December was a busy month for the Blackfalds Bulldogs. By the holiday break, Blackfalds had won two games and conducted a series of trades. In total, Blackfalds made seven trades, welcoming four new players and saying goodbye to five others. Blackfalds also saw head coach Doug Quinn step down from […]
Tag: Brooks Bandits
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 […]
BCHL trade analysis: Kings and Warriors connect on a multi-player deal
On Nov. 24, the Powell River Kings made a trade with the West Kelowna Warriors. In the deal, West K nabbed 2005-born defender Axel Löfgren, while the Kings acquired several assets. In exchange for Löfgren, Powell River received 2005-born defender Landen Hildtich, 2007-born forward Eliot Compton, and future considerations. A week later, […]
History made: The first games between B.C. and Alberta-based BCHL teams
On Sept. 20, the Spruce Grove Saints played their first game against a B.C.-based opponent when they hosted the Penticton Vees at the Grant Fuhr Arena. The next game between an Alberta and a B.C.-based BCHL team was the next night when Penticton visited the Crusaders at Sherwood Park Arena. […]
BCHL power rankings – December 2024
Welcome to another edition of the BCHL power rankings. From this point on the statistics will be consistent. The last rendition I felt gave an unfair advantage to teams that were special teams heavy, as in they were excelling on both the power play and penalty kill (I’m looking at […]
BCHL power rankings – November 2024
Let’s get familiar with the BCHL power rankings. The goal is to understand how teams are performing offensively, defensively, on the power play and penalty kill, and in goal, compared to other teams. For those of you familiar with my Kootenay International Junior Hockey League power rankings from years ago, […]
2024-25 BCHL jersey watch
It’s our favourite time of the year — time for another B.C. Hockey League jersey watch. This season we get to possibly see five new jerseys for the five Alberta-based teams that came into the BCHL midway through last season. We also say goodbye to the Merritt Centennials and […]
New nest members: Examining three Surrey Eagles recruits
The Surrey Eagles are BCHL champions after defeating the Penticton Vees in six games to win the Fred Page Cup earlier this spring. After winning the Fred Page Cup, the Eagles lost the Rocky Mountain Challenge to the Brooks Bandits. Meanwhile, like all BCHL clubs, the Eagles are preparing for […]
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 […]
2024-25 BCHL schedule breakdown
As summer arrives, we officially start the road to the 2024-25 season. This season will see a massive change to the British Columbia Hockey League by integrating five Alberta-based teams into the regular season after they moved to join the league this past February. This is the first season that […]