The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is an independent Canadian Junior ice hockey league with 20 teams in British Columbia and Alberta. It was classified as a Junior "A" league within the Hockey Canada framework, until it became independent in 2023. Since becoming independent, the league characterizes itself simply as a Junior ice hockey league.
History
1961 to 1993
In 1961, the heads of four Junior "B" hockey teams in the Okanagan region of British Columbia got together and formed the first Junior "A" league in British Columbia's history. The Okanagan-Mainline Junior "A" Hockey League (OMJHL) originally consisted of the Kamloops Jr. Rockets, the Kelowna Buckaroos, the Penticton Jr. Vees, and the Vernon Jr. Canadians.
Early expansion
In 1967, the league expanded out of the Okanagan region, bringing in the New Westminster Royals and the Victoria Cougars of the original (1962–1967) Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League. With the expansion, the league decided that since it was no longer solely in the Okanagan region that it need a new name, becoming the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL). A year later, the Vancouver Centennials joined the league. In the 1970s, the Victoria Cougars jumped to the Western Hockey League and the New Westminster team was forced to fold due to the relocation of the Estevan Bruins into their arena. In 1972, the Bellingham Blazers and the Nanaimo Clippers expanded the league to eight teams.
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 then disallowed from competing for the Memorial Cup, which had traditionally been the National Junior A Championship trophy. Consequently, the Tier II Junior A leagues across Canada agreed to compete for a new trophy called the Centennial Cup.
Rivalry with the PJHL
The 1970s also saw the rise of a rival league for the BCJHL, the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League (PCJHL), which briefly existed in the 1960s and was resurrected for the 1971–72 season. The PCJHL was promoted to a Junior "A" league for the 1973–74 season and changed its name to the Pacific Junior A Hockey League. The PJHL champions competed with the BCJHL champions for the provincial championship, the Mowat Cup.
The existence of the two Junior A leagues in British Columbia caused an unusual turn of events in the 1977–78 season postseason. The BCJHL sent their regular season champion, the Merritt Centennials, to play as the BC representative in the Pacific region (BC and Alberta) interprovincial Doyle Cup, excusing them from the BCJHL playoffs. The BCJHL continued their league playoffs without them, crowning Nanaimo as the playoff champion after Penticton Jr. Vees refused to finish the playoff finals due to a series of brawls in the third game of the series. Meanwhile, the Merritt Centennials won the Doyle Cup and advanced to the Abbott Cup (the Western Canada Championship) against the winner of the ANAVET Cup, the Western region champion Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Centennials lost to the Raiders, four games to one.
Merger with the PJHL
The PJHL and the BCJHL merged for the 1979–80 season.
During the 1980–81 season, the Coastal division season was interrupted by a strike at BC Ferries in late January. Since the mainland teams could no longer reach the island teams, the Coastal Division stopped playing, and began extended playoff rounds in place of the regular season.
National champions
In 1986, the Penticton Vees became the BCJHL's first Junior A national championship team, 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 consecutive national title.
1993 to 2021
From 1993 to 2021, the league was a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, an association of Junior A leagues across Canada that would play for the National Junior A Championship. The winner of the BCHL Fred Page Cup (not to be confused with the CJHL Fred Page Cup) would continue on to play the Alberta Junior Hockey League champions in the Doyle Cup for the right to compete for the national championship. The BCJHL was renamed the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in 1995.
Further expansion and relocations
The Burnaby Bulldogs joined as an expansion team in 1998 and moved to Port Alberni in 2002. The Coquitlam Express and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks joined in 2001. The Williams Lake TimberWolves joined in 2002 and folded in 2010.
The Chilliwack Chiefs moved to Langley in 2006 and were later renamed the Langley Rivermen. That team replaced the Langley Hornets who moved to West Kelowna and were later renamed the West Kelowna Warriors. In 2011, the Quesnel Millionaires moved to Chilliwack and were renamed the Chilliwack Chiefs.
The Wenatchee Wild joined in 2015 and ownership moved operations up to the WHL in 2023, following the BCHL move to go independent. The Cranbrook Bucks joined the league in 2020.
2021 to present
Withdrawal from CJHL and Hockey Canada
In March 2021, the BCHL withdrew its membership from the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
On May 1, 2023, the BCHL decided not to renew its agreement with governing body Hockey Canada, and thus became an independent league. The reasons for the decision included more control over their scheduling, particularly the timing of the playoffs, and allowing BCHL teams to recruit players under the age of 18 from outside BC Hockey's territorial jurisdiction.
Expansion into Alberta
On January 20, 2024, the league announced that five teams from the Alberta Junior Hockey League would join the BCHL in the 2024-25 season, namely, the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders, and Spruce Grove Saints. In the interim, it was decided that the five Alberta-based teams would play out the rest of the 2023-24 season as a separate division under the aegis of the BCHL, and that there would be a year-end competition with the winner of the Alberta-based teams playing the winner of the BC-based teams. Beginning in the 2024–25 BCHL season, the five Alberta-based teams, along with the Cranbrook Bucks, will form the East division of the Interior conference. The Prince George Spruce Kings, who previously were in the Interior Conference, moved to the Coastal Conference's East division.
VIJHL affiliation
In 2024–25, the league entered into an affiliation agreement with the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL). Following the announcement of the agreement, some BCHL franchises acquired an ownership stakes in VIJHL clubs. However, sources reported that there would 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.
Current franchises
The league's 20 clubs are organized into two conferences—Coastal and Interior—and each conference has an East and West division.
Conference Division Team City ArenaCoastal West Alberni Valley Bulldogs Port Alberni Weyerhaeuser Arena Cowichan Valley Capitals Duncan Cowichan Community Centre Nanaimo Clippers Nanaimo Frank Crane Arena Powell River Kings Powell River Hap Parker Arena Victoria Grizzlies Victoria The Q Centre East Chilliwack Chiefs Chilliwack Chilliwack Coliseum Coquitlam Express Coquitlam Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex Langley Rivermen Langley George Preston Recreation Centre Prince George Spruce Kings Prince George Kopar Memorial Arena Surrey Eagles Surrey South Surrey Arena Interior West Cranbrook Bucks Cranbrook Western Financial Place Salmon Arm Silverbacks Salmon Arm Rogers Rink Trail Smoke Eaters Trail Cominco Arena Vernon Vipers Vernon Kal Tire Place West Kelowna Warriors West Kelowna Royal LePage Place East Blackfalds Bulldogs Blackfalds Eagle Builders Centre Brooks Bandits Brooks Centennial Regional Arena Okotoks Oilers Okotoks Viking Rentals Centre Sherwood Park Crusaders Sherwood Park Sherwood Park Arena Spruce Grove Saints Spruce Grove Thompson Family Arena
Franchise history
1961 – Okanagan-Mainline Junior Hockey League founded with Kamloops Jr. Rockets, Kelowna Buckaroos, Penticton Jr. Vees, and Vernon Jr. Canadians 1962 – Vernon Jr. Canadians become Vernon Blades 1963 – OMJHL changes name to Okanagan Junior Hockey League 1963 – Penticton Jr. Vees leave league 1964 – Penticton returns as Penticton Broncos 1964 – Kamloops Jr. Rockets become Kamloops Kraft Kings 1967 – OJHL changes name to British Columbia Junior Hockey League 1967 – Vernon Blades become Vernon Essos 1967 – Kamloops Kraft Kings become Kamloops Rockets 1967 – New Westminster Royals and Victoria Cougars join from Pacific Coast Junior A Hockey League 1969 – Vancouver Centennials join league 1970 – Chilliwack Bruins join league 1971 – New Westminster Royals and Victoria Cougars leave league 1972 – Vancouver Centennials become Vancouver Villas 1972 – Nanaimo Clippers and Bellingham Blazers join league 1973 – Kamloops Rockets move and become White Rock Centennials and then Merritt Centennials 1973 – Vancouver Villas leave league 1973 – Langley Lords join league 1973 – Vernon Essos become Vernon Vikings 1975 – Penticton Broncos become Penticton Vees 1975 – Bellingham Blazers become Maple Ridge Blazers 1976 – Kamloops Braves and Abbotsford Flyers join league 1976 – Maple Ridge Blazers become Bellingham Blazers 1976 – Chilliwack Bruins become Maple Ridge Bruins 1976 – Langley Lords become Langley Thunder 1977 – Maple Ridge Bruins move, renamed Revelstoke Bruins 1977 – Kamloops Braves become Kamloops Chiefs 1978 – Kamloops Chiefs become Kamloops Rockets 1978 – Bellingham Blazers become Bellingham Ice Hawks 1978 – Chilliwack Colts and Delta Suns join league 1979 – Penticton Vees become Penticton Knights 1979 – Revelstoke Bruins and Kamloops Rockets merge to become Revelstoke Bruins/Rockets 1979 – Richmond Sockeyes and Nor'Wes Caps join league from Pacific Junior A Hockey League 1979 – Delta Suns, Langley Thunder, and Vernon Canadians leave league 1980 – Vernon rejoins league as Vernon Lakers 1980 – Cowichan Valley Capitals and Coquitlam Comets join league 1980 – Revelstoke Bruins/Rockets change name to Revelstoke Rockets 1980 – Bellingham Ice Hawks move, renamed Vancouver Blue Hawks 1980 – Chilliwack Colts cease operations mid-season 1981 – Langley Eagles join league 1981 – Coquitlam Comets and Nor'Wes Caps cease operations 1982 – Esquimalt Buccaneers and Shuswap/Salmon Arm Totems join league 1982 – Nanaimo Clippers cease operations 1982 – Vancouver Blue Hawks move, renamed Burnaby Blue Hawks 1983 – Revelstoke Rockets renamed Revelstoke Rangers 1983 – Esquimalt Buccaneers move, renamed Nanaimo Clippers 1983 – Kelowna Buckaroos move, renamed Summerland Buckaroos 1983 – New Westminster Royals cease operations 1984 – Cowichan Valley Capitals move, renamed Sidney Capitals 1984 – Vernon Rockets renamed Vernon Lakers 1985 – Delta Flyers and Kelowna Packers join league 1985 – Burnaby Blue Hawks and Revelstoke Rangers cease operations 1985 – Merritt Centennials renamed Merritt Warriors 1985 – Abbotsford Flyers renamed Abbotsford Falcons 1985 – Salmon Arm Totems renamed Salmon Arm/Shuswap Blazers 1986 – Sidney Capitals move, renamed Juan de Fuca Whalers 1987 – Salmon Arm/Shuswap Blazers renamed Salmon Arm Tigers 1987 – Merritt Warriors renamed Merritt Centennials 1987 – Langley Eagles move, renamed Chilliwack Eagles 1988 – Summerland Buckaroos and Abbotsford Falcons cease operations 1988 – Juan de Fuca Whalers move, renamed Cowichan Valley Whalers 1988 – New Westminster Royals rejoin league 1988 – Delta Flyers move, renamed Powell River Paper Kings 1989 – Kelowna Packers renamed Kelowna Spartans 1989 – Chilliwack Eagles move, renamed Ladner Penguins 1989 – Cowichan Valley Whalers renamed Cowichan Valley Capitals 1989 – Salmon Arm Tigers cease operations 1990 – Penticton Knights renamed Penticton Panthers