By Emanuel Sequeira
Director of Communications
KIJHL
The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League held its 2024 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, June 22 in Nelson, with the meeting generating a number of news items that will be of interest to KIJHL fans.
Conference alignment
With the Merritt Centennials, Quesnel River Rush and Williams Lake Mustangs all joining the KIJHL’s Okanagan-Shuswap Conference, the KIJHL’s Board of Governors has approved the following re-alignment within the Doug Birks and Bill Ohlhausen divisions:
Doug Birks Division:
• 100 Mile House Wranglers
• Chase Heat
• Kamloops Storm
• Quesnel River Rush
• Williams Lake Mustangs
Bill Ohlhausen Division:
• Kelowna Chiefs
• Merritt Centennials
• Osoyoos Coyotes
• Princeton Posse
• Revelstoke Grizzlies
• Sicamous Eagles
2024/25 season
The puck will drop on the 2024-25 KIJHL regular season on Friday, Sept. 20 when the league’s 21 teams each embark on a 44-game schedule. All clubs will play a total of 10 inter-conference games as follows:
• Teams in the Doug Birks division host teams from the Neil Murdoch division
• Teams in the Eddie Mountain division host teams from the Doug Birks division
• Teams in the Neil Murdoch division host teams from the Bill Ohlhausen division
• Teams in the Bill Ohlhausen division host teams from the Eddie Mountain division
The regular season will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 22 and the 2025 Teck Cup Playoffs will begin on Friday, Feb. 28.
Junior A, Tier 1
KIJHL team governors and staff were provided with an update regarding the ongoing Junior A, Tier 1 application and evaluation process being overseen by Blackfin Sports Group.
As of the AGM, 12 of the league’s 21 clubs had received their site visit from Blackfin’s assessment team, with the remainder of these visits scheduled for July and August. The KIJHL expects to receive Blackfin’s completed review by November 1.
Changes/new initiatives
The KIJHL has once again increased the number of 20-year-old players who are eligible to participate on a member club with the maximum number rising from six to seven for the 2024-25 season.
Executive committees
Locally, Brett Holt (Columbia Valley Rockies, Eddie Mountain Division) was re-elected to the KIJHL’s Executive Committee, which oversees day-to-day league business on behalf of the Board of Governors.
The KIJHL’s Board of Governors approved the creation of a Hockey Administration Committee, which will be tasked with projects that include an evaluation of the league’s schedule length and format as it continues its transition to Junior A hockey.
