After a stop in Seattle last year, the British Columbia Hockey League brings its annual Showcase event back to Chilliwack – and this time Abbotsford and the Canucks organization has joined the party.
The Chilliwack Coliseum and the Abbotsford Centre share hosting duties for the event, which runs from Oct. 13 to 17 and features at least one game for all 21 BCHL teams.
The Showcase is primarily designed as an event for scouts to gather and learn more about the top prospects that the BCHL offers. However, BCHL commissioner Steven Cocker told Black Press Media that working with the Canucks organization will raise the bar on the event's perception.
GET YOUR TICKETS! 🎟️🎟️
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) September 20, 2024
Tickets for the 2024 BCHL Showcase in Abbotsford and Chilliwack are officially on sale today!
Don't miss your chance to see all 21 teams in one region this October, playing two regular season games in a five-day stretch!https://t.co/gOOJFLSyDG pic.twitter.com/Nu4Ka8NcNl
"The Canucks have really got behind this event," he said. "From ticket sponsorship to community engagement, working with them has been fantastic and I think we're really going to see an elevated and enhanced fan experience. They have really been putting some power behind it to make sure we get a lot of fans in the seats."
Chilliwack has hosted the Showcase every year since its inception in 2012, but last year the BCHL worked with the Seattle Kraken organization to bring it south for the first time. Cocker said it made sense to return to Chilliwack this year and partner up with another NHL team. Chilliwack and the Chiefs have traditionally been one of the stronger BCHL markets.
"Chilliwack is a phenomenal hockey town," he said. "You see it just based on the support the Chiefs get. It's a very hockey savvy market and Chilliwack is always going to be an important franchise for the BCHL."
The BCHL is thrilled to announce that Headlands Environmental Services will be the presenting sponsor of the 2024 Showcase in Chilliwack and Abbotsford!
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) October 1, 2024
RELEASE: https://t.co/UlGLSatKxT pic.twitter.com/fwAyaGW4la
Abbotsford's history with the BCHL isn't as storied, but the Abbotsford Flyers played in the BCJHL out of MSA Arena from 1976 to 1985. The Flyers won the BCJHL title in the 1982-83 season. That team eventually moved to Delta and then folded in 1988. When the Flyers moved to Delta they were replaced locally by the Abbotsford Falcons – that team also folded in 1988.
Cocker said the Abbotsford connection to the BCHL may not be as strong as Chilliwack, but he respects the hockey legacy Abbotsford has built.
"It's another great hockey market," he said. "They've showed that with how they follow and support the Abbotsford Canucks."
One of the bigger storylines in the junior hockey world over the past few years has been the BCHL's departure from Hockey Canada and the decision made by five Alberta Junior Hockey League teams to follow suit. The Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints all joined the BCHL in February and this marks the first full BCHL for all those clubs. It's also the first time these teams will appear at the Showcase.
Cocker said the Alberta teams have fit in well.
"It's been fantastic," he said, noting he had just visited all five teams in late-September. "We have five organizations that truly think the way that the BCHL thinks. We want to develop kids for college, get them scholarships and moving them on as quick as we can. We want to be that development system for the NCAA. They have all been in lockstep with our 16 BCHL franchises. There were some growing pains, just some adjustments and getting each franchise up to speed, but it's gone well."
Another emerging story line for this season is Cowichan Bay's Eli McKamey who became the first-ever player to be granted exceptional status by the BCHL. The 15-year-old would not have been eligible to play in the BCHL without that status. McKamey and the Penticton Vees play against Okotoks in Abbotsford on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.
Cocker said McKamey was the perfect fit for the exceptional status program, which he helped launch last season.
All three of Eli McKamey's goals from Saturday's preseason win. He's 15. #BCHL pic.twitter.com/ex0p6G5NhS
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) September 15, 2024
"We wanted to create a program that can get the best athletes that are looking to go the college route and bring them into the system if they're ready," he said. "There are multiple different components that make up the program and Eli and his family went through a process. He's obviously a hell of a hockey player, but he's also a great student and very mature for his age. After all the review we did he received unanimous support to grant the status through our committee."
McKamey scored 48 points in 28 games with the U18 Shawnigan Lake School Prep program last year and dominated the U15 division in 2022-23 with 58 points in 24 games. He scored his first BCHL goal last month and is expected to be a top draft pick in 2027.
Event Experiences are being taken to new heights. In conjunction with the BCHL, the JPHL 18U Division is participating in the 2024 BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack and Abbotsford, BC.
— Junior Prospects Hockey League (@JrProspectsHL) September 2, 2024
The event will be hosted by the Vancouver Canucks and expose JPHL talent to BCHL, NCAA, and NHL… pic.twitter.com/1fDISZ3wAy
This year also marks the first time that the Junior Prospects Hockey League will be involved in the Showcase. The JPHL has acted as a feeder league of sorts to the BCHL, with a number of JPHL teams working with a BCHL club. Several JPHL games will occur in Chilliwack during the Showcase.
Cocker added that the BCHL is watching the Rylan Masterson-NCAA lawsuit, but stated that he thinks the BCHL will be proactive no matter what happens with the case. Masterson is suing the NCAA and 10 American universities over their boycott on CHL players. Masterson lost his NCAA eligibility by playing two exhibition games with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. The NCAA states that CHL players earn money and are professional athletes, thus ending their eligibility. BCHL players do not run that risk as they are not considered professional and are not paid. The lawsuit may reverse the NCAA's stance on the CHL.
"We are very well-positioned as a college feeder league to minimize any impact that would come with CHL eligibility," he said. "There's a lot of trust and belief in our league within NCAA. If there is any change we will be ready for it."
For a full list of the Showcase schedule, visit bchl.ca/2024-bchl-showcase.
