Eight former KIJHL member teams, including Castlegar Rebels, breakaway and create entirely new hockey league
By Contributor
“Eight former members of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) have announced that they will create their own independent league starting in 2026-27, called the Western International Junior Hockey League (WIJHL), and will no longer be affiliated with the KIJHL, Hockey Canada or BC Hockey, following the end of the 2025-26 season.
The eight Founding Members of the WIJHL are the 100 Mile House Wranglers, Castlegar Rebels, Chase Heat, Creston Valley Thunder, Golden Rockets, Kelowna Chiefs, Sicamous Eagles and Spokane Braves. This decision was made by each individual team to enhance the development opportunities for their players and families and to give their organizations greater autonomy over their future path.
“We are pleased to announce our move to create an independent league starting next season and to operate outside of Hockey Canada’s umbrella going forward,” said Creston Valley Thunder President Brandon Buliziuk, the acting co-spokesperson. “After lengthy discussions between our eight franchises, we believe this decision to create our own league will provide our players with more opportunities for development going forward.”
The benefits of this move include greater development opportunities for players through affiliation agreements with higher levels of hockey, the ability to make decisions that are in the best interest of their organizations, an increased player pool that will raise the level of play in the league and much more.
“We would also like to thank our former league partners in the KIJHL for their years of partnership,” said Darryl Adamson, President of the Chase Heat and acting co-spokesperson. “We wish them nothing but the best going forward.”
For more information about the creation of the WIJHL, please visit our Information Hub.
In the coming weeks, the WIJHL’s Founding Members will provide more information about the structure of the league, future partnerships, and the next steps as we prepare for the inaugural 2026/2027 season.”
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