Burnaby (BCHL.ca) – On January 20, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) announced that it has come to terms with five Alberta-based teams to join the league for the 2024-25 season.
The teams that have committed to terms include, the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints.
Further information, such as league structure, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Elliott Freeman with Hockey Night in Canada said that the five teams have been suspended by the AJHL Alberta Junior Hockey League and will not play for the foreseeable future, if not at all for the balance of the 2023-24 season. Freeman says the Alberta league was taken by surprise and did not see this coming.
The revamped Alignments:
The BCHL left Hockey Canada and the CJHL on June 1, 2023. The dispute was over eligibility for players to seek NCAA scholarships in the US. According to The Hockey News: The move, which the BCHL’s press release states intends “to grow and create move opportunities for players and move excitement for fans,” marks a major hit to Hockey Canada, as the BCHL sends more players to NCAA Div. I hockey than all other junior hockey leagues in Canada combined. According to the BCHL, last season, there were 411 alumni in the NCAA, representing a quarter of the NCAA Div. I player roster.
The BCHL had not sent a team to the Centennial Cup since 2021.
