BC Hockey will have a new Junior-A system in place for the 2023-24 season.

The provincial sports organization will promote all three of its junior B leagues to Junior A. Those include the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, the Pacific Junior Hockey League, and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, which will all move up one level.

It means both the Kamloops Storm and the Chase Heat, who play in the KIJHL, will now operate as Junior A clubs.

“We are excited about the opportunities this new pathway will create for junior hockey players in B.C. and Yukon,” Stephanie White, Chair of the Board of Directors at BC Hockey said.

BC Hockey reclassified all three leagues after the British Columbia Hockey League, which includes the Merritt Centennials and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, broke away from Hockey Canada. It did so on June 1 to give it more options for players under 18 years old that are looking to compete in college hockey in the United States.

The move also allows BCHL teams to recruit 16- and 17-year-olds from other provinces, which is currently against Hockey Canada regulations.

All 45 teams in the KIJHL, PJHL, and the VIJHL that will now be classified as Junior A will be subject to an internal BC Hockey standards-tiering structure, as they seek Tier-1 status and membership in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). If successful, players will be able to compete for the Centennial Cup and the World Junior A Challenge, which is hosted by the CJHL and Hockey Canada.

“Having these teams dedicate themselves to raised standards, first to Junior A Tier 2, and eventually Junior A Tier 1 for some, will provide more of our talented players with a better player experience at the highest level in our province,” White added.

“BC Hockey is confident that this transformation will strengthen the development pathway immediately, and raise the overall hockey experience for players, coaches, and fans alike.”

Examples of the commitments made unanimously by each of the 45 teams now joining the Junior A classification include:

• Co-operation and engagement with an independent advisory board to evaluate Junior A Tier 2 teams to determine which, and when, teams may be elevated to the Junior A Tier 1 level.
• A rigorous process and analysis, conducted over the next three seasons, allowing individual teams and communities to find the level of Junior hockey most suited to them.
• An understanding that the advisory board will soon be adding other requirements aimed at optimizing the player pathway and overall experience for participants in these leagues, with the intent of increasing them each season.
• An enhanced dedication to engagement with grassroots hockey in B.C. and Yukon, ensuring that homegrown players receive the opportunity to compete at this level.
• Increasing roster minimums for players from B.C. and Yukon.
• An ongoing structure that ensures that teams achieving Junior A Tier 1 classification are ready to take on the added requirements and expectations of the nation’s highest-level of Junior hockey competition.