (1989-90; folded)
- Kelowna Spartans (1989-95; folded)
- Ladner Penguins (1989-90; became Bellingham Ice Hawks)
- Bellingham Ice Hawks (1990-94; became Trail Smoke Eaters)
- Chilliwack Chiefs (1990-2006; became Langley Chiefs)
- Penticton Panthers (1990-2004; renamed Penticton Vees)
- Victoria Warriors (1990-93; folded)
- Surrey Eagles (1991-1996; renamed South Surrey Eagles)
- Cowichan Valley Capitals (1993-present)
- Langley Thunder (1994-98; renamed Langley Hornets)
- Royal City Outlaws (1994-96; folded)
- Victoria Salsa (1994-2006; renamed Victoria Grizzlies)
- Trail Smoke Eaters (1995-present)
- South Surrey Eagles (1996-2003; renamed Surrey Eagles)
- Prince George Spruce Kings (1996-present)
- Quesnel Millionaires (1996-present)
- Vernon Vipers (1996–present)
- Burnaby Bulldogs (1998-2002; became Alberni Valley Bulldogs)
- Langley Hornets (1998-2006; became Westside Warriors)
- Powell River Kings (1998-present)
- Coquitlam Express (2001-04; became Burnaby Express)
- Salmon Arm Silverbacks (2001-present)
- Alberni Valley Bulldogs (2002-present)
- Surrey Eagles (2003-present)
- Williams Lake TimberWolves (2003-2007)
- Burnaby Express (2004-present)
- Penticton Vees (2004-present)
- Langley Chiefs (2006-present)
- Victoria Grizzlies (2006-present)
- Westside Warriors (2006-present)
- Williams Lake TimberWolves (2009-present)
- Wenatchee Wild (2015-2023; join Western Hockey League)
- Cranbrook Bucks (2020-present}
- Blackfalds Bulldogs (2024-present)
- Brooks Bandits (2024-present)
- Okotoks Oilers (2024-present)
- Sherwood Park Crusaders (2024-present)
- Spruce Grove Saints (2024-present)
Royal Bank Cup champions[]
The Royal Bank Cup has been captured by a BCHL team eight times since the trophy's founding:
- 1996: Vernon Vipers
- 1998: South Surrey Eagles
- 1999: Vernon Vipers
- 2006: Burnaby Express
- 2009: Vernon Vipers
- 2010: Vernon Vipers
- 2012: Penticton Vees
- 2016: West Kelowna Warriors
- 2018: Chilliwack Chiefs (won as host)
Centennial Cup champions[]
The Centennial Cup was the forerunner to the Royal Bank Cup. The Centennial Cup was awarded for 25 years from 1971 to 1995 inclusive:
- 1986: Penticton Knights
- 1987: Richmond Sockeyes
- 1990: Vernon Lakers (won as host)
- 1991: Vernon Lakers
- 1993: Kelowna Spartans
note: The Vernon Lakers won the 1990 tournament as host
BCHL Fred Page Cup Champions[]
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All teams with the exception of teams marked with * also won the Mowat Cup as the provincial Junior "A" champions
From 1962 to 1970 the league champion was eligible to participate in the Western Canada Memorial Cup Playoffs. However, no league member won the Western Canada championship during this time.
Regional Championships[]
The Pacific Centennial Cup and the Doyle Cup were the Pacific Region qualifier for the Manitoba Centennial Cup and later the Royal Bank Cup.
The Doyle Cup was replaced in 2013 with the Western Canada Cup which included the champions of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba as well as a host team. With the new format the winner and runner up of the tournament qualified for the Royal Bank Cup. The Western Canada Cup was abandoned after the 2017 edition and the Doyle Cup was reinstated. The team would no longer be eligible after the 2020-21 season when the league withdrew from the CJHL.
Pacific Centennial Cup[]
- 1973 Penticton Broncos
- 1974 Kelowna Buckaroos
- 1978 Meritt Centennials
- 1983 Abbotsford Flyers
- 1984 Langley Eagles
Doyle Cup[]
- 1985 Penticton Knights
- 1986 Penticton Knights
- 1987 Richmond Sockeyes
- 1989 Vernon Lakers
- 1990 New Westminster Royals
- 1991 Vernon Lakers
- 1992 Vernon Lakers
- 1993 Kelowna Spartans
- 1996 Vernon Vipers
- 1997 South Surrey Eagles
- 1998 South Surrey Eagles
- 1999 Vernon Vipers
- 2002 Chilliwack Chiefs
- 2004 Nanaimo Clippers
- 2006 Burnaby Express
- 2009 Vernon Vipers
- 2010 Vernon Vipers
- 2011 Vernon Vipers
- 2012 Penticton Vees
- 2018 Wenatchee Wild
Western Canada Cup[]
- 2013 Surrey Eagles
- 2015 Penticton Vees
- 2016 West Kelowna Warriors
League Trophies[]
BCHL Trophy Case at the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, Penticton, BC
- Fred Page Cup Playoff Champions
- Cliff McNabb Trophy Coastal Conference Champions
- Ryan Hatfield Trophy Interior Conference Champions
- Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy Regular Season Champions
- Mowat Cup Best Amateur Junior A Team
- Goaltending Award Best Goaltender
- Brett Hull Award Top Scorer
- Wally Forslund Trophy Best Goaltending Duo
- Joe Tenant Memorial Trophy Coach of the Year
- Bob Fenton Trophy Most Sportsmanlike
- Defensive Award Best Defenceman
- Vern Dye Memorial Trophy Most Valuable Player
- Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year
BCHL Records[]
Individual records
- Most goals in a season: 105, Brett Hull, Penticton, 1983–84
- Most assists in a season: 111, Bob Ginetti, Burnaby, 1986–87
- Most points in a season: 188, Brett Hull, Penticton, 1983–84
- Most goals in a season, defenceman: 38, Campbell Blair, Vernon, 1986–87
- Most assists in a season, defenceman: 77, Bruce Harris, Bellingham, 1978–79; Ian Kidd, Penticton, 1984–85
- Most points in a season, defenceman: 109, Campbell Blair, Vernon, 1986–87
- Most goals in a season, rookie: 84, John Newberry, Nanaimo, 1979–80
- Most assists in a season, rookie: 103, Doug Berry, Kelowna, 1974–75
- Most points in a season, rookie: 185, John Newberry, Nanaimo, 1979–80
- Most shorthanded goals in a season: 14, Greg Hadden, New Westminster, 1988-89
- Most powerplay goals in a season: 32, Dan Bousquet, Penticton, 1993–94
- Longest consecutive shutout streak: 250 minutes, 25 seconds, Brad Thiessen, Prince George, 2005-06
Team records
- Most wins in a season: 52, New Westminster Royals, 1989-90; Vernon Vipers, 1998-99
- Most points in a season: 108, New Westminster Royals, 1989-90
- Most goals scored in a season: 498, Penticton Knights, 1984–85
- Fewest goals against in a season: 130, Penticton Knights, 48-game schedule, 1981–82; 137, Penticton Vees, 60-game schedule, 2005-06
NHL Alumni[]
References[]
- British Columbia Hockey League
- BCHL History
- BCHL Individual Regular Season Records
- BCJHL Teams @ Internet Hockey Database
- BCHL Teams @ Internet Hockey Database
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Link to BCHL Seasons[]
| Members and Championships of the Canadian Junior Hockey League | |
|---|---|
| Doyle Cup | Alberta Junior Hockey League |
| Anavet Cup | Manitoba Junior Hockey League · Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League |
| Dudley Hewitt Cup | Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League · Ontario Junior Hockey League · Superior International Junior Hockey League |
| Fred Page Cup | Central Canada Hockey League · Maritime Hockey League · Quebec Junior Hockey League |
| Centennial Cup (1971-1985, 2020-present) Royal Bank Cup (1986-2018) National Junior A Championship (2019) | 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · |
| WJAC | 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · |
| History | Abbott Cup · Western Canada Cup · Thunder Bay Flyers · IJHL · MetJHL · Original MJAHL · NBJHL · NJHL · NOJHA · OJHL · OPJHL · PCJHL · QJAHL · RMJHL · SJJHL · SOJHL · TBJHL · British Columbia Hockey League |
| Hockey Canada | |
| British Columbia Hockey League | |
|---|---|
| Interior Conference | Blackfalds Bulldogs • Brooks Bandits • Cranbrook Bucks • Okotoks Oilers • Penticton Vees • Salmon Arm Silverbacks • Sherwood Park Crusaders • Spruce Grove Saints • Trail Smoke Eaters • Vernon Vipers • West Kelowna Warriors |
| Coastal Conference | Alberni Valley Bulldogs • Chilliwack Chiefs • Coquitlam Express • Cowichan Valley Capitals • Langley Rivermen • Nanaimo Clippers • Powell River Kings • Prince George Spruce Kings • Surrey Eagles • Victoria Grizzlies |
| Defunct Teams | Abbotsford Falcons · Abbotsford Flyers · Bellingham Blazers · Chilliwack Eagles · Coquitlam Comets · Delta Suns · Kelowna Buckaroos · Kelowna Spartans · Langley Thunder · Maple Ridge Bruins • Merritt Centennials · Nor'Wes Caps · Royal City Outlaws · Quesnel Millionaires · Salmon Arm Tigers · Shuswap Blazers · Vancouver Villas • Wenatchee Wild · Williams Lake TimberWolves |
| CJHL: Mowat Cup · Abbott Cup · Doyle Cup · Centennial Cup · Western Canada Cup · List of BCHL Seasons | |