The Kimberley Dynamiters were just awarded the right to host the first ever Junior A Championships April 18-21. The new Jr A Championship replaces the old Jr B Cyclone Taylor Cup.
The KIJHL getting the tournament twice in a row tells me a few things.
1/ BC Hockey is callin' the shots on the new Jr A league and all the KIJHL, PIJHL and VIJHL can do is watch.
2/ Kimberley was a good choice with their almost 2000 seat arena and expected attendance to probably average between 1000 and 1700. Not sure if anyone else could get those #... Plus it’s very close to Cranbrook and will draw the curious BCHL fans.
3/ An even better choice would have been to force Kimberley use the arena in Cranbrook. Really comfortable seats and room for 4000+. Anyone who wanted to go could just walk up and get in. But Cranbrook is now a city of “Outlaws” with evil players referees and coaches that BC Hockey wants to get even with.
4/ This sends a message IMO. A simple look at attendance will tell you that probably at least half of the BCHL teams will never be able to offer the “Free to Play” option so will be joining the new Jr A league in the future. These are big market teams compared to most of the KIJHL PIJHL and VIJHL towns and they will be able to average 600 plus fans. What does that tell you.
5/ Also lots of chatter about former failed BCHL franchises in Quesnel and Williams Lake wanting back in the game and they won’t want back in to the super expensive BCHL... the BCHL wouldn’t want them anyway. Bet they could average 600+.
6/ The KIJHL once had the power to reject Q and WL because of travel costs, but now with BC Hockey “Callin the Shots” the former Jr A teams will probably see a red welcome matt.
Lots of fun ahead as BC Hockey gradually releases the conditions of their new Jr A Tier 1 league. And as the most hated writer in the KI... we will be here to comment.
What a joke this old KIJHL to Junior A changeover. I definitely need to read more into this but from what I see is they basically took a junior B league and called it Junior A. The skill level is still the same. Players are still wearing full masks, which tells me it’s not even junior B it’s minor hockey and has been since the big change to full masks and a one game suspension If you fight. What a joke, you’re not even allowed to stand up for your players or your goalie or anybody anymore because you will get penalized. It’s truly too bad what’s happening to Hockey and how it’s being watered down ever since the huge expansions in the NHL.
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