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

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

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

Teams that went on to win the Cyclone Taylor Cup are listed in bold.

Season Winning team Coach Losing team Coach Games Winning goal
1977–78 Saanich Braves
1978–79 Saanich Braves
1979–80 Saanich Braves
1980–81 Oak Bay Flyers
1981–82 Kerry Park Islanders
1982–83 Oak Bay Flyers
1983–84 Saanich Braves
1984–85 Oak Bay Flyers
1985–86 Kerry Park Islanders
1986–87 Juan de Fuca Gulls
1987–88 Saanich Braves
1988–89 Peninsula Eagles
1989–90 Kerry Park Islanders
1990–91 Kerry Park Islanders
1991–92 Parksville Generals
1992–93 Kerry Park Islanders
1993–94 Kerry Park Islanders
1994–95 Comox Valley Glacier Kings
1995–96 Saanich Braves
1996–97 Parksville Generals Saanich Braves 3-1
1997–98 Campbell River Storm
1998–99 Campbell River Storm Kerry Park Islanders 3–1
1999–00 Campbell River Storm
2000–01 Campbell River Storm Kerry Park Islanders 4–3
2001–02 Campbell River Storm Peninsula Panthers 4–1
2002–03 Campbell River Storm Victoria Cougars Craig Didmon 3–0
2003–04 Campbell River Storm Peninsula Panthers 3–0
2004–05 Victoria Cougars Craig Didmon Campbell River Storm 2–0
2005–06 Kerry Park Islanders Jim Ingram Campbell River Storm 4–2
2006–07 Victoria Cougars Craig Didmon Kerry Park Islanders
2007–08 Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt Kerry Park Islanders 4–2
2008–09 Oceanside Generals Dave Johnson Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt 4–1
2009–10 Peninsula Panthers Geoff Grimwood Comox Valley Glacier Kings Jordan Butcher 3–1
2010–11 Peninsula Panthers Jackson Penney Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt 4–3 Ryan Reynolds (9:02, first)
2011–12 Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt Peninsula Panthers Peter Zubersky 4–0 Steve Axford (4:32, second)
2012–13 Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt Comox Valley Glacier Kings 4–0
2013–14 Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt Peninsula Panthers Peter Zubersky 4–2
2014–15 Campbell River Storm Lee Stone Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt 4–0 Connor Logan (2:31, 1st period)
2015–16 Victoria Cougars Mark Van Helvoirt Campbell River Storm Lee Stone 4–2 Nathan Looysen (6:46 2nd period)
2016–17 Campbell River Storm Lee Stone Victoria Cougars Suneil Karod 4–3 Christian Brandt (4:48 4OT period)
2017–18 Campbell River Storm Lee Stone Saanich Braves Sam Waterfield 6-0 Darrin Hards (11:12 - 1st period)
2018–19 Victoria Cougars Suneil Karod Campbell River Storm Mike Wilson 4-1 Matthew Clark(17:47 - 3rd period)
2019–20 Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic – VIJHL Championship not awarded
2020-21 Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic – VIJHL Championship not awarded
2021–22 Peninsula Panthers Brad Tippett Oceanside Generals Dan Lemmon 4-2 L. Spiers(1:37 - 1st OT period)
2022–23 Oceanside Generals Dan Lemmon Saanich Predators Cody Carlson 4-2 C. Johnson(12:28 - 2nd OT period)
2023-24 Saanich Predators Cody Carlson Kerry Park Islanders Brian Passmore 4-1 Ethan Taylor (1:48 - OT (PP) )

Total League Championships By Team

Team Championships
Campbell River Storm 10
Victoria Cougars 8
Kerry Park Islanders 7
Saanich Predators 6
Peninsula Panthers 4
Oceanside Generals 4
Oak Bay Flyers 3
Comox Valley Glacier Kings 1
Juan de Fuca Gulls 1

NHL alumni

See also

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.
  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

Junior ice hockey leagues in North America
Categories