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Pacific Junior Hockey League

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Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL)
Founded1965
No. of teams10
Country Canada
Official websitePJHL.net

The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league which operates in the Lower mainland of British Columbia. Although the PJHL has included American teams in the past, the league's ten franchises all currently reside in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Several National Hockey League stars began their junior hockey careers in the PJHL, but the main focus of the league is player development and education with strong ties to the local hockey community. The PJHL Championship is awarded annually to the league playoff champion and the winner moves on to compete against the champions of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League for the British Columbia Provincial Title, the Cyclone Taylor Cup. The winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup moves on to compete for the Western Canada Junior "B" Crown, the Keystone Cup.

History

Early years: 1966-1980

The earliest incarnation of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, the West Coast Junior Hockey League, was founded in 1966, with a total of six teams, including the still-existent Grandview Steelers. Other teams from Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Richmond and Burnaby. These five teams, along with the Nor Wes Caps, contested the first season of play in the new league. The Richmond Juniors were awarded the first ever championship in 1967, but the early years of the league were dominated by the Nor Wes Caps, who won four championships in the first seven seasons in the league. However, in the mid-70s, a number of league teams departed for the Junior 'A' level of hockey, including the Nor Wes Caps. A number of teams would replace the departed, including the North Shore Flames and the Northwest Americans. In the second half of the 1970s, the league championship was continuously handed back and forth between the Richmond Rebels, Burnaby Blazers and the Northwest Americans, before the Blazers and Rebels were forced to relocate.

1980-2000

The first seven seasons of the 1980s were dominated by the North Shore Flames and the Northwest Americans, who combined won all seven league championships in that time (four for the Americans, and three for the Flames). This dominance was ended in 1987 by the Burnaby Bluehawks, who defeated the White Rock Whalers in the league final. White Rock would become champions the following year, defeating the North Shore Flames en route to the title. In 1989, current league members Abbotsford Pilots won their first league title, having relocated from Mission shortly before. A number of previously title-less teams would win the championship in the following years, including the Coquitlam Express in 1991, the Richmond Sockeyes in 1992, and the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos in 1995. In 1992, the West Coast Junior Hockey League officially re-branded itself as the Pacific International Junior Hockey League. In 1994, the Grandview Steelers won their first championship since 1968, defeating the Richmond Sockeyes in the league championship. The Port Coquitlam Buckeroos and Ridge Meadows Flames would split the next four championship between them, until the Abbotsford Pilots won in 1998-99, and again in 1999-00 for their second and third championships.

2000-present

The Delta Ice Hawks won their first title in 2000-01, defeating the Buckeroos in five games in the league finals, but lost the finals in four to the Abbotsford Pilots the following season. The next two seasons were won by the Richmond Sockeyes, who defeated Abbotsford and Delta 4-3 and 4-1 respectively for the titles. Abbotsford would defeat Delta in 2004-05 championship final in seven games. However, Delta would defeat those same Pilots the next year in six games. Abbotsford would come back and win the following year, over the Grandview Steelers in the final, which to date remains their last championship. The Pilots would go on the lose in the championship series in four of the next five seasons, to Grandview once, Delta once and Richmond twice. The only year in which the Pilots did not make the final, the Aldergrove Kodiaks won their first title, over the Delta Ice Hawks. In 2012-13, the Richmond Sockeyes won their second title in three years, beating Aldergrove in four games, but the Kodiaks would defeat the Sockeyes the following year to claim their second overall title, in seven games. In 2014-15, the North Vancouver Wolf Pack, formerly the Squamish Wolf Pack, won their first league title, defeating the Mission City Outlaws in the championship. But Mission would win their first league title the following year over the Grandview Steelers in five games.

Teams

Team City/Area Arena Founded Joined Head Coach Captain
Harold Brittain Conference
Abbotsford Pilots British Columbia Abbotsford, BC MSA Arena 1996 Jim Cowden
Aldergrove Kodiaks British Columbia Aldergrove, BC Aldergrove Community Arena 2008 Brad Rihela
Mission City Outlaws British Columbia Mission, BC Mission Leisure Centre 2003* Brad Veitch
Ridge Meadows Flames British Columbia Maple Ridge, BC Cam Neely Arena at Planet Ice 1972* Bayne Ryshak
Surrey Knights British Columbia Surrey, BC North Surrey Recreation Centre 1999* Paul Whintors
Tom Shaw Conference
Delta Ice Hawks British Columbia Delta, BC Ladner Leisure Centre 1997 Kevin Flather - 2015
Grandview Steelers British Columbia Burnaby, BC Burnaby Winter Club 1967 Aldo Bruno
Port Moody Panthers British Columbia Port Moody, BC Port Moody Arena 1999* Ron Johnson
North Vancouver Wolf Pack British Columbia North Vancouver, BC Harry Jerome Arena 2008* Matt Samson
Richmond Sockeyes British Columbia Richmond, BC Minoru Arena 1972 Judd Lambert
Notes
  1. An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.

Champions

Year Winning team Coach Losing team Coach Games
1967 Richmond Juniors
1968 Grandview Steelers
1969 Nor Wes Caps
1970 Chilliwack Jets
1971 Nor Wes Caps
1972 Nor Wes Caps
1973 Nor Wes Caps
1974 Point Grey Blades
1975 Burnaby Blazers
1976 Northwest Americans
1977 Richmond Rebels
1978 Richmond Rebels
1979 Burnaby Blazers
1980 Northwest Americans
1981 Northwest Americans
1982 Northwest Americans
1983 North Shore Flames
1984 North Shore Flames
1985 North Shore Flames
1986 Northwest Americans
1987 Burnaby Bluehawks White Rock Whalers
1988 White Rock Whalers North Shore Flames 3–2
1989 Abbotsford Pilots
1990 Burnaby Bluehawks
1991 Coquitlam Warriors
1992 Richmond Sockeyes Abbotsford Pilots 3–1
1993 Coquitlam Warriors Richmond Sockeyes 3–0
1994 Grandview Steelers Richmond Sockeyes 3–0
1995 Port Coquitlam Buckeroos
1996 Ridge Meadows Flames Richmond Sockeyes 4–1
1997 Port Coquitlam Buckeroos
1998 Ridge Meadows Flames Delta Ice Hawks 3–1
1999 Abbotsford Pilots
2000 Abbotsford Pilots Grandview Steelers 4–0
2001 Delta Ice Hawks Port Coquitlam Buckeroos 4–1
2002 Abbotsford Pilots Delta Ice Hawks 4–0
2003 Richmond Sockeyes Abbotsford Pilots 4–3
2004 Richmond Sockeyes Delta Ice Hawks 4–1
2005 Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden Delta Ice Hawks 4–3
2006 Delta Ice Hawks Shane Kuss Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden 4–2
2007 Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno 4–2
2008 Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden 4–1
2009 Richmond Sockeyes Judd Lambert Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden 4–1
2010 Aldergrove Kodiaks Rick Harkins Delta Ice Hawks Jim Camazzola 4–2
2011 Richmond Sockeyes Judd Lambert Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden 4–0
2012 Delta Ice Hawks Dave McLellan Abbotsford Pilots Jim Cowden 4–2
2013 Richmond Sockeyes Aaron Wilbur Aldergrove Kodiaks Ron Johnson 4–0
2014 Aldergrove Kodiaks Brad Rihela Richmond Sockeyes Judd Lambert 4–3
2015 North Vancouver Wolf Pack Matt Samson Mission City Outlaws Brad Veitch 4–2
2016 Mission City Outlaws Brad Veitch Grandview Steelers Aldo Bruno 4–1

Defunct or relocated teams

  • Abbotsford Flyers
  • Bellingham Blazers
  • Burnaby Blazers
  • Burnaby Bluehawks
  • Burnaby Rams
  • Chilliwack Jets
  • Coquitlam Chiefs
  • Coquitlam Comets
  • Coquitlam Warriors
  • Cloverdale Cowboys
  • Delta Saints
  • Delta Sungods
  • Hastings Express
  • Hope Icebreakers
  • Kerrisdale Centennials
  • Ladner Rebels
  • Langley Knights (to Surrey)
  • Maple Ridge Monarchs
  • Mission Pilots
  • Newton Rangers
  • New Westmister Royals
  • Nor'Wes Caps
  • North Delta Devils
  • North Delta Flyers
  • North Shore Junior Canadians
  • North Shore Griffins
  • North Shore Winter Club Flames
  • Northwest Americans
  • Point Grey Blades
  • Port Coquitlam Buckeroos
  • Portland Junior Buckeroos
  • Queen's Park Pirates
  • Richmond Juniors
  • Richmond Junior Islanders
  • Richmond Junior Rebels
  • Riley Park Rangers
  • Seattle Totems
  • Seafair Seahorses
  • Seafair Islanders
  • Squamish Eagles
  • Squamish Wolf Pack
  • Surrey Stampeders
  • Surrey Saints
  • University of British Columbia Braves
  • Vancouver Hornets
  • Vancouver Junior Canucks
  • Washington Totems
  • White Rock Rangers
  • White Rock Whalers

NHL alumni

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