THE HOCKEY RESOURCE DOES NOT EXPRESS A PARTICULAR OPINION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BUT AS A RESOURCE FOR PARENTS, WE FEEL THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO OUR MEMBERS.
The British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCHL) is officially independent and non-sanctioned according to BC Hockey and Hockey Canada. (1) As of September 30, 2023 all BCHL affiliated players, coaches and volunteers are ineligible to participate in Provincial and National programs for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. (2-4) In hockey slang this is known as an “Outlaw League”, typically a last resort for players who become banned from playing organized hockey under Hockey Canada. Outlaw junior hockey leagues have come and gone in the past but never in recent history has an established, high profile and internationally recognized league such as the BCHL claimed independence from the National Sports Organization (NSO).
Some facts about the BCHL:
- The BCHL formed in 1961 and earns more NCAA Division 1 scholarships than all nine Canadian Junior A Hockey Leagues combined. (2)
- 411 BCHL Alumni play in the NCAA, approximately one-quarter of current NCAA Division I hockey players. (2)
- 283 BCHL players are committed to NCAA Division 1 at the end of the 2023-24 regular season. (5)
- 19 BCHL Alumni are on NHL rosters to start the 2023-24 season. 15 BCHL Alumni played in the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (6)
- 630,000 fans attended BCHL games in 2022-23, on average approximately 1,350 fans per game. (7)
Why Does This Matter?
Junior hockey features the best players age 20 years and younger, who compete for university scholarships, professional contracts and a chance to be drafted to the National Hockey League (NHL). Junior hockey is traditionally for players age 16-20, however in the past top 15 and even 14 year-old players were allowed move up to play junior if they were good enough to play. Junior hockey has historical, cultural, economic significance and is an integral part of many Canadian cities, small towns and communities. (13)
How did we get here?
The BCHL left the Canadian Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) in 2021 and the following year published a report to Hockey Canada and BC Hockey titled “Modernizing Junior Hockey”. (8-10) The report outlined several concerns related to changes in the Provincial, National and international ice hockey landscape and the league’s position within Hockey Canada. (11, 12) A few concerns in the report:
- The effectiveness of the Canadian Hockey Development Model (CDM). (p.1, 14-16)
- Supporting two development pathways Major Junior vs. “College Track” Junior A. (p.8)
- Canadian players leaving to play Junior in the United States. (p.8)
- Competitive equality between Jr. A leagues and teams. (p.10)
- University sports in Canada (U.Sports) versus the NCAA in the United States. (p.15)
- “Pay to play” (p.11, 23)
- The ability to sign, trade and affiliate players based on age and location of residence, school district, province, nationality, etc. (p.15-21)
- NHL draft pick development fund money sharing. (p.22)
- Other topics such as the players being allowed to wear visors, etc. (p.28)
Canadian hockey enjoyed a decade of dominance at international “best-on-best” tournaments in the late 1980’s and 90’s including historic victory at the 1988 Canada Cup against the Russian Red Army and eight World Junior Championships (WJC) in ten years between 1988-1997. However, after second place finishes at the 1996 World Cup, 1998 Winter Olympics and not winning the World Juniors between 1998-2004, it was clear other countries had caught up and closed the gap on the ice.
In response to increased competition (a minor national emergency) Hockey Canada released the Canadian Hockey Development Model (CDM) in 2006. (13) The CDM modified the traditional Canadian minor hockey system, which had evolved over previous decades and generations around local youth aka “minor” hockey associations (MHA). The CDM aligned early Hockey Canada Long Term Player/Athlete Development (LTPD/LTAD) models. Minor hockey age groups were adjusted and a Provincial high performance league was created and called the BC Major Midget League (BCMML). (14) To bolster the high performance league, restrictions were introduced to limit the number of Bantam and Midget age players allowed to move up to play junior.
Figure 3. Traditional Hockey System in B.C.:
Where Are We Now?
Around the arena there is tremendous concern the cost to play hockey has outpaced the average Canadian family. The high costs of playing challenges the perception of Canadian hockey as a hard working, middle class sport. Since the release of the CDM, alternative minor hockey programs have become big business for players who hope to play high level hockey in the future. At time of inception the Provincial high performance BCMML was criticized for its high price tag: currently rumoured this year at $20,000 CDN per player in league and team fees alone. The Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) was founded in 2009 and includes prestigious prep schools such as St. George’s, Shawnigan Lake and hockey schools including the Okanagan and Delta Hockey Academies (Figure 4). The CSSHL has grown into prevalence such that 18 out of 20 players on the current Male U16 Team BC are from private hockey schools with 2 players from the BCMML. (15) The BCHL argued high school hockey academies had greater ability to import players from outside the province and country than the Junior A league.
What Comes Next?
It has long been rumoured the BCHL wants to regain status compared to the United States Hockey League (USHL) as the world’s best junior league outside Canadian Major Junior. Despite cutting ties with BC Hockey, the separation will not jeopardize players’ NCAA eligibility. In fact, the BCHL broke its own records for NCAA scholarships earned during the 2023-24 season.
Non-sanctioned hockey is proliferating across Canada’s two western-most provinces BC and Alberta. Several BCHL and Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) teams have started ‘European football style’ club programs in a new Junior Prospects Hockey League (JPHL). In its third season the JPHL has 37 teams in four age groups (U14, U15, U17, U18) and a stylish new $25 million CDN arena as headquarters in the Leduc area south of Edmonton. (16, 17) The Hockey Super League (HSL) in Alberta has 1500 players age 8-12 and made national news when Hockey Canada banned a ten year-old from his hometown minor hockey association after playing in the non-sanctioned league. (18, 19) Parents are quoted as saying they want to chose where their kids play hockey and their lives and weekends back.
History continues to unfold in January 2024 as five Alberta teams left the AJHL to join the BCHL, including the Brooks Bandits three-time defending Canadian Junior A Champions in 2019, 2022 and 2023 (the tournament was not hosted in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19). (20) By leaving Hockey Canada, Junior teams are able to start their own club programs and the non-sanctioned junior prospects league is only expected to grow for the foreseeable future.
With the departure of the BCHL, BC Hockey reclassified its three provincial Junior B leagues to Junior A. (21) It remains to be seen if promoting the Junior B leagues to “Jr A” will impact the quality of play, game experience, player services and full-time, paid coaching jobs etc.
Hockey Canada ‘finally’ replaced the traditional minor hockey age-group naming system (ie: Tyke, Novice, Pee Wee etc.) with the ‘Under’ age group designation used in other countries and sports (i.e.: U12, U14, etc) and the BC Major Midget League (BCMML) is now the BC Elite Hockey League (BCEHL). (22)
No one knows exactly where hockey in BC and Alberta is heading. However one thing is for certain: junior hockey is alive and continues to lead the way on Canada’s “Outlaw” west coast and prairies.
Special thanks Tali Campbell, Kirk Hards, Brandon Cox and Jim Konowalchuk of the Coquitlam Express and Coquitlam Hockey Club including the players, parents, families and the Junior Prospects Hockey League.
References:
1. British Columbia Hockey League cuts ties with Hockey Canada [Internet]. CBC News; [Updated 2023 May 1]. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bchl-hockey-canada-1.6828789
2. BCHL to become independent league [Internet]. British Columbia Hockey League; [Updated 2023 June 8, Cited Sept-Oct 2023].https://bchl.ca/bchl-to-become-independent-league
3. Hope C. Non-Sanctioned Hockey FAQ’s [Internet]. BC Hockey. [2022] Saanichton (BC).
4. Hockey Canada updates non-sanctioned leagues policy. Calgary (AB): Hockey Canada; 2023 Sept. 26. Available from:
5. BCHL College Commitments [Internet]. Available From: https://bchl.ca/college-commitments-2023-24
6. Wiebe B. 15 BCHL alumni competing in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs [Internet]. British Columbia Hockey League; https://bchlnetwork.ca/15-bchl-alumni-competing-in-the-2023-stanley-cup-playoffs/
7. Ewen S. Attendance on the rise in the BCHL this year [Internet]. The Province. [2023 Mar. 26]. https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-province/20230326/282501482883517
8. Moore, W. BC Hockey League has given notice it wants to leave the CJHL and go it alone [Internet]. Available from: https://www.castanet.net/news/BCHL/330467/BC-Hockey-League-has-given-notice-it-wants-to-leave-the-CJHL-and-go-it-alone
9. CJHL statement regarding BCHL [Internet]. Calgary (AB): Canadian Junior Hockey League; 2021 Apr. 9. Available from https://www.cjhlhockey.com/en/cjhl-statement-regarding-bchl
10. British Columbia Hockey League Executive Committee. Modernizing Junior Hockey in Canada: Supporting Two Junior Development Paths for Canadian Athletes [Internet]. British Columbia Hockey League; 2022 Sept. 26. Available from: https://bchl.ca/bchl-produces-document-to-modernize-canadian-junior-hockey-system
PDF: https://bchl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Modernizing-Junior-Hockey-in-Canada.pdf
11. Kennedy I. Why did the BCHL leave Hockey Canada? [Internet]. The Hockey News. https://thehockeynews.com/news/why-did-the-bchl-leave-hockey-canada
12. Onyschak-Seal S. BCHL submits report to Hockey Canada asking for change. BCIT Student Radio. 2022 Sept 22. https://commons.bcit.ca/evolution1079/2022/09/27/bchl-submits-report-to-hockey-canada-asking-for-change/
13. Canadian Development Model. Parent Information Handbook. (Calgary AB): Hockey Canada; Available from: https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Hockey-Programs/Players/Downloads/cdn_dev_model_parent_handbook_e.pdf
14. Program & History, BCEHL Overview [Internet]. BC Hockey; [2022.] Saanichton, BC.
15. BC Hockey announces Team BC Roster ahead of 2023 WHL Cup [Internet]. Saanichton (BC): BC Hockey; 2023 Sept. 7. Available from: https://www.bchockey.net/news-listing/bc-hockey-announces-team-bc-roster-ahead-of-2023-whl-cup
16. Nisku Twin Arena [Internet]. Government of Alberta. 2023. Available from:
17. We’re building an arena… puck drops in 2023 [Internet]. Silent Ice Sports & Entertainment; 2023 Jan. 12. Available from: https://www.silentice.com/news/general-1/were-building-an-arena-puck-drops-2023-10/
18. Underwood, C. Alberta’s Hockey Super League gains momentum from players looking for elite stream [Internet]. Calgary (AB): CBC News; 2019 Feb. 26. Available from:
19. 10-year-old’s suspension by Hockey Alberta being called ‘heavy handed’ [Internet]. Edmonton (AB): CBC News; 2018 Jan. 13. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/hockey-alberta-cr-knights-team-revolution-bryce-kohler-1.4483923
20. Chowdhury, N. Alberta Junior Hockey League faces shake-up as 5 teams move to independent BCHL [Internet]. CBC News; 2024 Jan 22. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-junior-hockey-league-faces-shake-up-as-5-teams-move-to-independent-bchl-1.7091078
21. B.C. Hockey reclassifies Junior B leagues to Junior A [Internet]. The Canadian Press; 2023 Jul. 25. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-hockey-reclassification-1.6917988
22. Hockey Canada is dropping ‘midget’, other traditional minor age group names [Internet]. The Canadian Press; 2019 Nov 18. Available from:
Glossary of Abbreviations, Leagues and Terms
