There was a major shakeup in the junior hockey world on Saturday, as the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) announced it has agreed to terms with five Alberta-based teams for the 2024-25 season.
The Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints all agreed to terms with the BCHL and will leave the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL).
Two AJHL games (Olds vs. Blackfalds, Brooks vs. Drayton Valley) on Saturday and two games Sunday (Spruce Grove vs. Calgary, Whitecourt vs. Brooks) were cancelled by the league. The AJHL said it will consider other schedule implications going forward.
It's the second time in the last year that the BCHL has made major headlines in the hockey world. In May of 2023, the BCHL announced it was breaking away from Hockey Canada.
The move away from Hockey Canada was done to provide more options for players under 18 years old who are looking to compete in college hockey in the United States. BCHL teams are now able to recruit 16- and 17-year-olds from other provinces, which is currently against Hockey Canada regulations.
Hockey Canada rules state that players looking to play junior A hockey must do so in their own province. That rule does not apply to the major junior teams under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella, but CHL players are ineligible from participating in NCAA hockey. The NCAA considers the CHL to be a professional league because it includes players who have signed NHL contracts.
As a result, Hockey Canada announced players who participate in a league not sanctioned by Hockey Canada will be ineligible to compete in the Canadian Hockey League, Canadian Junior Hockey League or try for a spot in Canada's under-18 club championships.
Another wrinkle to this story is Okotoks — one of the five teams to agree to terms with the BCHL — was scheduled to hose Canada’s National Junior A Championship next year. With the Oilers heading to the BCHL, a new host likely will have to be found.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.