The BCHL continues to carve out its own identity in the Canadian junior hockey landscape, and its latest announcement for the 2025-26 season underscores that direction. On Thursday, the league unveiled its 54-game regular season schedule, a new divisional alignment, and a playoff format designed to stoke rivalries and reduce […]
Author: Brian Wiebe
How NHL drafted prospects did in the BCHL this season
The BC Hockey League continues to thrive as a prime source of National Hockey League-calibre talent, even as it operates outside the Hockey Canada system. Seven players drafted in the NHL appeared in the league during the 2024-25 season, with five of them on BCHL rosters at the end of […]
BCHL alumni Johnson and Lebler in action at 2025 IIHF World Hockey Championship
British Columbia Hockey League alumni Kent Johnson and Brian Lebler are among those representing their countries at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship. Johnson, a 22-year-old forward from Port Moody, B.C., is representing Canada at the tournament in Sweden and Denmark. Lebler, a 36-year-old veteran who represents Austria internationally, […]
Smoke Eaters alum McCarthy named assistant coach for Team Canada
Hockey Canada has announced that former Trail Smoke Eaters defender Steve McCarthy will be an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark. McCarthy, a native of Trail, British Columbia, is no stranger to high-level international competition. A standout […]
14 players with BCHL experience begin quest for 2025 Stanley Cup
A total of 14 players with BCHL experience will compete in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additional former BCHLers may be called up from the American Hockey League before the first playoff games on Saturday, but as of the end of the National Hockey League regular season, these are the […]
Adjusted BCHL standings using the 3-2-1 points system
Last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off captivated the hockey world in more ways than one. Most will point to Canada’s thrilling overtime win against the United States, but as an exhibition tournament between the National Hockey League and its Players Association, there was the opportunity to experiment with some different rules. […]
Toews and Canada top U.S. in overtime to win the 4 Nations Face-Off
Former Surrey Eagles defender Devon Toews has never represented Canada at a higher level than during the last week and a half at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and it ended with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against the United States at Boston’s TD Garden. For Toews, it was a moment […]
Report: Penticton Vees to leave BCHL for the Western Hockey League
A routine Thursday during the 2024-25 BCHL season exploded when multiple reports came out that the Penticton Vees are set to leave the league and join the Western Hockey League next season as an expansion franchise. This move is confirmed by multiple sources, including Elite Prospects hockey insider Cam Robinson, […]
Crunching the numbers on players leaving the BCHL for Major Junior hockey
Junior hockey saw a seismic shift on Nov. 7 when the NCAA announced that effective Aug. 1, 2025, players with Canadian Hockey League experience were now eligible to play Division I college hockey. As of this writing, 37 players have left their BCHL clubs to join a team in either […]
10 players with BCHL ties selected in the 2024 NHL Draft
The 2024 NHL Draft was once again a significant event for the British Columbia Hockey League as 10 players with ties to the league were selected this year, including four players who skated in the league during the 2023-24 season. Four of the players appeared in the BCHL before moving […]