The difference between silver and gold is the widest chasm in sports, and from letter-grade B to A the biggest in the classroom. The latter is applicable in hockey, too. The looming move of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League from Junior B to Junior A classification, beginning next season, is significant.
“There won’t be a lot of change in the first year but the calibre of our league will go up dramatically in the years after that,” said Pete Zubersky, owner and governor of the Peninsula Panthers of the VIJHL.
“There are Junior A leagues across the country that are not as good as our league, but parents get excited when they see the Junior A designation. We will stop losing those players.”
Also looking to make the move from Junior B to Junior A, along with the VIJHL, are the Pacific Junior Hockey League on the Lower Mainland and Kootenay International Junior Hockey League in the interior. The moves are pending and have yet to be ratified and are on the agenda to be discussed during the B.C. Hockey board meeting this week in Penticton.
Zubersky confirmed all teams in the VIJHL, PJHL and KIJHL are unanimously in favour of it. There are 11 teams in the VIJHL, stretching from Greater Victoria to Campbell River, 14 teams in the PJHL and 19 in the KIJHL.
“Their task force has done a terrific job,” said B.C. Hockey CEO Cam Hope of Victoria.
“The Junior B leagues in B.C. are probably the most mis-named hockey leagues in the world.”
A vacuum was created when the B.C. Hockey League, a leading producer of players to the U.S. collegiate NCAA Div. 1 with numerous NHL alumni, left B.C. Hockey and Hockey Canada to go independent beginning next sesaon. That also meant giving up its Junior A designation within the official system. The 17-team BCHL includes the Victoria Grizzlies, Cowichan Valley Capitals, Nanaimo Clippers, Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Powell River Kings.
“I estimate 45 per cent of the players in the BCHL were B.C. kids, and wouldn’t be surprised if that will go down to about 25 per cent, because the BCHL is now free to recruit European players and 16-17 year-olds from across the country,” said Zubersky.
“A lot of those B.C. players will fall to our league and our calibre will go up.”
There isn’t a dissenting opinion among the clubs in the VIJHL, PJHL and KIJHL.
“I believe this is a good move for our league,” said Chris Lynn, head coach and GM of the Victoria Cougars of the VIJHL.
“The impact will be felt in future years.”
Although it is clearly leaning one way, the official decision has yet to be made.
“The process is underway and will be dealt with in front of the [B.C. Hockey] board this week in Penticton,” said Hope.
If the Junior B leagues are successful in their bid to be classified as Junior A, they would be eligible to compete for a chance to play in the Centennial Cup national Junior A championship tournament, which in 2024 is slated for Oakville, Ont., and in 2025 Okotoks, Alta.
