PJHL Media

Kimberley Dynamiters will host B.C.’s Provincial Junior A Championship on April 18th-21st, 2024.

Saanichton, B.C. – BC Hockey, along with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) are pleased to announce that the Kimberley Dynamiters (KIJHL) will host the 2024 BC Hockey Junior A Championship, April 18-21, 2024.

This four-team tournament will follow the same format as the Cyclone Taylor Cup (B.C.’s Provincial Junior B Championship) in past years and will see the champions from KIJHL, PJHL and VIJHL, along with the host Kimberley Dynamiters, battle it out in hopes of being crowned BC Hockey Junior A champions.

“The Kimberley Dynamiters would like to thank BC Hockey and the selection committee for choosing us to host the BC Hockey Junior A Championship,” said James Leroux, President of the Kimberley Dynamiters. “We are deeply honoured and excited by this announcement. This is an opportunity not only to showcase our passion for the sport, but also our organization’s commitment to excellence and sportsmanship. We look forward to welcoming athletes, fans and league representatives from across B.C., and we are dedicated to making this event a memorable and successful experience for everyone involved.”

Kimberley is the defending KIJHL Champions and finished as runners-up in the Cyclone Taylor Cup Final in 2023, dropping the gold medal game to the Revelstoke Grizzlies. The Dynamiters have competed in four Cyclone Taylor Cup championships (2008 as host, 2015, 2018 and 2023).

The 2024 tournament will be played under the Junior A category, following the re-classification of all teams in the KIJHL, PJHL and VIJHL to Junior A Tier II back in July.

“The Kimberley Dynamiters are a flagship franchise in the KIJHL and are fully deserving of hosting the 2024 BC Hockey Junior A Championship,” KIJHL Commissioner Jeff Dubois said. “During last season’s playoff run that saw Kimberley win the KIJHL Championship, the Dynamiters averaged well over 1,000 fans per game and twice eclipsed the 1,650-attendance mark. There is no doubt this event will be a tremendous showcase of Junior A hockey in B.C. that is well supported and attended by the host community.”

 

The tournament will be held at the Civic Centre in Kimberley, B.C., the Dynamiters’ home arena.

BCHC Prospects Game

Nov 17th, 2023 – PJHL Media

The British Columbia Hockey Conference announced today the Pacific Junior Hockey League Roster that will compete in the second annual BCHC Prospects Game on Tuesday, November 28th at the McArthur Park Arena in Kamloops, BC.

The PJHL’s roster selection process has been guided by Head Coach Aldo Bruno, Assistant Coaches Andy Liboiron and Cullen Revel, and Operation Managers Derek Bedard, Will Kump and Clayton Robinson over the past month. Prospects Game rosters are composed primarily of 2006- and 2007-born players, with a maximum of six 2005-born players eligible to be selected.

The PJHL’s Top Prospects Bus will travel to Kamloops from Chilliwack on Monday, November 27th where they will practice and attend an event banquet prior to the game the next day. The 2023 BCHC Top Prospects Game will face off at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 28th and will be broadcast on Flo Hockey.

Click here to download: 2023 PJHL Team BCHC Roster Kamloops

 

Oct 11th, 2023 – PJHL Media

The British Columbia Hockey Conference announced today the coaches and team staff that will be a part of the second annual BCHC Prospects Game on Tuesday, November 28th at McArthur Park Arena in Kamloops, BC.

The PJHL’s Top Prospects team will be led by longtime Grandview Steelers head coach Aldo Bruno. He will be assisted by Richmond Sockeyes head coach Cullen Revel and Surrey Knights head coach Andy Liboiron, while the team’s Operations Manager position is being split between a trio of PJHL general managers — Derek Bedard (Ridge Meadows Flames), Will Kump (Richmond Sockeyes) and Clayton Robinson (Chilliwack Jets). Meanwhile, Abbotsford Pilots trainer Kristalee Walchuk will return for a second year as the PJHL’s Athletic Trainer & Equipment Manager.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to lead the PJHL Top Prospects team and work with Andy, Cullen and the rest of our staff,” says Bruno. “It’s great to be able to support the best young players in the PJHL and see them have this unique chance to gain additional exposure to higher levels of hockey.”

Meanwhile, the KIJHL Top Prospects team staff includes head coach Dave Hnatiuk (Grand Forks Border Bruins) and assistant coaches Briar McNaney (Nelson Leafs) and Jiri Novak (Revelstoke Grizzlies), with Lance Morey (Nelson Leafs) in the role of Operations Manager position and Brian Burdikin (Grand Forks Border Bruins) serving as the Athletic Trainer & Equipment Manager.

 

Sept 28th, 2023 – PJHL Media

The British Columbia Hockey Conference is excited to announce details of its second annual Prospects Game, which will be hosted by the Kamloops Storm on Tuesday, November 28th at McArthur Park Arena.

The 2023 BCHC Prospects Game will see the top young players from the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and Pacific Junior Hockey League face off in front of scouts from the Western Hockey League and a number of post-secondary hockey programs. The coaching staffs for the KIJHL and PJHL teams will be announced shortly, with rosters for the game expected to be finalized in late October.

The first annual BCHC Prospects Game was contested in Chilliwack on November 22, 2022, with Team KIJHL edging out the PJHL with a narrow 4-3 victory. That game was played when the two leagues still held the Junior B designation, and players advancing included the KIJHL’s Ben Edwards (Victoria Royals, WHL), Kent Moors (Cowichan Valley, BCHL), Damon Cunningham (Nipawin, SJHL) and Austin Seibel (Dauphin, MJHL), and the PJHL’s Brandon Osborne (Cowichan Valley, BCHL), Dylan Emerson (Merritt, BCHL), Andrew Casellato (Battlefords, SJHL), Brayden Sinclair (Battlefords, SJHL) and Payton Hu (La Ronge, SJHL),

“Last year’s BCHC Prospects Game proved to be extremely competitive and well received by coaches and scouts,” says KIJHL Commissioner Jeff Dubois. “We’re very excited for the KIJHL and the Kamloops Storm to host this event in November and continue to make this a tremendous experience for the top young Junior A players in British Columbia.”

The respective Prospects Game teams will arrive in Kamloops on November 27th for a team practice and banquet dinner. Game day activities will include a morning skate, team meetings and video sessions.

“The Kamloops Storm are thrilled to be the first KIJHL franchise to host the BCHC Prospects Game and showcase the best young talent in our two leagues,” says Kamloops Storm general manager Matt Kolle. “We have a tremendous fan base that I know will embrace this outstanding event.”

PJHL Winter Classic

The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is dialed in for the upcoming 2023 Winter Classic Showcase in Richmond, BC.

“This event has become a staple in our schedule. Year after year the Richmond Sockeyes staff do an amazing job hosting this event with great community support. This event has evolved to be the kickoff towards our run for the playoffs and this year I’m expecting as competitive an atmosphere as ever.” said PJHL Commissioner Trevor Alto.

The event, which runs December 28th through Dec 31st, 2023 at  Minoru Arena in Richmond, will be available live on FloHockeyTV. With scouts expected in attendance, these players are able to showcase their talents in front of WHL, CIS and College/NCAA Scouts from across North America.

“We had a good majority of players from last season pursue post-educational hockey or graduate to a WHL or College commitment. This is outstanding,” said Alto. “It is my hope that the PJHL continues to provide opportunities to assist as many players as possible to make successful transitions to post-secondary hockey, or higher junior hockey opportunities including at the WHL, USports, ACHA and NCAA levels and more successful transitions from hockey to the world of work and life. Events such as these provide players with a unique opportunity to showcase their amazing talents.”

The PJHL Winter Classic Showcase, which is part of the regular-season schedule, features 14 games with each of the league’s 14 teams playing two games. Ticketing information will be provided at a later date.

**Please note that scheduled times may change**

The History of the Pacific Junior Hockey League

The origins of the Pacific Junior Hockey League date back to 1965 when teams from Chilliwack, Burnaby, Grandview and Coquitlam created a Juvenile/Junior league for local players who wanted to continue to play competitive hockey. One year later the West Coast Junior Hockey League was officially formed with six teams, including the Grandview Steelers who still compete in the league today.

The first-ever League Championship was won in 1967 by the Richmond Juniors, but the formative years of the WCJHL were dominated by the Nor Wes Caps who claimed the West Coast Junior Championship four times in the first seven seasons. The Caps were among a group of teams that chose to leave the league in the mid-1970s, to form a junior A circuit, and many new franchises jumped in to replace them. It was during this time that several WCJHL mainstays, including the North Shore Flames and Seattle’s Northwest Americans, joined the league. Two teams, the Burnaby Blazers and Richmond Rebels, also won Championships in the late 70s, but both teams eventually had to be relocated.

The Northwest Americans won their first Championship in 1976, but really became the WCJHL’s dominant franchise in 1980, when they won their first of three consecutive League Championships. The Americans won an amazing total of five titles between 1976 and 1986. The WCJHL’s next dynasty team was the North Shore Flames, who also won three Championships in a row from 1983-1985. In fact from 1980 to 1986 the Americans and Flames were the only teams to claim the WCJHL title. By the late 80s, the Burnaby Bluehawks and White Rock Whalers had etched their name’s on the Championship trophy, but neither franchise could make a go of it and relocate to other cities. The late 80s also saw the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos admitted to the league, and the Mission Pilots relocated to Abbotsford where they quickly claimed the WCJHL crown.

The Richmond Sockeyes joined the league in 1990, and before the start of the 1992-93 season, the Flames relocated from the North Shore Winter Club to Maple Ridge. Also in 1992, the WCJHL underwent a name change and emerged as the Pacific International Junior Hockey League. By the mid-’90s the PIJHL had shrunk to six franchises, with just five of them located in the Lower Mainland. After three seasons as a six-team circuit, the league added the Delta Ice Hawks in 1997. The Northwest Americans exited the league at the end of the 98-99 season and, apart from a two-year experiment with the Washington Totems, brought about the end of American involvement in the PIJHL.

In 2002 a franchise was relocated to North Delta and the modern look of lower-mainland junior hockey began to form. Following the 2005-06 season, the Hope Icebreakers and Port Coquitlam Buckaroos relocated to their current homes of Mission and Port Moody.  Those moves, followed a year later by expansion franchises in Squamish and Aldergrove, grew the league to ten teams and allowed the PIJHL to convert to the current two-conference system.  In 2012 a minor adjustment to the name of the league (PIJHL to PJHL) was made and franchises in Squamish and North Delta relocated to North Vancouver and Langley respectively.  At the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, the Langley Knights moved to North Surrey.  In 2017-18 an expansion franchise was awarded to Langley.  The new team was named the Trappers and placed in the Harold Brittain Conference.  The following season, the White Rock Whalers joined the Tom Shaw Conference, growing the league to a dozen teams for the first time since the 1970s.  The League expanded further out into the Fraser Valley with the return of the Chilliwack Jets in time for the 2020-21 season. The 2020-21 season was eventually cancelled with the concerns of the overwhelming COVID-19 Pandemic and unfortunately, only months later the 2020-21 season was also cancelled as rising COVID-19 cases increased in British Columbia and the decision was made for the safety of the public, league, teams, and staff.

The PJHL – Year by Year

2021-22 . . . The Langley Trappers came prepared after not being able to compete for two years and dominated the competition during the regular season (33-9-0-2) and then continued their winning ways in the PIJHL Stonehouse Cup Championship series to claim their first title ever. But, dominating teams did not stop there, as they continued the momentum into the Cyclone Taylor Cup Series where the Trappers were able to take home the Cyclone Taylor Cup and have an unbelievable and best season ever in team history.

2020-21 . . . Unfortunately, the season was cancelled only a few months into the new season for all players, coaches, fans and staff’s safety. Again, the PJHL Championship was not awarded.

2019-20 . . .  The North Van Wolf Pack won their second straight regular season title, this time in record-setting fashion.  The Wolf Pack won 40 of 44 games and finished an astounding 22 points ahead of their nearest rival.  North Van and Aldergrove advanced through the conference playoffs and were ready for the best-of-seven finals when the season was suddenly cancelled due to COVID-19 and no champion was awarded.

2018-19 . . .  The North Van Wolf Pack and Delta Ice Hawks finished tied for the regular season lead with 69 points each with the Wolf Pack claiming the title by virtue of two extra wins.  North Vancouver claimed the PJHL Championship winning 12 games against just two losses.

2017-18 . . .  The Delta Ice Hawks dominated the regular season standings with a record of 37-4-3 and stormed through the playoffs with an equally impressive 12-1-0 record en route to the PJHL Championship.

2016-17 . . .  The Aldergrove Kodiaks finished the regular season with an impressive record of 36-7-0, winning the PJHL regular season title by nine points.  Their success continued into the playoffs where they lost only twice in 14 games and claimed the third PJHL Championship in their history, defeating the Delta Ice Hawks in the final series.  Kodiaks forward Eric Callegari won the PJHL scoring title with 73 points and also took home the MVP award.

2015-16 . . .   The Mission City Outlaws won the PJHL Championship, defeating the Grandview Steelers four games to two.  It was the first-ever title for the Outlaws franchise as well as the first for the city or Mission.  Bryce Pisiak scored 47 goals and was named Most Valuable Player, while teammate David McGowan broke the single-season assist record with an amazing total of 67.  The PJHL celebrated its 50th anniversary season.

2014-15 . . .  The North Vancouver Wolf Pack won their first-ever Shaw Conference Championship and defeated the Mission City Outlaws. They also had claimed their first conference title, four games to two in the PJHL Championship series.  It was North Vancouver’s first league championship in their seven-year history.  Troy Kaczynski won the league scoring title by ten points over Bryce Pisiak and took home the MVP award.  Both players scored more than 40 goals.

2013-14 . . .  The Richmond Sockeyes and Aldergrove Kodiaks finished 1-2 in the regular season standings, and dominated their respective Conferences, before meeting in an epic seven-game Championship series.   In the Finals, the Kodiaks fell behind three games to one before rebounding with three straight wins to take their second PJHL title in five years.  Stephen Ryan was the first forty-goal scorer in more than a decade and took home MVP honours.

2012-13 . . .  The Richmond Sockeyes took the regular season title by two points over Shaw Conference rivals Delta Ice Hawks and defeated the Aldergrove Kodiaks four games to none for the PJHL Championship.  The Sockeye’s toughest test came in the semi-finals when the Ice Hawks pushed them to seven hard-fought games.  Delta’s Mak Barden took home the scoring title and Abbotsford Pilots goaltender Aaron Oakley was named MVP.

2011-12 . . .  The Richmond Sockeyes claimed the regular season title with a dominating defence, allowing just 69 goals in 44 games and registering 10 shutouts.  In the end, the Delta Ice Hawks knocked them out in the Semi-Finals before claiming the PJHL crown, four games to two over Abbotsford.  Thomas Hardy (Aldergrove) and Spencer Traher (Delta) finished tied for the scoring title, but the MVP nod went to Hardy.

2010-11 . . .  The Richmond Sockeyes won the regular season title by seven points over Delta and then battled the Ice Hawks for an epic seven games in the Shaw Conference Finals.  The seventh game was decided by one goal and four of the games required overtime to settle.  The Sockeyes then swept the Abbotsford Pilots to claim their second title in three years.  Liam Harding (Delta) edged Danny Brandys (Ridge Meadows) by one point for the scoring title and took home MVP honours.

2009-10 . . .  The Aldergrove Kodiaks, in just their second season of operation, won the PJHL Championship four games to two over the Delta Ice Hawks.  The North Delta Devils dominated the regular season but failed to make it through a bizarre postseason that saw the top four teams eliminated before the final series.  Aldergrove and Delta finished 5^th and 7^th in the ten-team league.  Abbotsford’s Riley Lamb won the scoring race and Grandview goaltender Khaleed Devji won MVP.

2008-09 . . .  The Aldergrove Kodiaks and Squamish Wolf Pack joined the PIJHL, growing the league to ten teams which were divided into the Tom Shaw and Harold Brittain Conferences.  The Richmond Sockeyes dominated the regular season standings and breezed through the playoffs losing only one game on their way to their fourth league championship.  Grandview’s Bill Smith led the league in scoring and was named Most Valuable player.

2007-08 . . .  The Abbotsford Pilots edged the Richmond Sockeyes by a single point, for the regular season title, but the Grandview Steelers stunned Richmond in the semi-finals before rolling over Abbotsford for their first championship in fourteen years.  The Steelers Jackson Friesen won the scoring title and Richmond’s Kyle Nishi was awarded the trophy for Most Valuable Player.

2006-07 . . .  After three unsuccessful seasons in Hope, the Icebreakers were relocated to Mission where Eric Friesen won the league scoring title and MVP honours, amassing an astounding 47 goals.  The Abbotsford Pilots finished first in the regular season standings and cruised through two rounds of playoffs before defeating the Grandview Steelers four games to two in the Finals.

2005-06 . . .  The Delta Ice Hawks, Abbotsford Pilots, North Delta Devils and Grandview Steelers finished 1-2-3-4, in a highly competitive regular season, before the Ice Hawks claimed their second PIJHL Championship four games to two over Abbotsford.  Delta’s Adam Hartley won the league scoring race and Ronnie Smith (Richmond) took home the Most Valuable Player award.  After eighteen seasons in Port Coquitlam, the Buckeroos relocated to Port Moody at the end of the season.

2004-05 . . .  The Abbotsford Pilots finished six points up on the Delta Ice Hawks in the regular season standings and then edged the Hawks in an epic seven-game series for the league championship.  Clayton Spalding (Grandview) won the scoring race and Abbotsford goaltender Travis Dyck was named Most Valuable Player.  The Washington Totems played their first of two seasons in the PIJHL.

2003-04 . . .  The league expanded to eight teams with the addition of the Hope Icebreakers, who struggled through their inaugural campaign, winning just one game.  The Delta Ice Hawks finished atop the standings in a year that saw six teams finish with winning records, but the Richmond Sockeyes took home the League Championship.  Delta’s Kyle Ross won the scoring title by a wide margin and was named MVP.

2002-03 . . .  The Abbotsford Pilots edged the Ridge Meadows Flames by a single point to win the regular season title, but it was the fifth-placed Richmond Sockeyes who got hot at the right time.  The Sockeyes, who sported a losing regular season record, stormed through the PIJHL playoffs and knocked off first-placed Abbotsford four games to three in the Finals.  Brian Leitch (Ridge Meadows) won the scoring race and Richmond goaltender Kevin MacKay took home MVP.

2001-02 . . .  The Abbotsford Pilots blew away the competition during the regular season and then swept the Delta Ice Hawks in the PIJHL Championship series to claim their third title in four years.  The Pilots Kiyomi Parsons was named Most Valuable Player after winning the scoring title by twelve points.  After three losing seasons in New Westminster, the Queens Park Pirates were relocated to North Delta and renamed the Flyers.

2000-01 . . .  Three teams battled for first place in the regular season standings, but it was the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos who edged the Ridge Meadows Flames and Delta Ice Hawks by two points.  In the playoffs, however, it was the Ice Hawks who took home the big prize, defeating the Buckeroos four games to one.  Ridge Meadows forward Rich Kellington narrowly won the scoring race over teammate David Luniw who was awarded the Most Valuable Player award.

1999-00 . . .  The Queens Park Pirates joined the league and struggled through the usual growing pains, finishing last and winning just five games.  The Abbotsford Pilots were clearly the best team in the league, easily topping the regular season standings before sweeping fifth-placed Grandview for their second straight championship.  Brock Currie (Abbotsford) led the league in scoring and Marko Segovic (Ridge Meadows) was voted MVP.

1998-99 . . .  The Abbotsford Pilots finished atop the standings by ten points and went on to win their first PIJHL Championship in a decade.  It was a highly contested season with five of the seven clubs enjoying winning seasons.  Abbotsford’s Josh Chapman led the league in scoring with 107 points and is the most recent player to eclipse the century mark.  The Nor-Wes Caps left the league, at the conclusion of the season, after two disappointing seasons in the league.

1997-98 . . .  The Delta Ice Hawks and North Shore Griffins joined the league.  The Ridge Meadows Flames dominated the regular schedule, losing just seven times and cruised to their second championship in three seasons, defeating the Delta Ice Hawks three games to one.  Steve Reeves (Abbotsford) won the scoring race and became the first player to be awarded the MVP award twice.  The Northwest Americans, one of the most successful teams in league history, disbanded at the conclusion of the season.

1996-97 . . .  The Port Coquitlam Buckeroos finished well atop the regular season standings and went on to win their second Pacific International Hockey League Championship in three seasons.  Abbotsford’s Steve Reeves was named Most Valuable Player after winning his first of two consecutive scoring titles.

1995-96 . . .  The Richmond Sockeyes won the regular season title by seven points over Ridge Meadows, but it was the Flames who won the ultimate prize, defeating the Sockeyes four games to one in the league championship series.  The Flames’ Rob Marion won the scoring race, while Jeff Overgaard (Richmond) and Darcy Frederick (Ridge Meadows) shared the MVP award.

1994-95 . . .  In their seventh season since joining the PIJHL, the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos climbed to the top of the league standings and then stormed through the playoffs to claim their first-ever league championship.  Mark Davies (Port Coquitlam) took the scoring title by ten points over Mike Gerrits (Abbotsford) who was awarded the MVP trophy.

1993-94 . . .  The Grandview Steelers finished the regular season ten points behind the regular season champion Richmond Sockeyes but ultimately swept the Sockeyes in the Championship series to win their first league title in more than a quarter-century.  Richmond’s Trent Bakken led the league in scoring with 85 points.  The New Westminster Royals folded at the end of the season, leaving the PIJHL with six teams.

1992-93 . . .  The league changes its name to Pacific International Junior Hockey League.  The Richmond Sockeyes and Coquitlam Warriors battled all season long, with the Sockeyes edging the Warriors for the regular season pennant, and the Warriors taking the Championship by sweeping the Sockeyes in three games.  It would be the last hoorah for Coquitlam however as they disbanded before the next season.  Drazen Bezic (Richmond) won the scoring title and MVP award.

1991-92 . . .  The Richmond Sockeyes lost the regular season race by one point to the Abbotsford Pilots but got their revenge in the playoffs; defeating the Pilots for the WCJHL Championship in just their second year in the league.  Darren Webb (Hastings) won the league scoring title and goaltender Judd Lambert (Richmond) was named Most Valuable Player.  This was the final season for the Hastings Express, and the league was left with eight teams.

1990-91 . . .  The Coquitlam Express finished fourth in the league standings, behind Abbotsford, Richmond and the Northwest Americans, but went on a surprise championship run in their second season in Coquitlam.  Andrew Graham (Burnaby) won the scoring title and MVP awards in the last season for the Burnaby Bluehawks, who relocated to New Westminster in the off-season.

1989-90 . . .  The Burnaby Bluehawks easily won the regular season pennant and went on to win their second WCJHL Championship in four years.  David Ruck, of the Coquitlam Warriors, took home the Most Valuable Player award and the Richmond Sockeyes joined the league in time for the 90-91 season.

PJHL Presidents

Trevor Alto (2020-present)

Ray Stonehouse (2016-2020)