The Abbotsford Pilots are a junior "B"

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team based in Abbotsford,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. They are members of the Harold Brittain Conference of the

Pacific Junior Hockey League The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), formerly Pacific International Junior Hockey League, (PIJHL) until 2012 is a Canadian junior ice hockey league which operates in the Lower mainland of British Columbia. Although the PJHL has included Ameri ...

(PJHL). The Pilots play their home games at MSA Arena. Jack Goesen is the team's president and general manager, Daniell Lange is the associate head

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

History

Mission

The Mission Pilots were formed in 1975, and played in Mission for thirteen years, when they relocated south to Abbotsford, where the team name was retained. While in Mission, the team won no league championships. They played out of the Mission Arena on 7th avenue.

Abbotsford 1988-2005

In 1988 the Mission Pilots relocated to Abbotsford, retaining the name, which was a name similar to that of the

Abbotsford Flyers The Abbotsford Flyers were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. They were a part of the British Columbia Hockey League and played in the Coastal Conference. History In 1983, the Flyers avenged a poor playoffs i ...

, a former Junior A level team in Abbotsford, that in itself was named for the

Abbotsford International Airshow The Abbotsford International Airshow is held annually on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday in August at Abbotsford International Airport in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. It is Canada's largest airshow. In the mid-1970s, Abbotsford ...

. In 1989, the Pilots won the league championship in only their second season in Abbotsford. The team suffered a 3-1 finals loss to the

Richmond Sockeyes The Richmond Sockeyes are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. They were named the "Sockeyes" by the original owner and longtime Richmond resident and B.C. hockey volunteer and leader Bruce Allison in 1972. ...

in the 1991-92 season, and did not win another championship until 1999, ten years after their first. The following year, the Pilots swept the

Grandview Steelers The Grandview Steelers are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Tom Shaw Conference of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL). The Steelers play their home games at Burnaby Winter Club. ...

to win the league championship, with player Brock Currie leading the league in scoring, and continued their success by winning the 2000

Cyclone Taylor Cup The Cyclone Taylor Cup tournament serves as the British Columbia Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship. The annual tournament is held amongst the champions of British Columbia's three Junior B, C, D, Junior B ice hockey leagues, as well as a hos ...

, and finished as consolation champions in the

Keystone Cup The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwe ...

. The following year the Pilots finished a disappointing fourth in the league, and lost in the league quarterfinals to the Sockeyes. But they rebounded the following year, winning the league again over the

Delta Ice Hawks The Delta Ice Hawks are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Tom Shaw Conference of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL). The Ice Hawks play their home games at Ladner Leisure Centre. ...

in the finals, before losing to the

Sicamous Eagles The Sicamous Eagles are a junior ice hockey, Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Sicamous, British Columbia, Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Doug Birks Division of the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference of the Kootenay Interna ...

in the final of the Cyclone Taylor Cup. Kiyomi Parsons was named league MVP. The following year, 2002-03, the Pilots finished first during the regular season, but lost 4-3 in the league finals to the Sockeyes again. In 2003-04, the Pilots slipped to fifth in the league standings, and did not win any trophies during the season, despite having a winning record of 22-18-2. They rebounded again the following year, defeating the Delta Ice Hawks in the final by a series score of 4-3, with Abbotsford goalie Travis Dyck being named league MVP.

2005-present

In 2005-06, the Pilots lost twice to the Ice Hawks, once in the league finals, and again in the Cyclone Taylor Cup championship. The following year the Pilots finished first in the league again, and defeated the Grandview Steelers by a score of 4-2 in the finals. They would win the league's regular season title again the following year, but lost to Grandview in the playoff championship by a score of 4-1. They would then lose in the league final three of the next four years, save for a first round loss to Aldergrove in 2009-10. In 2010-11, despite losing narrowly to the Ice Hawks in the finals again, the Pilots won the Cyclone Taylor Cup over the

Victoria Cougars The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...

, and then crushed the

Thunder Bay Northern Hawks The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They play in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League, formerly the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League. The Northern Hawks are 10-time Thunder Bay Junior ...

in the final of the 2011 Keystone Cup to claim their first Western Canada championship. The following year they would win the Harold Brittain Division, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Aldergrove Kodiaks. They would lose to the Kodiaks in the second round for three straight years, including a

Game 7 A game seven is the final game of a best of seven series. This game can occur in the postseasons for Major League Baseball (MLB) (League Championship Series and World Series), the National Basketball Association (NBA) (all rounds of the NBA pl ...

loss as heavy underdogs in 2014-15. In the 2015-16 season, the Pilots defeated the Kodiaks in the first round, before losing in the second round to eventual league champions

Mission City Outlaws The Mission City Outlaws are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Mission, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Harold Brittain Conference of the Pacific Junior Hockey League The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), formerly Pacifi ...

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OT = Overtime Losses, Shootout losses & Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''

Staff and personnel

*President and General Manager: Jack Goesen *Associate Head Coach: Daniell Lange *Associate Head Coach: Mitch Plevy

Awards and trophies

*2011-12

*1999-00, 2011–12 PJHL Championship *1999-00, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2006–07

External links

Official website of the Abbotsford PilotsOfficial website of the Pacific Junior Hockey League

References

{{British Columbia Sports Pacific Junior Hockey League teams Ice hockey teams in British Columbia Abbotsford, British Columbia 1975 establishments in British Columbia Ice hockey clubs established in 1975