Pacific Junior Hockey League

Last updated
Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL)
PJHL logo from 2011.jpg
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1965
First season1966-67
No. of teams14 (15 in 2024/25)
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Most recent
champion(s)		 Ridge Meadows Flames
Official website PJHL.net

The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), is a Junior A Tier 2 ice hockey league which operates in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Although the PJHL has included American teams in the past, the league's fifteen franchises all currently reside in the districts of Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and the Sunshine Coast. Several National Hockey League stars began their junior hockey careers in the PJHL, but the main focus of the league is player development and education with strong ties to the local hockey community. The PJHL Championship is awarded annually to the league playoff champion and the winner moves on to compete against the champions of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League for the provincial title, the Cyclone Taylor Cup. From 1983 to 2017, the winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup moves on to compete for the Western Canada Junior "B" Crown, the Keystone Cup.

Contents

History

Early years: 1966-1980

The earliest incarnation of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, the West Coast Junior Hockey League, was founded in 1966, with a total of six teams, including the still-existent Grandview Steelers. Other teams from Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Richmond and Burnaby. These five teams, along with the Nor Wes Caps, contested the first season of play in the new league. The Richmond Juniors were awarded the first ever championship in 1967, but the early years of the league were dominated by the Nor Wes Caps, who won four championships in the first seven seasons in the league. However, in the mid-70s, a number of league teams departed for the Junior 'A' level of hockey, including the Nor Wes Caps. A number of teams would replace the departed, including the North Shore Flames and the Northwest Americans. In the second half of the 1970s, the league championship was continuously handed back and forth between the Richmond Rebels, Burnaby Blazers and the Northwest Americans, before the Blazers and Rebels were forced to relocate.

1980-2000

The first seven seasons of the 1980s were dominated by the North Shore Flames and the Northwest Americans, who combined won all seven league championships in that time (four for the Americans, and three for the Flames). This dominance was ended in 1987 by the Burnaby Bluehawks, who defeated the White Rock Whalers in the league final. White Rock would become champions the following year, defeating the North Shore Flames en route to the title. In 1989, current league members Abbotsford Pilots won their first league title, having relocated from Mission shortly before. A number of previously title-less teams would win the championship in the following years, including the Coquitlam Warriors in 1991, the Richmond Sockeyes in 1992, and the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos in 1995. In 1992, the West Coast Junior Hockey League officially re-branded itself as the Pacific International Junior Hockey League. In 1994, the Grandview Steelers won their first championship since 1968, defeating the Richmond Sockeyes in the league championship. The Port Coquitlam Buckeroos and Ridge Meadows Flames would split the next four championship between them, until the Abbotsford Pilots won in 1998–99, and again in 1999-00 for their second and third championships.

2000-2023

The Delta Ice Hawks won their first title in 2000–01, defeating the Buckeroos in five games in the league finals, but lost the finals in four to the Abbotsford Pilots the following season. The next two seasons were won by the Richmond Sockeyes, who defeated Abbotsford and Delta 4-3 and 4-1 respectively for the titles. Abbotsford would defeat Delta in 2004-05 championship final in seven games. However, Delta would defeat those same Pilots the next year in six games. Abbotsford would come back and win the following year, over the Grandview Steelers in the final, which to date remains their last championship. The Pilots would go on to lose in the championship series in four of the next five seasons, to Grandview once, Delta once and Richmond twice. The only year in which the Pilots did not make the final, the Aldergrove Kodiaks won their first title, over the Delta Ice Hawks. In 2012–13, the Richmond Sockeyes won their second title in three years, beating Aldergrove in four games, but the Kodiaks would defeat the Sockeyes the following year to claim their second overall title, in seven games. In 2014–15, the North Vancouver Wolf Pack, formerly the Squamish Wolf Pack, won their first league title, defeating the Mission City Outlaws in the championship. But Mission would win their first league title the following year over the Grandview Steelers in five games. The Aldergrove Kodiaks won their third overall title in 2017, defeating the Ice Hawks in six games. Delta won their fourth title the following year over the Ridge Meadows Flames in six games, but lost to the Richmond Sockeyes in the Cyclone Taylor Cup Final. The Wolf Pack won their second overall title, defeating the Langley Trappers in four games in 2019. The PJHL Championship was not awarded for the first time after the 2019–20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. And again after the 2020–21 season. The Langley Trappers win their first league title over the White Rock Whalers in five games and captured their first Cyclone Taylor Cup title with a 4–2 victory over the Delta Ice Hawks in 2022. The Ice Hawks would captured their fifth league title the following year over the Ridge Meadows Flames in seven games.

2023-present

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]

Teams

TeamCity/AreaArenaFoundedJoinedHead coachCaptain
Harold Brittain Conference
Abbotsford Pilots Flag of British Columbia.svg Abbotsford, BC MSA Arena1988Jarrett Craig
Aldergrove Kodiaks Flag of British Columbia.svg Aldergrove, BC Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre2008Darin Vetterl
Chilliwack Jets Flag of British Columbia.svg Chilliwack, BC Sardis Sports Complex2020Chris Price
Langley Trappers Flag of British Columbia.svg Langley, BC George Preston Recreation Centre2017Brad Bakken
Mission City Outlaws Flag of British Columbia.svg Mission, BC Mission Leisure Centre2003*Richard Kimber
Ridge Meadows Flames Flag of British Columbia.svg Maple Ridge, BC Planet Ice Maple Ridge1972*Brett Hughes
Surrey Knights Flag of British Columbia.svg Surrey, BC North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex1999*Andy Liborion
Tom Shaw Conference
Coastal Tsunami Flag of British Columbia.svg Gibsons, BC Gibsons & Area Community Centre2024Brad Wingfield
Delta Ice Hawks Flag of British Columbia.svg Delta, BC Ladner Leisure Centre1997Steve Robinson
Grandview Steelers Flag of British Columbia.svg Burnaby, BC Burnaby Winter Club1967Aldo Bruno
North Vancouver Wolf Pack Flag of British Columbia.svg North Vancouver, BC Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre2008*Mike Borrelli
Port Coquitlam Trailblazers Flag of British Columbia.svg Port Coquitlam, BC Port Coquitlam Community Centre2023Greg Ross
Port Moody Panthers Flag of British Columbia.svg Port Moody, BC Port Moody Recreation Complex1999*Terry Morrison
Richmond Sockeyes Flag of British Columbia.svg Richmond, BC Minoru Arenas1972Cullen Revel
White Rock Whalers Flag of British Columbia.svg White Rock, BC Centennial Arena2018Brien Gemmell

Champions

YearWinning teamCoachLosing teamCoachGames
1967Richmond Juniors
1968Grandview Steelers
1969Nor Wes Caps
1970Chilliwack Jets
1971Nor Wes Caps
1972Nor Wes Caps
1973Nor Wes Caps
1974Point Grey Blades
1975Burnaby Blazers
1976Northwest Americans
1977Richmond Rebels
1978Richmond Rebels
1979Burnaby Blazers
1980Northwest Americans
1981Northwest Americans
1982Northwest Americans
1983 North Shore Flames
1984North Shore Flames
1985North Shore Flames
1986Northwest AmericansLadner Rebels
1987Burnaby BluehawksWhite Rock Whalers
1988White Rock Whalers North Shore Flames 3–2
1989 Abbotsford Pilots
1990 Burnaby Bluehawks
1991Coquitlam Warriors
1992 Richmond Sockeyes Abbotsford Pilots3–1
1993Coquitlam Warriors Richmond Sockeyes 3–0
1994 Grandview Steelers Richmond Sockeyes 3–0
1995 Port Coquitlam Buckeroos
1996 Ridge Meadows Flames Richmond Sockeyes 4–1
1997 Port Coquitlam Buckeroos Richmond

Sockeyes

Kevin Careless4-2
1998 Ridge Meadows Flames Peter Crowther Delta Ice Hawks Brad Bowen3–1
1999 Abbotsford Pilots Gary DouvilleDelta Ice Hawks
2000 Abbotsford Pilots Gary Douville Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno4–0
2001 Delta Ice Hawks Brad Bowen Port Coquitlam Buckeroos 4–1
2002 Abbotsford Pilots Delta Ice Hawks 4–0
2003 Richmond Sockeyes Abbotsford Pilots 4–3
2004 Richmond Sockeyes Delta Ice Hawks 4–1
2005 Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden Delta Ice Hawks 4–3
2006 Delta Ice Hawks Shane Kuss Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden4–2
2007 Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno4–2
2008 Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden4–1
2009 Richmond Sockeyes Judd Lambert Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden4–1
2010 Aldergrove Kodiaks Rick Harkins Delta Ice Hawks Jim Camazzola4–2
2011 Richmond Sockeyes Judd Lambert Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden4–0
2012 Delta Ice Hawks Dave McLellan Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden4–2
2013 Richmond Sockeyes Aaron Wilbur Aldergrove Kodiaks Ron Johnson4–0
2014 Aldergrove Kodiaks Brad Rihela Richmond Sockeyes Judd Lambert4–3
2015 North Vancouver Wolf Pack Matt Samson Mission City Outlaws Brad Veitch4–2
2016 Mission City Outlaws Brad Veitch Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno4–1
2017 Aldergrove Kodiaks Darin Vetterl Delta Ice Hawks Darren Naylor4–2
2018 Delta Ice Hawks Steve Robinson Ridge Meadows Flames Bayne Ryshak4–2
2019 North Vancouver Wolf Pack Bayne Koen Langley Trappers Burt Henderson4–0
2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic – PJHL Championship not awarded [f]
2021Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic – PJHL Championship not awarded [f]
2022 Langley Trappers Brad Bakken White Rock Whalers Jason Rogers4–1
2023 Delta Ice Hawks Steve Robinson Ridge Meadows Flames Brent Hughes4–3
2024 Ridge Meadows Flames Brent Hughes Richmond Sockeyes Cullen Revel4–3

Defunct or relocated teams

Notable alumni

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References

  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.
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