A major change to the Kootenay International Hockey League (KIJHL) is on the horizon.
The KIJHL announced on March 18 that the league’s 21 teams will compete in separate leagues at the beginning of its 2026/2027 season. 11 teams will move up to Junior A Tier 1, and the remainder will continue to compete in Junior A Tier 2.
“We’ve  gone through this process that’s been pretty lengthy over the last year, to determine which of our teams are going to have the opportunity to move up to Junior A Tier One,” says Jeff Dubois, the Commissioner for the KIJHL.
The league will announce the official structure of each league in early 2026, following BC Hockey’s Board of Directors’ approval.
It has adopted a Transitional Operating Plan while this process is ongoing for the next year. Dubois says the restructure will “be significant”, and the added year before the Tier 1/Tier 2 split will help the league fill in holes to be more sustainable. Including potentially acquiring expansion franchises for the Tier 2 league, and maintaining regional competitiveness.
The return of Tier 1 hockey in B.C under this new KIJHL umbrella will allow for enhanced development of it’s players, and greater growth for BC Hockey and Hockey Canada. It will also create a pathway for a KIJHL to be compete in the Centennial Cup, Hockey Canada’s National Junior A Tier 1 championship.
Dubois says there has not been a B.C. representitive in Hockey Canada’s championship since the British Columbia Hockey League split from sanctioned hockey in 2023. Dubois adds he believes the two leagues will be a draw for players to the KIJHL.
“ It’s going to be pretty substantial.  We’ve always taken a ton of pride in the  development that we offer in the KIJHL and the competitive level that our teams offer within our league. But,  it’s obvious to us that that’s had a lot of appeal to athletes when they’re making the choice of where they’re going to play their junior hockey.”
Each of the KIJHL teams and 10 PGHL teams went through an assessment between May and September 2024, administered by Blackfin Sports Group out of Vancouver to determine if they would be elligible to make the jump to Junior A Tier 1.
The assessments were factored across several categories that all play a “holistic approach” to hockey and player development.
The three Cariboo teams, the 100 Mile House Wranglers, the Williams Lake Mustangs, and the Quesnel River Rush, did not make the initial cut into Junior A Tier 1. Despite being in the top 10 across the KIJHL’s total attendance and average attendance report.
Dubois says the assessements were completed before the 2024/25 season began, and attendance and team performance were not the only factor during these assessments.
He said three teams are on the list of seven that will have a chance to have additional assessments done before the 2026/2027 season.
“100 Mile House, is a great franchise and team, and as the season played out  it became clear that both the River Rush and the Mustangs are excellent, well run organizations with great fan support. I think both of those teams should feel really good,  not only about their first year in the KIJHL, but where it’s headed in the future for them.”
The teams approved to transition into Junior A Tier 1 for the 2026/2027 season:
- Beaver Valley Nitehawks
- Columbia Valley Rockies
- Fernie Ghostriders
- Grand Forks Border Bruins
- Kamloops Storm
- Kimberley Dynamiters
- Merritt Centennials
- Nelson Leafs
- Osoyoos Coyotes
- Princeton Posse
- Revelstoke Grizzlies
The teams who will have an opportunity to participate in further assessment:
- 100 Mile House Wranglers
- Castlegar Rebels
- Creston Valley Thunder Cats
- Kelowna Chiefs
- Quesnel River Rush
- Sicamous Eagles
- Williams Lake Mustangs
The teams that will remain in Junior A Tier 2 for the 2026/2027 season
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