Junior A hockey will have a new name and structure this fall.
The BC Hockey board of directors unanimously approved a new membership model under the British Columbia Hockey Conference (BCHC), bringing the province’s sanctioned Junior A league under one umbrella.
With the launch, all Junior A hockey in the province will operate under a single structure, with teams in the Cariboo, Kootenay, Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Thompson-Okanagan. The new league will include 22 teams — 14 from the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), and eight from the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL).
“We continue to take measured and thoughtful steps to build our junior hockey pathways in B.C. and to restore a strong and connected ecosystem for our leagues, teams, and junior hockey participants,” BC Hockey Chief Executive Officer Cameron Hope said in a statement.
“We are now positioned to return to competition for Hockey Canada’s national Junior A championship and, more importantly, to deliver a high-quality player experience for players and families.”
The new BCHC will be split into three divisions, all playing for the Mowat Cup:
Interior Division: Kamloops Storm, Merritt Centennials, Osoyoos Coyotes, Princeton Posse, Quesnel River Rush, Revelstoke Grizzlies, Summerland Jets and Williams Lake Mustangs.
Kootenay Division: Beaver Valley Nitehawks, Columbia Valley Rockies, Fernie Ghostriders, Grand Forks Border Bruins, Kimberley Dynamiters and Nelson Leafs.
Mainland Division: Burnaby Steelers, Chilliwack Jets, Coastal Tsunami, Delta Ice Hawks, Langley Trappers, Port Coquitlam Trailblazers, Richmond Sockeyes and Ridge Meadows Flames.
The creation of the BCHC follows three seasons of work between B.C. Hockey, the junior leagues and stakeholders to ensure teams and organizations were prepared to operate at the Junior A level. Interested teams were evaluated during consultation phases over two seasons in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
“Today’s announcement marks an exciting milestone for Junior A hockey in British Columbia,” said BCHC commissioner Jeff Dubois.
“For the past three seasons, these clubs have worked incredibly hard to enhance their operations and elevate the development resources available to their athletes. The results have been evident in the competitive level of play on the ice and the increased support of our fans, volunteers, and sponsors. Thousands of individuals in these communities have supported us through this process, and it’s tremendous to be able to reward them for those efforts.”
B.C. Hockey understands the “road still has bumps” to sort through, with other leagues operating outside its structure and Hockey Canada, as well as families weighing their options.
The conference is applying for membership in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, which would see B.C. rejoin the national organization after the BC Hockey League left in 2023.
Membership would allow conference teams to compete for the Centennial Cup against other regional Junior A leagues.
With the launch of the BCHC, there will be eight teams, mainly in the Lower Mainland, competing in Junior B hockey under the PJHL.
Commissioner Jeff Dubois told Vista Radio that the KIJHL will not operate during the 2026/2027 season. However, the league will be looking to “reemerge” as a sanctioned Junior B hockey league.
“We are absolutely going to look at the steps we can take to bring that back. We’ve had a bunch of dialogue with different communities over the last year in the process of trying to add members on the Junior B side,” said Dubois.
“What the KIJHL comes back under that name, logo, and brand, that will be at some point in the future when we’ve got a group of Junior B teams that want to play sanctioned hockey.”
Dubois said the conference will work closely with Junior B and minor hockey partners to strengthen a clear development pathway within sanctioned programs.
The conference will begin its inaugural 2026-27 season in the fall.
