(This article was originally published on July 22, 2020) It’s been eleven years since the Grizzlies hosted the 2009 Royal Bank Cup (now the Centennial Cup), junior A hockey’s national championship. Although the host Grizzlies didn’t win the tournament, it is often forgotten that they were only one goal […]
Author: BCHLNetwork Staff
Langley Rivermen mid-summer roster report
The Langley Rivermen have had a rather quiet summer so far, however, that doesn’t mean they haven’t done the work to bolster the roster for next season. Once the season was canceled due to COVID-19, the Rivermen announced a handful of new player commitments which was expected since 10 […]
A to Vees: A quick look at the history of hockey in Penticton
(This article was originally published on July. 18, 2020.) The South Okanagan region has a rich history of hockey. Dating back as early as in the 1950s, the city of Penticton has endeared its players and teams. Like Alice in Wonderland struck the movie theatres across the world in […]
Soundbites: a cursory exam of goal songs in the BCHL
(This article was originally published on Jul. 16, 2020.) The goal song: a quick 30 second, crowd energizing response to the home team scoring; often loud and intimidating to the visiting team with the sole purpose of intimidation and crushing their spirit, first and foremost. There are often two […]
Vipers off-season report with general manager and head coach Jason McKee
I had the opportunity to catch up with Vernon Vipers general manager and head coach Jason McKee this past week. We talked about the Vipers’ abrupt end to the season, the off-season, and what lies ahead for the team. McKee feels the 2019-20 season was an overall success but […]
West Kelowna Warriors in-game experience
In the movie Field of Dreams, a farmer keeps hearing a voice in his head telling him, “if you build it, he will come”. This same voice probably whispers in every junior hockey team’s collective mind. The trick is not to just make them come, but to keep them […]
A fresh start for the West Kelowna Warriors
The West Kelowna Warriors have always seemed to be a franchise in turmoil. Maybe it is because they live in the shadows of the well-run BCHL franchises in Vernon and Penticton. Maybe because they compete for eyeballs with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets, another successful franchise. Maybe it […]
Vees in the offseason: June 2020
As the start of the silly season began, the Vees were in full throttle and with some brotherly love. On June 2, the Vees traded Jack Barnes and future considerations for Luc Wilson, who played for Cowichan Valley. Wilson led the Capitals with 53 points in 55 games in […]
Youth movement underway for the Victoria Grizzlies
The Victoria Grizzlies management team has the difficult job this offseason of constructing a competitive hockey team to bounce back after a disappointing 2019-20 season. The Grizzlies last season finished with a record of 22-33-1 and were swept in round one of the playoffs by the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. […]
New Smokies GM and head coach Tim Fragle ready to rock
New Trail Smoke Eaters general manager and head coach Tim Fragle is feeling very excited about being back in the West Kootenay community. However, Fragle and his wife are still in the process of relocating from Edmonton during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Being an alumnus of the Smoke Eaters, […]