VIJHL Becomes Independent League!!

Photo Credit VIJHL

The landscape of hockey in Canada has changed as various leagues are pulling out of Hockey Canada to become an independent league which has many asking – WHY?

Simply put as we have been told there is far too much unrest with the current governing body of the game and has been going on for a while now.

Money talks and with the price of everything on the upswing, new leagues, academy hockey and also putting the onus on officials as to what leagues to work.

The above is only hurting not only the game, the families, the players and most certainly the officials who are paying a huge price only wanting to officiate the game.

That’s not to say that the officials are getting inferior training, but as we were told the prior season officials working in the BCHL were getting assessed with video training which they are still getting.

Also last season if an official was working in the BCHL and needed “additional training” they could go back and work in the PJHL which worked in all areas of development.

Officials working in the PJHL are doing an excellent job but as some have mentioned “there’s no video training at all and we are left with only verbal training and we are missing out on quality training from a retired NHL official” mentioned by several officials.

So loss of a league for Hockey Canada, BC Hockey as well as the funding so you have to ask if this move is so they can have a better relationship with the BCHL also knowing that the officials who worked last season will have to make a choice noting that the players will be missing out! Sad!! 

Say what you will both the PJHL and the KIJHL have taken major steps to elevate the the former Junior “B” leagues to Junior “A” level setting in place a way for the leagues to compete in the Centennial Cup Junior “A” Championship.

Let’s not forget that the past two seasons the two leagues have formed the BCHL which set in place the creation of a Department of Safety as well as a Top Prospects recently played and hosted in Kamloops.

We should mention that in 2023 the BCHC reached out to the Blackfin Sports Group to develop a strong application to assess the process for both the KIJHL and the PJHL to officially become Junior “A” status.

Regardless, we are now hearing that the VIJHL has voted by the 11 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League franchises, the league will become an independent league starting 2024-25 and will no longer be affiliated with Hockey Canada or BC Hockey.

They will now work as an independent Junior B “feeder” development league to other non-sanctioned leagues.

We hear that this decision was made to enhance the development opportunities for VIJHL players and their families and to give the league greater autonomy over its future path.

“The VIJHL is pleased to announce our move to become an independent league starting next season and to operate outside of Hockey Canada’s umbrella going forward,” said VIJHL President Simon Morgan. 

He continues “After months of hard work behind the scenes by the ownership group of our 11 franchises, this decision to move the VIJHL into a new space in junior hockey will allow players more opportunities for development going forward.”

The benefits of this move for the VIJHL include, greater development opportunities for players through affiliation agreements with higher levels of hockey, the ability to make decisions that are in the best interest of the VIJHL, an increased player pool that will raise the level of play in the league and much more.

Continuing on he mentioned “We would also like to thank our former league partners in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) and the Kootenay Interior Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) for their years of partnership and we wish them nothing but the best going forward.”

And the saga continues – how many other leagues will pull out of Hockey Canada and how often before this happens in other provinces?

Regardless – Sportwave wishes them all the best!!