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Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League

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

The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) is an unincorporated not-for-profit junior ice hockey league of 11 clubs, all of which are based on Vancouver Island. In 2024, the league decided to withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and operate as an independent farm league for the BCHL. The Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

History[edit]

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. On May 29, 2021, the league announced two additional teams. The Lake Cowichan Kraken and the Port Alberni Bombers.

In 2023, governing body BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its junior hockey framework following the departure of its only Junior A league.[1] 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.[2] The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024–25 season.[3]

In April 2024, the league announced that it would withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season.[4][5]

List of teams[edit]

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[edit]

Year Winning team Losing team
2024 Saanich Predators Kerry Park Islanders
2023 Oceanside Generals Saanich Predators
2022 Peninsula Panthers Oceanside Generals
2021 Not awarded [a]
2020
2019 Victoria Cougars Campbell River Storm
2018 Campbell River Storm Saanich Braves
2017 Campbell River Storm Victoria Cougars
2016 Victoria Cougars Campbell River Storm
2015 Campbell River Storm Victoria Cougars
2014 Victoria Cougars Peninsula Panthers
2013 Victoria Cougars Comox Valley Glacier Kings
2012 Victoria Cougars Peninsula Panthers
2011 Peninsula Panthers Victoria Cougars
2010 Peninsula Panthers Comox Valley Glacier Kings
2009 Oceanside Generals Victoria Cougars
2008 Victoria Cougars Kerry Park Islanders
2007 Victoria Cougars Kerry Park Islanders
2006 Kerry Park Islanders Campbell River Storm
2005 Victoria Cougars Campbell River Storm
2004 Campbell River Storm Peninsula Panthers
2003 Campbell River Storm Victoria Cougars
2002 Campbell River Storm Peninsula Panthers
2001 Campbell River Storm Kerry Park Islanders
  1. ^ Cancelled due to public health restrictions
Year Winning team
2000 Campbell River Storm
1999 Campbell River Storm
1998 Campbell River Storm
1997 Parksville Generals
1996 Saanich Braves
1995 Comox Valley Glacier Kings
1994 Kerry Park Islanders
1993 Kerry Park Islanders
1992 Parksville Generals
1991 Kerry Park Islanders
1990 Kerry Park Islanders
1989 Peninsula Eagles
1988 Saanich Braves
1987 Juan de Fuca Gulls
1986 Kerry Park Islanders
1985 Oak Bay Flyers
1984 Saanich Braves
1983 Oak Bay Flyers
1982 Kerry Park Islanders
1981 Oak Bay Flyers
1980 Saanich Braves
1979 Saanich Braves
1978 Saanich Braves

Total League Championships By Team[edit]

Team Championships
Campbell River Storm 13
Victoria Cougars 8
Kerry Park Islanders 7
Saanich Braves 6
Peninsula Panthers 3
Oak Bay Flyers 3
Parksville Generals 3
Oceanside Generals 2
Peninsula Eagles 1
Saanich Predators 1
Comox Valley Glacier Kings 1
Juan de Fuca Gulls 1

NHL alumni[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BC HOCKEY ANNOUNCES NEW JUNIOR A PATHWAY". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  2. ^ "BC HOCKEY JUNIOR A PATHWAY UPDATE". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  3. ^ "B.C. JUNIOR A LEAGUES PARTNER WITH BLACKFIN SPORTS GROUP". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "VIJHL announces decision to become independent league". vijhl.com. Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 29 May 2024.

External links[edit]