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BCHL Today: Canadian Junior Hockey League officially shuts down 2019-20 season, Cents extend GM/Head Coach Sweet-Coulter, and more

Brian Wiebe

CJHL officially pulls the plug on 2019-20 season

The Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada completely cancelled the 2019-20 season on Friday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It means for the first time ever, all league playoffs, the BC-Alberta regional Doyle Cup championship and the Centennial Cup Canadian National junior A championship will not be held.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after the CJHL said it was only cancelling the season until further notice.

Cents give contract extension to GM/Head Coach Sweet-Coulter

The Merritt Centennials announced a contract extension for general manager and head coach Derek Sweet-Coulter that sees him return in both roles through the 2020-21 season.

Sweet-Coulter, who won coach of the year in the Superior International Junior Hockey League in 2018-19, was promoted from assistant coach and assistant GM when the Cents fired Barry Wolff in October.

The Centennials went 12-31-1-3 with Sweet-Coulter at the helm but were the only BCHL team to miss the playoffs.

Spruce Kings cancel spring camp

The Prince George Spruce Kings cancelled their spring prospects camp on Friday. The camp was scheduled from April 3 – 5 in Prince George.

It’s likely other BCHL teams will follow suit since Hockey Canada’s cancellation of the 2019-20 season includes camps and tryouts.

Players attending any such camps are insured under Hockey Canada. As such, any camps and tryouts are considered Hockey Canada sanctioned events.

Brian Wiebe

Brian's been involved in the BCHL in a variety of capacities for 17 years. From 2002 to 2012, he served in several roles around the Merritt Centennials organization, including as team president, board member, beat writer, colour commentator, webmaster, media and communications coordinator and marketing assistant. He's been writing about the BCHL since 2008 and served as colour commentator on the TSN 1040 broadcasts in 2012-13. BCHLNetwork is one of Brian's many passion projects that he balances around his full-time job as an instructor in the Radio Arts and Entertainment Program at BCIT in Burnaby.