Eight junior hockey teams to leave KIJHL, form independent league

Eight junior hockey teams have announced intentions to break away from the Hockey Canada-affiliated Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) and form their own independent league.

The Western International Junior Hockey League (WIJHL) will consist of the Chase Heat, 100 Mile House Wranglers, Castlegar Rebels, Creston Valley Thunder, Golden Rockets, Kelowna Chiefs, Sicamous Eagles and Spokane Braves.

The league says it is also in conversation with the Summerland Jets, who were announced as a KIJHL expansion team that would begin play in the fall of 2026.

“We felt that it was in the best interest of our league to become independent because of the increased opportunities for development it will provide for our players,” says the league on its website. “Our players will now be able to affiliate with higher-level independent leagues, which will greatly aid their development. By not being under Hockey Canada regulations, we also expect the quality of players and the level of play in general to increase as our player pool grows.”

“We also recognized that the KIJHL and BC Hockey tiering system was not a path we were interested in pursuing,” the statement continues. “We have seen the success of other independent leagues, which only supported our move.”

The move will be effective in June, meaning the teams will remain in the KIJHL as the 2025-26 season’s playoffs play out.

The move comes after the BC Hockey League split from Hockey Canada in 2023.