Three Junior B hockey leagues in B.C. are set to become Junior A, Tier 2 this coming season and for the most part, the news is being met with celebration around Greater Victoria.
Norm Kelly, co-owner of the Saanich Predators, called the news “fantastic” and a long time coming for the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. He said it is a change that will mean a great deal for the players looking to hone their skills and position themselves for future career moves.
“The league itself has really elevated in the last few years, we’ve shown ourselves – all three of us, the VIJHL, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, and the Pacific Junior Hockey League – that we are some of the top leagues in the province,” said Kelly. “It’s really going to enhance the player experience, it’s going to really increase the class of play, and it means players are going to really be looked at by tier one, tier two, tier three colleges in the United States.”
The reclassification, which comes on the heels of the Junior A BCHL separating from Hockey Canada to become an independent league, is expected to both attract more B.C. players who may have been considering leaving the province to play high-level junior hockey, and provide more opportunities for them to further their career.
READ MORE: BC Hockey approves Junior A status for three Junior B hockey leagues
He said while the Predators already have an affiliate relationship with the WHL’s Victoria Royals, having sent several of their players up to the major junior league last season, being classified as Junior A will increase those opportunities.
Kelly also feels the strengthened VIJHL, which also includes Victoria’s Cougars and the Westshore Wolves, will have a positive impact on the lower U-18 leagues in the region, raising the collective skill level and development opportunities across the board.
While the excitement over the news is still there for Pete Zubersky and the Peninsula Panthers, he said his organization is taking a more “cautiously optimistic” approach for the first few seasons while the transition is being made.
“It’s going to be really interesting that’s for sure,” the Panthers owner said of the reclassification. “I think that our group is excited about it, and I know the players are already excited about it … but I think the best thing to do is to take it slow, be patient, and not make any mistakes and just see how this plays out a little bit.”
Zubersky said major changes, like pursuing the Junior A, Tier 1 ranking now available through the reclassification, will come with significant required changes for the teams as an organization, including higher budget requirements and significantly increased travel.
The push to reclassify was made in recognition of the void for higher-level junior hockey sanctioned by Hockey Canada in the province following the BCHL’s move to become an independent league. The move was unanimously approved by BC Hockey and the 45-member organizations of the three affected leagues.
The upcoming season will be played within the formerly Junior B league structures, with each league eventually announcing further details on future changes. Teams which later achieve Tier 1 status will be able to seek membership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League and become eligible to compete in the Centennial Cup.
READ MORE: BCHL splits from Hockey Canada, forms independent league
