The West Kootenay League, also referred to as the ''West Kootenay Hockey League'' (WKHL), is a defunct senior men's

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 ...

league that operated in eastern

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, ...

from 1922–1941, and also during the 1945-46 season. In 1946-47 the league expanded to Spokane and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and became the Western International Hockey League. In its 20 years of operation, the West Kootenay League won every British Columbia Senior Championship ( Savage Cup) after its first season (1922–23) and teams from this league won the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

twice.

History

The West Kootenay League operated from 1922–23 through 1940–41. Many of the players resisted the idea of turning professional because, with the promise of high paying mining jobs, they had secure jobs for life and were making as much, if not more, than players in the NHL. In 1931 the Kimberley Dynamiters joined the West Kootenay League, and this began an immediate rivalry with the always strong Trail Smoke Eaters, a true powerhouse of senior British Columbia hockey. In 1941 the league suspended operations for three seasons due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and its teams merged with the Alberta Senior League to become the Alberta-British Columbia Senior League for the 1941–42 season. The West Kootenay League was resurrected for the 1945–46 season, and in 1946–47 the league expanded to Spokane and

and became the Western International Hockey League.

List of champions

* 1922–23

Nelson Hockey Club Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

* 1923–24

Rossland Miners The Rossland Miners were a senior men's ice hockey team from Rossland, British Columbia. The team played in the West Kootenay League The West Kootenay League, also referred to as the ''West Kootenay Hockey League'' (WKHL), is a defunct senior men' ...

* 1924–25 Trail Hockey Club * 1925–26 Trail Hockey Club * 1926–27 Trail Hockey Club * 1927–28 Trail Hockey Club * 1928–29 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1929–30 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1930–31 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1931–32 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1932–33 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1933–34 Kimberley Dynamiters * 1934–35 Kimberley Dynamiters * 1935–36 Kimberley Dynamiters (won the

) * 1936–37 Nelson Maple Leafs * 1937–38 Trail Smoke Eaters (won the

) * 1938–39 Kimberley Dynamiters * 1939–40 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1940–41 Trail Smoke Eaters * 1945–46 Trail Smoke Eaters

References

Defunct ice hockey leagues in British Columbia 1922 establishments in British Columbia 1947 disestablishments in British Columbia Sports leagues established in 1922 Sports leagues disestablished in 1947 {{icehockey-league-stub