The B.C. Hockey League’s Board of Governors created their own breakaway Monday and voted to leave Hockey Canada, the national governing body, and go independent beginning June 1.
The heart of the issue is a glaring discrepancy regarding 16- and 17-year-old players. They are not allowed to play for out-of-province Junior A teams unless their parents reside in that province or relocate to it. There are no such family-residency requirements for 16- and 17-year olds in major-junior hockey in the WHL, OHL or QMJHL.
“We are entering a new era that will eliminate barriers and change the landscape of junior hockey in Canada,” said BCHL chairman Graham Fraser, also majority owner of the Penticton Vees.
“Under the current system, that’s just not possible. The rules were set against us and we didn’t understand why. We didn’t understand these barriers. They made no sense. This has been a long time coming. We spent five years trying to make this work [in talks with Hockey Canada]. We’re not being arrogant. We did everything we could to stay within the system. We had to take this move.”
The 18 BCHL teams will now be able to recruit any U-18 players in the country who are interested in the Junior A route, many of whom previously went to the American-based USHL or NAHL due to the provincial cross-border restrictions in Canada.
“We believe U-18 players should have two development paths in Canada – major-junior leading to the National Hockey League being one and college-tracking junior leading to a U.S. college and then the NHL being the other,” said BCHL CEO Chris Hebb.
“Both are important. Both should be supported.”
There were 411 BCHL alumni on U.S. collegiate NCAA rosters this past season, which accounted for nearly one-quarter of all the players in Division 1. A total of 104 former BCHL players skated in the 2023 NCAA Div. 1 tournament, including 14 on the champion Quinnipiac team.
“This was a long time in coming. We never understood that regulation. They will probably call us a rogue league but we have been around for 61 years,” said Hebb.
“We are not angry [with Hockey Canada]. We just have to get on with our business. We want to determine our own future.”
The Island teams in the BCHL are the Victoria Grizzlies, Cowichan Valley Capitals, Nanaimo Clippers and Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on getting elite players and we continually want to move the BCHL forward,” said Grizzlies majority-owner Ron Walchuk.
“This move will make the BCHL even better for our teams and our fans.”
Hebb said the BCHL, upon leaving Hockey Canada, will be getting its own insurance.
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