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BC Hockey League submits notice to withdraw from CJHL

Canadian Junior 91ƵA91Ƶ League announces B.C. circuit91Ƶs intentions in short statement
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Alberni Valley91Ƶs Brandon Buhr narrowly misses scoring his second goal of the Bulldogs91Ƶ BC Hockey League game against Victoria Grizzlies in the first period Friday, April 2, 2021. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

The BC Hockey League has announced its intention to withdraw from the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

The CJHL 91Ƶ the governing body that oversees junior 91ƵA91Ƶ hockey leagues across the country, from B.C. to the Maritimes 91Ƶ indicated in a short statement Friday morning that the B.C. league plans to leave.

91ƵThe Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today that the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) has submitted a notice to withdraw their membership from the CJHL, effective March 24th,91Ƶ .

91ƵThe remaining nine Leagues within the CJHL will continue with their commitment to player development, through their partnership with Hockey Canada, and its members, as well as the National Hockey League, which includes the presentation of the Centennial Cup national championship, the World Junior A Challenge, and the CJHL Prospects game.91Ƶ

The move to leave the CJHL had been rumoured for a few weeks, after Regina-based online sports-radio host Rod Pedersen reported that it was in the works. On March 25, a BCHL spokesperson told Black Press Media that 91Ƶwe91Ƶve seen these reports and we can91Ƶt make any comment on it at the moment.91Ƶ

Black Press Media has requested further comment from the BCHL in light of the CJHL91Ƶs statement, but has not yet received a response.

The BCHL91Ƶs plans moving forward are as yet unclear, though the idea that the B.C. league 91Ƶ long considered the best junior 91ƵA91Ƶ league in Canada 91Ƶ could run as an independent operation has been floated before. Pedersen reported in March that a handful of teams from the Alberta Junior Hockey League could join the BCHL in some sort of 91Ƶsuper league91Ƶ while the idea that the BCHL could operate in some type of partnership with the United States Hockey League has also been suggested as a possibility.

The CJHL, along with Hockey Canada, operates the Centennial Cup national junior 91ƵA91Ƶ championship tournament, as well as the World Junior 91ƵA91Ƶ Challenge and a CJHL Top Prospects game. Presumably, BCHL players would be ineligible to compete in those events once the BCHL leaves the CJHL.

The BCHL is currently playing a , with teams based in various hub cities throughout the province.



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