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BC Elite Hockey League
Youth hockey league based in British Columbia, Canada From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The British Columbia Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) is the highest level of provincial youth ice hockey league in British Columbia, Canada. The league is governed by BC Hockey and was inaugurated in 2004 as the British Columbia Hockey Major Midget League (BCMML).
The league currently consists of 9 integrated teams (U15, U17, U18) and 5 U18 women's teams. Players range from 14 to 17 years old.[1] BCEHL is part of BC Hockeys' "High Performance" program to develop the best U18 players around the province. The U18 league champion goes on to compete with the top Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) U18 team to represent the Pacific region at the annual Telus Cup, Canada's national U18 championship. The Okanagan Rockets are the current 2023 champions,[2] and the 2022 Vancouver North East Chiefs[3] were the last team to represent the BCEHL at the Telus Cup.
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History
Originally established in 2004–05 as the British Columbia Major Midget League[4] for players under 18 years of age, a female division was initialized in 2007–08 and played under the umbrella of the Female Midget AAA League. In 2018, a U16 AAA league was created (now the U17 AAA league), followed by a U15 AAA league in 2019. These four divisions (Female U18 AAA, U18 AAA, U17 AAA and U15 AAA) now comprise the BCEHL.
On September 16, 2021, the league was announced as being renamed the British Columbia Elite Hockey League.[5]
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Current teams
Integrated
- Cariboo Cougars
- Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
- Greater Vancouver Canadians
- Okanagan Rockets
- Thompson Blazers
- Vancouver Island Royals
- Valley West Giants
- Vancouver North East Chiefs
- Vancouver North West Hawks
Female
- Fraser Valley Rush
- Greater Vancouver Comets
- Northern Capitals
- Thompson Okanagan Lakers
- Vancouver Island Seals
Former teams
- North Island Silvertips (merged in 2023 with South Island Royals to form Vancouver Island Royals)
- Kootenay Ice
- Kootenay Wild (female)
U18 League champions
- The Giants earned an automatic bye into the Telus Cup because the Red Deer Optimist Rebels were hosting the tournament[10]
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Telus Cup
The Vancouver North West Giants (2007, 2011), Okanagan Rockets (2014) and the Vancouver North East Chiefs (2022) are the only teams to have represented the league at the Telus Cup. Upon the Giants' winning the BC MML championship in 2007, a regional final with the AMHL was not necessary as Red Deer was hosting the Telus Cup that year.[12] The Giants finished fourth in the Telus Cup tournament in 2007 before returning four years later; they again finished fourth in 2011. The 2014 Rockets, meanwhile, won the bronze medal.
Prior to the inauguration of the BC MML, the national midget championship was held in British Columbia twice – hosted by Kelowna in 1996 and Prince George in 2001. The Burnaby Winter Club Travellers represent the only B.C. team to win the national championship, defeating the Gouverneurs de Ste-Foy from Quebec in 1982, as well as winning bronze in 1980.[13]
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Timeline of franchises (since 2004)
Source:[14]
Former member Current member
See also
References
External links
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