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41-798: The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League was founded in 1966 as the West Kootenay Junior Hockey League . Five teams joined the league in its first year and started play in the 1969–70 season. They included the Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters , the Nelson Plaza Oilers , the Castlegar Apollos , the Grand Forks Border Bruins , and the Rossland Warriors . The Smoke Eaters won the inaugural league championship, advancing to

82-669: A Junior 'A' Ice Hockey team based in Sicamous , British Columbia , Canada . They are members of the Doug Birks Division of the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). They play their home games at Sicamous & District Recreation Centre. The Eagles were founded in 1994, and finished their first season with a record of 36-8. They would win

123-472: A junior A ice hockey team from Trail, British Columbia , Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League . The Smoke Eaters (aka Smokies ) have existed as both junior and senior teams since the 1920s. The senior Smoke Eaters won two Allan Cup championships, 1938 and 1962, and two Ice Hockey World Championships playing for Canada in 1939 and 1961. The senior Smokies were

164-619: A consulting firm to evaluate all Junior A Tier 2 teams for promotion to "Junior A Tier 1" to form a new league to fill the "Junior A" vacuum left by the BCHL . The Spokane Braves also returned to the KIJHL for the 2023–24 hockey season for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that shortened the KIJHL 2019–20 season, ending their nearly four season hiatus from the KIJHL due to travel restrictions from international travel. The 2023–24 hockey season also raised

205-586: A record of 31-12-4-3, losing in the Division finals to Osoyoos . They lost in the first round the following season to Revelstoke . But in 2005-06, the Eagles won the league title for a third time, defeating Beaver Valley in the final again. The Eagles have yet to win another league title. The 2006-07 Eagles suffered a considerable drop in form, finishing fourth in the Okanagan-Shushwap Division, and losing in

246-404: The COVID-19 pandemic . Jeff Dubois was later named the new commissioner. In June 2023, following the BCHL's decision to leave Hockey Canada sanctioning, the KIJHL applied for Junior A status from BC Hockey , on July 25, 2023, BC Hockey announced that three BC Junior B leagues, the KIJHL, PJHL , and VIJHL , were being promoted to "Junior A Tier 2". BC Hockey further announced that it hired

287-639: The Chase Heat and Summerland Steam were formed. The 2012–13 season saw no team changes, while the Castlegar Rebels won the league title. The following year, 2013–14, the Penticton Lakers were forced into relocation to 100 Mile House due to low ticket sales, which stemmed from playing in the neighbouring arena to that of the Jr. A Penticton Vees , whose national success offered difficult competition. The new team

328-692: The Kimberley Knights joined the league, while the Grand Forks Border Bruins took a leave of absence. In 1973–74 the league expanded again, incorporating a Fernie -based team. The league did not expand for two years after this point, during a period dominated by the Colts. The next expansion occurred in 1976–77, when the Creston Clippers and the Castlegar Rebels joined the league, and the Rebels won

369-671: The Sicamous Eagles would join. The Eagles, too, won the league in their debut season. In 1996–97, the Castlegar Rebels relocated to Osoyoos, who played one season under the Rebels name, before being renamed the Heat. Castlegar was granted an expansion franchise in 1998–99, who was named the Rebels. In 1999–2000, the Nelson Leafs rejoined the KIJHL, winning the title in their first season back, and

410-708: The 1984 Mowat Cup over the Peace Caribou Junior Hockey League champions, Prince George Spruce Kings , and then won the 1984 BC/Alta Championship over Fort Saskatchewan Traders . They lost Abbott Cup to the Weyburn Red Wings in a four-game sweep before the Red Wings went on to win the Centennial Cup . Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Sicamous Eagles The Sicamous Eagles are

451-671: The 2024–25 season as part of the Bill Ohlhausen Division. According to the announcement, the team would keep the same name and continue to play out of the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena under a 5-year lease. In April 2024 the North Okanagan Knights franchise was announced to have been sold to a Quesnel - based ownership group where they would be rebranded as the Quesnel River Rush, with these changes

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492-680: The 2024–25 season. On March 22, 2024, it was announced that the Summerland Steam franchise has been sold and relocated to Williams Lake for the 2024-25 season, where they will now be known as the Williams Lake Mustangs and play out of the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Centre . On 31 March 2024, it was announced that the Merritt Centennials of the BCHL would join the KIJHL under new ownership beginning in

533-644: The BCHC (British Columbia Hockey Conference) which represents a partnership between two of Western Canada’s premier junior "B" hockey leagues with a mission to advance their level of competitive hockey in British Columbia. The British Columbia Hockey Conference’s inaugural season (22/23) included two major projects: the creation of a Department of Player Safety and a Prospects Game that will highlight its top young players. In 2023, governing body BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its junior hockey framework following

574-588: The British Columbia communities of Chilliwack (twice), Langley and Ladner . The Eagles played for six seasons in Langley. Their best season was 1983–84 with a record of 40–8–2, placing third in the league. In the playoffs they defeated the Abbotsford Flyers four games to one, the Nanaimo Clippers four games to two, and then swept the first place Penticton Knights in the league championships. They then won

615-467: The Eagles improved to second in the Doug Birks Division, losing to the North Okanagan Knights in the Division final. 2013-14 saw the Eagles drop to fourth in the Division again, losing 4-1 in the opening round to the Kamloops Storm . The next season would see an identical result, with the Eagles fourth and losing 4-1 to Kamloops, and this marked the first time in franchise history that the Eagles lost in

656-665: The Eddie Mountain Division, behind only the North Okanagan Kings . In 1999-00, they finished second in their division again, and lost to the Nelson Leafs in the league championship. The following year, the Eagles were finished second in their division again, before losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Revelstoke Grizzlies . In 2001-02, the Eagles won the KIJHL championship for the second time, led by

697-656: The Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), joining that league as the Trail Smoke Eaters for the 1995–96 season. Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against To secure entry into the BCHL, the Trail Smoke Eaters bought the franchise rights of the Bellingham Ice Hawks of Bellingham, Washington . The Ice Hawks franchise had previously existed in

738-409: The KIJHL championship over the Castlegar Rebels in the playoffs. The following year, they would finish with a similar record of 35-6-1, losing to Castlegar in the finals again. In 1996-97, they finished third in the Eddie Mountain Division, with a record of 21-21. The following year, they finished fourth in their division, losing in the first round of the playoffs. In 1998-99, they improved to second in

779-522: The KIJHL's most accomplished alumnus, Shea Weber . They defeated the Beaver Valley Nitehawks 3-1 in the final. They then went on to win the Keystone Cup as British Columbia's top Junior B team. They would win the regular season title again the following year, but lost to Beaver Valley in the championship. The Eagles finished second in the Okanagan-Shushwap Division for the 2003-04 season, with

820-711: The Neil Murdoch Conference. The Golden Xtreme was again renamed, this time reverting to the Rockets name. Furthermore, the Chase Chiefs joined the league in 2007–08, while the Fernie Ghostriders would capture the league title. There were no team changes in 2008–09, and the Nelson Leafs would capture the league title. In 2009–10, however, the Summerland Sting were forced to relocate to nearby Penticton , taking

861-661: The Neil Murdoch, Eddie Mountain, and Okanagan/Shushwap. Along with the division re-alignment, the North Okanagan Kings relocated to Enderby , becoming the Enderby Ice Kings . The Osoyoos Heat took on the name the Osoyoos Storm , and an expansion franchise was granted to Summerland , which took the name Summerland Sting . 2001–02 also saw the presence of the KIJHL's most accomplished alumnus, Shea Weber , who played for

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902-608: The Rossland Warriors relocated for a single season to Summerland. The 1999–2000 Summerland Warriors had the distinction of never having won a game, finishing their only season with a record of 0-45-0, conceding 485 goals in 45 games. The 2000–01 season saw the folding of the Summerland Warriors and the creation of the Creston Valley Thunder Cats . In 2001–02, the league was split from two to three divisions,

943-467: The departure of its only Junior A league . The three Junior B leagues ( PJHL , KIJHL and VIJHL ) were summarily designated as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to conduct an independent evaluation of those teams seeking to be promoted to "Junior A Tier 1". It was expected that those teams promoted to Tier 1 would eventually apply for membership in the CJHL . The league expected the evaluations to be completed during

984-522: The first round of the playoffs in two consecutive years. Another franchise low occurred in 2015-16, as the Eagles missed the playoffs for the first time in their history, compiling a 10-34-2-6 record, fifth in the Doug Birks Division. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, D = Defaults, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Records as of March 4, 2024. Keystone Cup Cyclone Taylor Cup KIJHL Championship Coach of

1025-605: The first round to Kamloops . The following season, they finished third in the Okanagan Division, before losing in the second round to the Princeton Posse . In 2010-11 , the Eagles were sorted into the new Doug Birks Division, and finished third again, losing to Kamloops in the first round. The following season, the Eagles would finish fourth in their division, and lost in the second round to the Kelowna Chiefs . In 2012-13,

1066-476: The first round to the Kamloops Storm . The following year, the divisions of the KIJHL were re-organized, and the Eagles were moved to the Eddie Mountain Conference, East Division. They finished second in their division, but lost in the Division finals to the Revelstoke Grizzlies . In 2008-09, the league was again re-sorted, and the Eagles finished second in the new Okanagan Division. They would lose in

1107-621: The following year, this time becoming the Golden Jets . Also, 2006–07 saw the demise of the Osoyoos Storm, who moved to Kamloops Storm , while retaining the Storm name. In 2007–08, the league was divided into two conferences, which were furthermore split into two divisions each, dropping the Okanagan Shushwap, while creating the Eddie Mountain Conference, East and West Divisions, and likewise with

1148-722: The junior Smoke Eaters won their first of 22 Mowat Cups over a run of 29 seasons. Throughout this run, the Mowat Cup was awarded as the highest level junior hockey championship for the province. During their 22 Mowat Cup winning years, the Smoke Eaters represented British Columbia in the Western Canadian Junior/Junior A Championship, the Abbott Cup . The Smoke Eaters won the Abbott Cup in 1944 and represented Western Canada in

1189-517: The junior divisions in Canada were divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. In 1970, Junior A was split again into Major Junior and Junior A. The junior Smoke Eaters have competed in various levels of junior hockey, including Junior A and Junior B divisions. They have also competed for the national Junior Championship Memorial Cup prior to its usage as the Major Junior championship. In 1931–32,

1230-461: The last independent ice hockey club to represent Canada in international competition before the Canada men's national ice hockey team was established in 1963. The junior Smoke Eaters have competed in British Columbia since 1926. Originally, the ice hockey usage of "junior" referred to a general, age-limited, non-professional hockey concept that was distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Later,

1271-710: The league champions Sicamous Eagles for this single season. In 2002–03, the Princeton Posse joined the league, becoming the furthest west team in the KIJHL, and the Enderby Ice Kings folded after one season. In 2004–05, the Fernie Ghostriders joined the league from the North American Hockey League , and the following year the Golden Rockets were renamed the Golden Xtreme . They were renamed again

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1312-486: The league championship in their debut season. Columbia Valley joined in 1978–79 season, thus bringing the league to a total of 11 teams, an all-time high. In the 1981–82 season, Fernie would withdraw from the league, while the Elk Valley Raiders ( Sparwood ) would join in their place. The following year, the Beaver Valley Nitehawks would join, bringing the league to a total of 12 teams. Creston would withdraw from

1353-565: The league in 1985, and Nelson, Elk Valley and Grand Forks would do the same in 1986. Elk Valley and Grand Forks would return the next year and Nelson in 1989. The 1980s were largely dominated by the Cranbrook Colts with a 6 championship winning streak. In 1990, the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League was formed, creating a level of competition between the two geographic rival leagues. Cranbrook and Kimberley would depart

1394-459: The league in 1991, while the Golden Rockets would enter. The Rossland Warriors would return to the league the following season after a lengthy absence. In 1993–94, the KIJHL gained two new teams in the form of the North Okanagan Kings and the Revelstoke Grizzlies . North Okanagan won the league title in their first year. The following year, Elk Valley and Nelson would depart the league, while

1435-615: The league moved the Revelstoke Grizzlies and the Sicamous Eagles moving from the Doug Birks Division to the Bill Ohlhausen expanding it from four to six teams. On November 26, 2024, The KIJHL announced via facebook That the BCHC had created social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) as "thebchc" deepening the social media presence of the BCHC. Trail Smoke Eaters The Trail Smoke Eaters are

1476-408: The limit of 20-year-old players from five to six players per team. The last Junior "B" player transaction from the KIJHL occurred on July 24, 2023, with a defenceman traded from the Grand Forks Border Bruins of the KIJHL to the Regina Capitals of the Prairie Junior Hockey League (PJHL) in Saskatchewan for future considerations. On September 22, 2022, The KIJHL and PJHL announced the creation of

1517-424: The name Penticton Lakers . Furthermore, an expansion team was granted to Armstrong , and the North Okanagan Knights were founded. In the 2010–11 season , the Osoyoos Coyotes were formed, and won the league title in their debut season, while the Chase Chiefs relocated to Rutland, Kelowna to become the Kelowna Chiefs . The following year, two expansion franchises were granted to Chase and Summerland , and

1558-419: The national junior championship Memorial Cup competition, losing all four games to the Oshawa Generals . By the 1970s, the Smoke Eaters played as a Junior B team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). They joined the Junior A Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League (RMJHL) from the 1991–92 through 1994–95 seasons. In 1995, the Smoke Eaters bought the Bellingham Ice Hawks franchise in

1599-437: The previous year's champion, the Dynamiters. The 2016–17 season marks the KIJHL's 50th anniversary, with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats hosting the Cyclone Taylor Cup . Prior to the 2019–20 KIJHL season, the Okanagan Division was renamed the Bill Ohlhausen Division along with the KIJHL Championship renamed the Teck Cup for sponsorship reasons. The Teck Cup was not awarded in 2020 due to the league suspended operations amidst

1640-458: The provincial championship. The next year, Castlegar would withdraw from the league, leaving only four teams. In 1971–1972, the Spokane Valley Kings and Cranbrook Colts joined the league, raising the number of teams to six, and incorporating an American team for the first time. Furthermore, the Nelson Plaza Oilers were renamed the Nelson Leafs . For 1972–73, the league was rebranded the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League . In this season,

1681-408: Was branded the 100 Mile House Wranglers . The following year again saw no team changes, and the Kimberley Dynamiters won the league title. In 2015–16, the Grand Forks Border Bruins made the playoffs for the first time in 19 years, a provincial Jr. B record and the 100 Mile House Wranglers won the Keystone Cup ; the Cyclone Taylor Cup and the KIJHL Championship in their third only season against

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