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Pacific Junior Hockey League

Formerly	West Coast Junior Hockey League (1966–1992) Pacific International Junior Hockey League (1992–2004)
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1965
First season	1966-67
No. of teams	15
Country	Canada
Most recent champion(s)	Ridge Meadows Flames
Official website	www.pjhl.net

The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a junior ice hockey league which operates in the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast 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.

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.

In 2022, the PJHL and KIJHL entered a partnership known as the British Columbia Hockey Conference (BCHC). This involved the creation of a shared Department of Player Safety to oversee enhanced supplementary disciplinary procedures, and an annual showcase event for the leagues' top players known as the Prospects Game. The first Prospects Game took place at the Sardis Sports Complex in Chilliwack.

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. 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. The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024–25 PJHL season.

The Port Coquitlam Trailblazers joined the league as an expansion team in the 2023–24 PJHL season. The Coastal Tsunami joined as an expansion team in the 2024–25 PJHL season.

Teams

Champions

1. 2020 & 2021 playoffs cancelled due to public health restrictions

Notable alumni

• Karl Alzner
• Victor Bartley
• Troy Brouwer
• Steve Clippingdale
• John Craighead
• Brenden Dillon
• Kaleigh Fratkin
• Colton Gillies
• Ryan Hollweg
• Bracken Kearns
• Andrew Ladd
• Ben Maxwell
• Brandon Yip
• Stephen Peat
• Brad Hunt
• Tony Horacek
• Milan Lucic
• Sasha Lakovic
• Kenndal McArdle
• Kyle Turris
• Tyler Eckford
• Link Gaetz
• Colin Fraser
• Zach Hamill
• Jeff Tambellini
• David Van der Gulik
• David Jones
• David Wilkie
• Jason Garrison
• Matt Hervey
• Dean Malkoc
• John Negrin
• Mike Santorelli
• Raymond Sawada
• Brent Seabrook
• Brandon Segal
• Jordan Sigalet
• Rob Skrlac
• Trevor Smith
• Nick Tarnasky
• Devon Toews
• Derek Grant
• Scott Langkow

References

1. Bartel, Mario (26 January 2023). "Port Coquitlam gets a junior hockey team — again". TriCity News. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 25 July 2024. The Port Coquitlam Buckeroos played in the same league — when it was known as the Pacific International Junior Hockey League — from 1992 to 2004.
2. "KIJHL, PJHL announce creation of BCHC". kijhl.ca (Press release). 22 September 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
3. "Trappers coach to head first PJHL top prospects team". Langley Advance Times. Black Press Media. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
4. "BC Hockey announces new Junior A pathway". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
5. "BC Hockey Junior A pathway update". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
6. "B.C. Junior A leagues partner with Blackfin Sports Group". bchockey.net. British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
7. Bartel, Mario (22 February 2023). "Port Coquitlam's new junior hockey team now has a name". TriCity News. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
8. Cleugh, Janis (21 August 2019). "New PoCo Community Centre opens Tuesday with party, free skate". TriCity News. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
9. Waddell, Justin (3 August 2023). "New PJHL hockey franchise coming to Sunshine Coast". My Powell River Now. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
10. Lypka, Ben (24 July 2024). "Abbotsford Pilots return to MSA Arena on Sept. 6". Abbotsford News. Black Press Media. Retrieved 25 July 2024.

External links

• Official website of the PJHL
• PJHL historical standings archive

• Ice hockey leagues in British Columbia
• Junior ice hockey leagues in Canada
• Sports leagues established in 1965
• 1965 establishments in British Columbia