Photo Credit BCHL
Changes continue to take place in various leagues all of which are in the best interest for the growth of the game, the team and the community where the move happens.
Recently the BCHL Cowichan Valley Capitals were sold with a new ownership group taking over as in the following press release from the BCHL
Enjoy the read:
The BC Hockey League (BCHL) Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Cowichan Valley Capitals to Island Capitals Sports & Entertainment.
The group will take over ownership of the team immediately after purchasing the franchise from former owner Ray Zhang.
The ownership group is headed up by John Dewar, managing partner of Maxxam Insurance and a BCHL alumnus, as well as former NHL player Clayton Stoner.
“We are thrilled to take the reins and start working to make this a very successful and proud franchise,” said Dewar. “With the recent changes happening in the BCHL, we couldn’t be more excited to join such a great league with a tremendous history.”
“Being a Cowichan Valley resident myself, I am extremely excited to get the community and local businesses to come support our team and bring an increased sense of pride to such a great local sports organization. As a local ownership group, we are proud to be a part of this community and are strong believers in producing a successful franchise for years to come.”
“Having grown up and played minor and junior hockey on the Island, I am very excited to put my passion for the game into the Cowichan Valley Capitals and the community,” said Stoner. “We have a competitive group of owners that are committed to improving and bringing growth to the Capitals organization. We are very excited to get started with our home opener this weekend against Nanaimo.”
The BCHL Board of Governors approved the sale in a vote that concluded earlier today.
“On behalf of our Board, I would like to thank Ray Zhang for his seven years as owner of the Cowichan Valley Capitals,” said Graham Fraser, Chairman of the BCHL Board of Governors. “We are excited to welcome the new ownership group in Cowichan and are confident that their leadership will help take the Capitals to another level, on and off the ice.”
Sending more players on to Division I college hockey every season than any other hockey league in Canada, the BCHL has established itself as a national leader in the development of young student athletes.
Considering approximately a third of today’s NHL is made up of NCAA alumni, the BCHL has become a breeding ground for some the sport’s most elite and successful players. In 2022-23 alone, there were a league-record 190 players in the league with NCAA Division I scholarships.
The BCHL is also a leader in player safety, with a full-time Department of Player Safety, the toughest rules on fighting in North American junior hockey, as well as a league-wide independent Safe Sport Officer and an individual Athlete Advocate assigned to all 17 teams.
