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Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League

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Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Founded1965
First season1965–66
No. of teams11
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)
Saanich Predators
Most titlesCampbell River Storm
Feeder toBCHL
Official websitewww.vijhl.com Edit this at Wikidata

The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) is a junior ice hockey league of 11 clubs on Vancouver Island. The Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. In 2024, the league decided to withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and operate as an independent farm league for the BCHL.

History

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The most recent provincial Jr. B champions to come from the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League are the Campbell River Storm in 2015, the Peninsula Panthers in 2011, the Victoria Cougars in 2007, and the Campbell River Storm again in 1999 during their dynasty of the league. The only team in VIJHL history to ever win the Keystone Cup as Western Canadian champions are the 2015 Campbell River Storm. This has been accomplished multiple times by teams in the rival Pacific Junior Hockey League and Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

In 2012, the VIJHL announced the addition of two new franchises, the Nanaimo Buccaneers and the Westshore Wolves. The Buccaneers are the namesake of a team that played in the VIJHL in the 1970s. The Wolves are not new to the area either, but are replacing an unsuccessful team, the Westshore Stingers, that folded on December 4, 2010. The Lake Cowichan Kraken and Port Alberni Bombers joined the league as expansion franchises in the 2021–22 VIJHL season.[1][2]

In 2023, governing body BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its junior hockey framework following the departure of its only Junior A league.[3] The three Junior B leagues (PJHL, KIJHL and VIJHL) were summarily designated as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to conduct an independent evaluation of those teams seeking to be promoted to "Junior A Tier 1". It was expected that those teams promoted to Tier 1 would eventually apply for membership in the CJHL.[4] The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024–25 season.[5]

In April 2024, the league announced that it would withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL in the 2024–25 season.[6][7][8] Some BCHL clubs acquired an ownership stake in VIJHL clubs after the announcement.[8][9][10] However, sources reported that there will be no club-specific affiliations, and that BCHL teams will be allowed to call players up from, or send players down to, any VIJHL team.[11]

Franchises

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Division Team Home Arena
North Campbell River Storm Campbell River Rod Brind'Amour Arena
Comox Valley Glacier Kings Courtenay Comox Valley Sports Centre
Lake Cowichan Kraken Lake Cowichan Cowichan Lake Sport Arena
Nanaimo Buccaneers Nanaimo Nanaimo Ice Centre
Oceanside Generals Parksville Oceanside Place
Port Alberni Bombers Port Alberni Alberni Valley Multiplex
South Kerry Park Islanders Mill Bay Kerry Park Arena
Peninsula Panthers North Saanich Panorama Recreation Centre
Saanich Predators Saanich George Pearkes Arena
Victoria Cougars Esquimalt Archie Browning Sports Centre
Westshore Wolves Colwood The Q Centre

Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy champions

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  1. ^ Cancelled due to public health restrictions

League championships by team

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NHL alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rothbauer, Kevin (26 May 2021). "Release the Lake Cowichan Kraken!". Cowichan Valley Citizen. Black Press Media. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  2. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (28 May 2021). "Port Alberni Bombers latest expansion team for VIJHL". Times Colonist. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  3. ^ "BC Hockey announces new Junior A pathway". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  4. ^ "BC Hockey Junior A pathway update". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. ^ "B.C. Junior A leagues partner with Blackfin Sports Group". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  6. ^ Ewen, Steve (30 April 2024). "Vancouver Island Junior B loop cuts ties with Hockey Canada, joins forces with BCHL". The Province. Postmedia. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  7. ^ "VIJHL announces decision to become independent league". vijhl.com. Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b Bailey, Jim (1 May 2024). "Trail Smoke Eaters owner purchases VIJHL Peninsula Panthers". Trail Times. Black Press Media. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  9. ^ Ferguson, Dan (6 June 2024). "Langley Rivermen acquire a farm team". Aldergrove Star. Black Press Media. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  10. ^ "BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs have new owner". Vancouver Island Free Daily. Black Press Media. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  11. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (29 April 2024). "VIJHL latest league to bolt Hockey Canada and go independent". Times Colonist. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
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