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54-513: The West Kelowna Warriors are a relocated franchise , moving to West Kelowna in 2006 from Langley, British Columbia . Langley was originally granted a British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) franchise in 1973 called the Langley Lords. The team played as the Lords through the 1975–76 season. In those three years they had very decent regular seasons, making it to the playoffs each year, including

108-774: A host city as chosen by the CJHL. The Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League defeated the Charlottetown Islanders of the Island Junior Hockey League in 1971 to claim the inaugural Canadian Junior A championship and Manitoba Centennial Trophy. The 1972 Centennial Cup gained national attention when the Guelph CMC's of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League were in

162-565: A host team Round-robin play with top four in semifinal and winners to finals. British Columbia Hockey League#Timeline of teams The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is an independent Canadian Junior ice hockey league with 21 teams in British Columbia and Alberta . It was classified as a Junior "A" league within the Hockey Canada framework, until it became independent in 2023 . Since becoming independent,

216-593: A limited number of games at the higher level, from leagues that are within the Hockey Canada framework. Because of this, the BCHL increased the number of players that teams could include in their regular roster. This was intended to reduce the likelihood of players being cut after the deadline, but also resulted in some players getting less playing time. In 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) announced that it would also withdraw from

270-540: A loss in the league finals in their first season. In 1976 the Lords changed their name to the Langley Thunder. Their regular season performance diminished each year and they missed the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's history in the 1978–79 season. Shortly after the completion of the 1978–79 season, the franchise ceased operations . An unrelated BCJHL franchise, the Chilliwack Colts , relocated to become

324-698: A pre-selected host city. The championship has also been known as the National Junior A Championship in 2019, it was formerly known as the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018 and the Manitoba Centennial Cup from 1971 to 1995. It is currently branded as the Centennial Cup after Tim Hortons , the title sponsor of the 2022 tournament, withdrew future sponsorship in response to the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal . The Manitoba Centennial Trophy

378-423: A runner-up game. 3rd vs. 4th in semifinal with winner to the runner-up game and loser eliminated. Runner-up game determined second representative to national championship. Hockey Canada junior A national championship Participants in 2016: Dudley Hewitt Cup champions (Central), Fred Page Cup champions (Eastern, Western Canada Cup champions (Western #1), Western Canada Cup runners-up (Western #2) and

432-689: A score of 7–4 to win the Centennial Cup . A year later, the BCJHL's Richmond Sockeyes won the league's second consecutive national title. From 1993 to 2021, the league was a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League , an association of Junior A leagues across Canada that would play for the National Junior A Championship . The winner of the BCHL Fred Page Cup (not to be confused with the CJHL Fred Page Cup ) would continue on to play

486-697: The Alberta Junior Hockey League champions in the Doyle Cup for the right to compete for the national championship . The BCJHL was renamed the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in 1995. The Burnaby Bulldogs joined as an expansion team in 1998 and moved to Port Alberni in 2002. The Coquitlam Express and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks joined in 2001. The Williams Lake TimberWolves joined in 2002 and folded in 2010. The Chilliwack Chiefs moved to Langley in 2006 and were later renamed

540-632: The British Columbia Hockey League . The Spruce Kings won the game 3–2 6:01 into the fifth overtime period. The game lasted 146:01, just short of the CJAHL record set by the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the Pickering Panthers in the 2007 Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League playoffs (154:32). After the 2018 Royal Bank Cup , Royal Bank of Canada ended their sponsorship agreement with

594-465: The COVID-19 pandemic , the only times the championship has not been played since 1970. Starting in 1990, the tournament used a five-team round-robin followed by a playoff. The format for qualification of the participating teams was based on four regional champions and the host team. Ahead of the 2022 Centennial Cup , the tournament's format was changed to include the winners of the nine member leagues of

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648-449: The Hockey Canada framework and operate as an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024–25 season . RBC Cup The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey . It consists of a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of all nine CJHL member leagues as well as

702-524: The Langley Eagles from 1981–82 through the 1986–87 seasons, before moving back to Chilliwack , British Columbia . In 1990, the BCJHL was renamed the BCHL, and in 1994 Langley returned to the BCHL with a new franchise, adopting the name Thunder from the defunct franchise of the 1970s. The new franchise competed as the Thunder for five seasons, reaching the BCHL championship finals in 1996, which they lost to

756-754: The Langley Rivermen . That team replaced the Langley Hornets who moved to West Kelowna and were later renamed the West Kelowna Warriors . In 2011, the Quesnel Millionaires moved to Chilliwack and were renamed the Chilliwack Chiefs . The Wenatchee Wild joined in 2015 and ownership moved operations up to the WHL in 2023, following the BCHL move to go independent. The Cranbrook Bucks joined

810-881: The Merritt Centennials won the Doyle Cup and advanced to the Abbott Cup (the Western Canada Championship) against the winner of the ANAVET Cup , the Western region champion Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League . The Centennials lost to the Raiders, four games to one. The PJHL and the BCJHL merged for the 1979–80 season. During the 1980–81 season, the Coastal division season

864-494: The Merritt Centennials , to play as the BC representative in the Pacific region (BC and Alberta) interprovincial Doyle Cup , excusing them from the BCJHL playoffs. The BCJHL continued their league playoffs without them, crowning Nanaimo as the playoff champion after Penticton Jr. Vees refused to finish the playoff finals due to a series of brawls in the third game of the series. Meanwhile,

918-548: The NCAA changed its position and decided that CHL players were no longer ineligible as of the 2025–26 season. The decision was made after a class action was filed on behalf of a player who was declared ineligible after having played two exhibition games in the OHL when he was 16 years old. As a consequence of becoming an independent, or non-sanctioned, league, anyone—including players, coaches, trainers, managers and referees—involved with

972-496: The NHL . If the draft pick comes from a Major Junior club, the team receives compensation from Hockey Canada . However, if the draft pick comes from a Junior A club, compensation is awarded to the CJHL , not the club. On May 1, 2023, the BCHL made the controversial decision not to renew its agreement with governing body Hockey Canada , and thus became an independent league. The reasons for

1026-679: The Prince Albert Raiders won in 1981 and 1982 , while Vernon won in 1990 and 1991 (as the Lakers), and again in 2009 and 2010 (as the Vipers), and the Brooks Bandits in 2022 and 2023 . The Prince Albert Raiders also hold a record for appearing in the championship final three consecutive times, in 1977 , 1978 and 1979 . The Raiders also reached the national finals five times in six years (1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982), while winning

1080-562: The Quesnel Millionaires , Willie Mitchell of the Kelowna Spartans , Shawn Horcoff of the Chilliwack Chiefs , and Paul Kariya of the Penticton Panthers . In March 2021, the league withdrew its membership from the Canadian Junior Hockey League . The league cited a financial dispute as one of the reasons. It said that there was a long-standing practice of the NHL compensating Hockey Canada when their players are drafted by

1134-897: The Vancouver Centennials joined the league. In the 1970s, the Victoria Cougars jumped to the Western Hockey League and the New Westminster team was forced to fold due to the relocation of the Estevan Bruins into their arena. In 1972, the Bellingham Blazers and the Nanaimo Clippers expanded the league to eight teams. In the early 1970s, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association separated

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1188-723: The Vernon Jr. Canadians . In 1967, the league expanded out of the Okanagan region, bringing in the New Westminster Royals and the Victoria Cougars of the original (1962–1967) Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League . With the expansion, the league decided that since it was no longer solely in the Okanagan region that it need a new name, becoming the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL). A year later,

1242-634: The 1960s and was resurrected for the 1971–72 season. The PCJHL was promoted to a Junior "A" league for the 1973–74 season and changed its name to the Pacific Junior A Hockey League . The PJHL champions competed with the BCJHL champions for the provincial championship, the Mowat Cup . The existence of the two Junior A leagues in British Columbia caused an unusual turn of events in the 1977–78 season postseason. The BCJHL sent their regular season champion,

1296-748: The 2011–12 season. In the summer of 2012, the Westside Warriors announced they would be changing their name to the West Kelowna Warriors, recognizing the proper name of the municipality where they play. In 2018, the Warriors were purchased by Kim Dobranski and KD Sports Ltd. from Mark Cheyne and the Vision Sports Group LLP. In October 2019, the BCHL confirmed that it was in talks to buy the West Kelowna Warriors from owners Kim Dobranski and Linda Wang, with unaudited financial results that showed

1350-439: The BCHL after the 30 September cut-off date, is barred from participating in any sanctioned games and programs for the remainder of the season under Hockey Canada's Non-Sanctioned Leagues policy. Players who are cut from BCHL rosters after 30 September would have limited options to play elsewhere. Further, BCHL teams would not be able to recruit affiliate players, i.e. players from a lower tier league that may be selected to play

1404-425: The BCHL playoffs in the 2006–07 season, followed in 2007–08 with a third place BCHL finish in the regular season and making it to the BCHL semi-finals in the playoffs. In late 2007, the unincorporated area the Westside Warriors called home became the incorporated Westside District Municipality , and in 2008 changed its name to West Kelowna. The franchise kept the place name Westside, rather than West Kelowna, through

1458-451: The CJHL: the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) and Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MHL) plus

1512-753: The Canadian Junior Hockey League announced that the championship return to its original name, the Centennial Cup. The Pembroke Lumber Kings won the 2011 Royal Bank Cup , and became the first Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) team to win the National Junior A Championship since the 1976 champion Rockland Nationals . In 2015, the Portage Terriers broke a 41-year drought for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), being

1566-401: The Canadian Junior Hockey League. After going by the name National Junior A Championship in 2019, the CJHL and Hockey Canada reverted the title back to its original name — the Centennial Cup — for its 50th anniversary in 2020. In December 2019, Tim Hortons was unveiled by Hockey Canada as the presenting sponsor for the Centennial Cup. The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were later cancelled due to

1620-640: The Coastal Conference, and 11 teams making up the Interior Conference. The top eight teams from each conference at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs to compete for the league championship Fred Page Cup. The Centennial Cup (known as the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018) is the Canadian Junior Hockey League championship tournament. It was awarded to BCHL teams 14 times in its history. BCHL teams are no longer eligible to play in

1674-646: The Interior Conference, moved to the Coastal Conference's East division. Beginning in 2024–25 , the league will have an affiliation agreement with the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) . Following the announcement of the agreement, some BCHL owners acquired an ownership stake in VIJHL clubs. However, sources reported that there will be no club-specific affiliations, and that BCHL teams will be allowed to call players up from, or send players down to, any VIJHL team. The league's 21 teams are organized into four divisions, and two conferences: with 10 teams making up

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1728-718: The Junior A tier included the remaining junior teams in the provincial/regional leagues that later formed the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was determined that the Memorial Cup , which had served as the CAHA's national championship tournament, would become the new championship trophy for the CMJHL while the Manitoba Centennial Trophy served as the trophy for the champions of the new Junior A division. Earl Dawson and Bill Addison were

1782-566: The advantage of being able to recruit 16- and 17-year-old players from any jurisdiction in Canada. However, players who signed with CHL clubs were historically deemed ineligible to play college hockey in the United States because they were considered to be professionals by the NCAA . Therefore, the BCHL sought to attract elite 16- and 17-year-old players who were capable of playing Major Junior but wanted to retain their NCAA eligibility . In 2024

1836-481: The age of 18 from outside BC Hockey's territorial jurisdiction. On January 20, 2024, the league announced that five teams from the Alberta Junior Hockey League would join the BCHL in the 2024-25 season , namely, the Blackfalds Bulldogs , Brooks Bandits , Okotoks Oilers , Sherwood Park Crusaders , and Spruce Grove Saints . In the interim, it was decided that the five Alberta-based teams would play out

1890-643: The decision included the aim of allowing BCHL teams to recruit players under the age of 18 from outside BC Hockey's territorial jurisdiction. Under Hockey Canada regulations: Players seventeen (17) years of age and below must register in the Member where their Parent(s) reside, unless the Player is registered in a Hockey Canada School With Residence or Hockey Canada Accredited School, and registers with one (1) of that school’s Teams . The residential qualification did not apply to CHL Major Junior clubs, therefore they had

1944-569: The eventual Junior A national Royal Bank Cup champion Vernon Vipers , 4–1. The Thunder changed their name to the Langley Hornets before the start of the 1998–99 season. Playing in Langley from 1998 through the 2005–06 season, the Hornets were led by several coaches. Coach Rick Lanz was notable for taking the last place 2001–02 team and guiding them to a fourth-place finish in the 2002–03 season, though

1998-419: The final game of a four-game sweep of the Red Deer Rustlers and their leading scorer Paul Fendley lost his helmet during a body check and struck his head on the ice, knocking him into a coma . The National Hockey League prospect regained consciousness and died two days later from head trauma . The 1990 Centennial Cup marked the only year that the national championship was decided between two teams from

2052-399: The first team in Centennial Cup/Royal Bank Cup history to win the national championship without being the host or a regional champion. Overtime is common as the Junior A championships with the longest game in the tournament's history started on May 12, 2007, at 2007 Royal Bank Cup between the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the host Prince George Spruce Kings of

2106-440: The first team to win the Junior A championship since the 1974 Selkirk Steelers . Collectively, the Maritime provinces have only won two championships whereas no teams from the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL), Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL), or the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) have won the Junior A championship to date. There has been a consecutive national champion on four occasions:

2160-420: The league characterizes itself simply as a Junior ice hockey league. In 1961, the heads of four Junior "B" hockey teams in the Okanagan region of British Columbia got together and formed the first Junior "A" league in British Columbia's history. The Okanagan-Mainline Junior "A" Hockey League (OMJHL) originally consisted of the Kamloops Jr. Rockets , the Kelowna Buckaroos , the Penticton Jr. Vees , and

2214-416: The league in 2020. In March 2021, the BCHL withdrew its membership from the Canadian Junior Hockey League . On May 1, 2023, the BCHL decided not to renew its agreement with governing body Hockey Canada , and thus became an independent league. The reasons for the decision included more control over their scheduling, particularly the timing of the playoffs, and allowing BCHL teams to recruit players under

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2268-400: The named initial trustees of the trophy, both of whom were past presidents of the MAHA. The tournament subsequently became known as the Centennial Cup . From 1971 to 1978 and from 1982 to 1984, the Centennial Cup pitted the Abbott Cup champion (Western Canada) versus the Dudley Hewitt Cup champion (Eastern Canada). A three-team tournament format, splitting Eastern Canada into two regions,

2322-436: The rest of the 2023-24 season as a separate division under the aegis of the BCHL, and that there would be a year-end competition with the winner of the Alberta-based teams playing the winner of the BC-based teams. Beginning in the 2024–25 BCHL season , the five Alberta-based teams, along with the Cranbrook Bucks , will form the East division of the Interior conference. The Prince George Spruce Kings , who previously were in

2376-418: The same province or league. The host Vernon Lakers defeated the New Westminster Royals 6–5 in overtime to win the national championship. Both teams were members of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League . The final Centennial Cup from this era was awarded to the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 1995. Note: Champions are in bold . Every tournament in the Royal Bank Cup era

2430-412: The team profited just over $ 10,000, the first time the team was ever profitable since moving to West Kelowna. In November 2019, the Warriors were purchased by John Murphy and Rod Hume under JMRH Hockey Development ULC, with Murphy serving as governor and Hume as managing partner, and the BCHL approving the sale and the sale effective date being November 11, 2019. The Warriors also announced that Chris Laurie

2484-416: The team would be eliminated in the first round of the BCHL playoffs. Lanz was not re-signed for the next season and the team returned to last place in the BCHL. Before the start of the 2006–07 season the franchise moved from Langley to the unincorporated area on the "westside" of Kelowna , British Columbia , and renamed themselves the Westside Warriors. The Westside Warriors found immediate success, reaching

2538-432: The tournament since the league withdrew from the CJHL in 2021. Individual records Team records Brett Hull , a National Hockey League Hall of Famer , played for the Penticton Knights and holds the BCHL record for most goals in a season (105), which he set in 1983–84. Other NHLers who played in the BCHL include Chuck Kobasew of the Penticton Panthers , Scott Gomez of the Surrey Eagles , Carey Price of

2592-427: The trophy gained a sponsor and became the Royal Bank Cup. The ANAVET and Doyle Cups were temporarily replaced by the Western Canada Cup , which determined the two Western seeds for the Royal Bank Cup, from 2013 to 2017. During this time, the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League won the 2013 Royal Bank Cup , where they had gained entry into the tournament as the Western Canada Cup runner-up making them

2646-459: The two tiers of Junior A hockey. The BCJHL, being a Tier II league, was then disallowed from competing for the Memorial Cup , which had traditionally been the National Junior A Championship trophy. Consequently, the Tier II Junior A leagues across Canada agreed to compete for a new trophy called the Centennial Cup . The 1970s also saw the rise of a rival league for the BCJHL, the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League (PCJHL), which briefly existed in

2700-400: Was interrupted by a strike at BC Ferries in late January. Since the mainland teams could no longer reach the island teams, the Coastal Division stopped playing, and began extended playoff rounds in place of the regular season. In 1986, the Penticton Vees became the BCJHL's first Junior A national championship team, defeating the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League's Cole Harbour Colts by

2754-406: Was introduced in 1979 and used until 1981. The Centennial Cup permanently moved back to the tournament format in 1986, with the addition of a predetermined host team to the field. It later expanded to a five-team tournament in 1990 when the Abbott Cup series was discontinued in favour of allowing both the ANAVET and Doyle Cup winners to advance to the national championship. For the 1996 tournament,

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2808-518: Was named team president. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points Western Canada championship from 2013 to 2017 Participants: British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) – Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) – Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) – Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) – host team Round-robin play with 1st vs. 2nd winner advancing to RBC Cup junior A national championship and loser to

2862-508: Was played as a round-robin tournament between five teams. In May 1996, the inaugural Royal Bank Cup was held in Melfort, Saskatchewan . The first winner of the Royal Bank Cup was the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League . In 2018, the championship was renamed the National Junior A Championship after the Royal Bank of Canada dropped their sponsorship of the event. With the national championship scheduled to return to Manitoba for its 50th anniversary in 2020, Hockey Canada and

2916-434: Was presented to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) by the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) to commemorate their centennial year of 1970. At that time, the CAHA reconfigured their junior tiers, creating two separate classifications – Major junior and Junior A . The major junior teams were grouped into the three regional leagues that made up the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL), while

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