Kootenay International Junior Hockey League – Page 3

June 22, 2023

The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League held its 2023 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, June 17th in Sicamous, with the meeting generating a number of news items that will be of interest to KIJHL fans:

APPLICATION TO RECLASSIFY AS JUNIOR A

The KIJHL has submitted an application to BC Hockey to have the league and its members reclassified as Junior A for the 2023/24 season. If approved, all 20 KIJHL clubs would transition to the Junior A level under a set of newly-adopted operating standards designed to enhance the player experience league-wide. The KIJHL’s application to BC Hockey was submitted after an exhaustive consultation process with the league’s minor hockey partners that resulted in letters of support from all four of the regional minor hockey districts in which KIJHL teams operate, as well as 19 separate minor hockey associations.

“The reality for our league is that the departure of the BCHL to independent hockey has left a major hole in sanctioned junior hockey programming in our province,” says KIJHL Chairman Brett Holt. “The KIJHL has continued to thrive in large part due to our reputation for offering a highly affordable development path to higher levels of hockey. Not having a sanctioned Junior A league in B.C. creates a significant void that we are well-positioned to help fill. It was very exciting to witness the positive feedback from our partners at the minor hockey level and their enthusiasm to see increased Junior A playing opportunities for B.C. athletes. We’re looking forward to further dialogue with BC Hockey on our application and our desire to further the growth of grassroots junior hockey in our province, and ultimately a vote by their Board.”

2023/24 SEASON DATES & SCHEDULE FORMAT

The puck will drop on the 2023/24 KIJHL regular season on Friday, September 22nd with the league’s 20 teams each playing 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 Eddie Mountain division
Teams in the Eddie Mountain division host teams from the Bill Ohlhausen division
Teams in the Neil Murdoch division host teams from the Doug Birks division
Teams in the Bill Ohlhausen division host teams from the Neil Murdoch division

KIJHL clubs will continue to play six games each against division rivals, while teams will continue to play twice against teams from the other division within their conference. As a result, the 44-game schedule breaks down as follows:

24 games against divisional opponents
10 games against conference opponents
10 games against inter-conference opponents

The regular season will conclude on Sunday, February 11th and the 2023 Teck Cup Playoffs will begin on Friday, February 16th. After a successful trial run during the 2022/23 season, KIJHL members have opted for a playoff format that includes Friday start dates for each playoff series in all four rounds:

First Round begins Friday, February 16th
Second Round begins Friday, March 1st
Third Round begins Friday, March 15th
Teck Cup Finals begins Friday, March 29th

NEW INITIATIVES

⁸The KIJHL’s Board of Governors approved a number of new regulations, including a waivers process that will apply to all out-of-league transactions in which a participant is dealt in return for a Player Development Fee only from September 1st to January 10th. Also ratified were the formal creation of a Hockey Operations Committee and a Marketing Committee that will help consult League Office staff on matters in their respective areas.

Source: kijhl.ca

“The KIJHL is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for our athletes, volunteers, staff and fans,” says Commissioner Jeff Dubois.

The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League has announced disciplinary measures against the Creston Valley Thunder Cats organization following an investigation into allegations of hazing.

The KIJHL was notified of the incident by Thunder Cats’ staff on Tuesday, September 13th and immediately suspended team activities, including the cancellation of the team’s exhibition game the following evening, in order to allow time to gather further information.

League staff travelled to Creston on September 15th to conduct interviews with Thunder Cats’ players and coaches. Throughout this process, the KIJHL has consulted with its Safe Sport partner, ITP Sport, and with BC Hockey.

As a result of the KIJHL’s investigation, the following disciplinary measures have been taken:

The Creston Valley Thunder Cats organization has received a fine and placed on probation for a period of two years. During this time, the Thunder Cats must take proactive steps to ensure a positive team culture free from abuse, bullying and harassment. Any occurrence of a similar incident will result in further sanctions.
Members of the Creston Valley Thunder Cats will be required to complete training designed to identify and eliminate instances of abuse, bullying and harassment.
Thunder Cats team captain Clayton Brown has been suspended for 12 games, effective Sept. 16, for violations of the league’s Individual Conduct Policy.
Thunder Cats alternate captain Campbell McLean has been suspended for 6 games, effective Sept. 16, for violations of the league’s Individual Conduct Policy.

“The KIJHL is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for our athletes, volunteers, staff and fans,” says Commissioner Jeff Dubois. “What occurred in Creston was unacceptable, and the discipline imposed against the Thunder Cats’ organization and members of the team reflect our zero-tolerance approach to these types of incidents.”

“Our investigation made clear that we have considerable work to do in order to educate our players on the standard of behaviour and leadership expected of them in a team environment. We take this responsibility seriously, and we are taking immediate steps to address this issue.”

The KIJHL will not comment further on this matter.

Source: Kootenay Junior International Hockey League