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 American teams in the past, the league's thirteen franchises all currently reside in Lower Mainland of BC. 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 Warriors 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 to 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.
The Aldergrove Kodiaks won their third overall title in 2017, defeating the Ice Hawks in six games. Delta won their fourth title the following year over the Ridge Meadows Flames in six games. The Wolf Pack won their second overall title, defeating the Langley Trappers in four games in 2019. The PJHL Championship was not awarded for the first time after the 2019-20 season, which was going to be the North Vancouver Wolf Pack and the Aldergrove Kodiaks, due to the coronavirus pandemic. And again after the 2020-21 season.

Teams

On January 26, 2023, Port Coquitlam was announced as a new expansion team to join the league in the 2023-24 season.
; Notes

# ''An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.''

Champions

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 Westminster 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

*Karl Alzner
*Victor Bartley
*Troy Brouwer
* Steve Clippingdale
*John Craighead
*Brenden Dillon
*Colton Gillies
*Ryan Hollweg
*Bracken Kearns
* Andrew Ladd
*Ben Maxwell
* Brandon Yip
* Stephen Peat
* Brad Hunt
*Tony Horacek
*Milan Lucic
*Sasha Lakovic
*Kenndal McArdle
*Kyle Turris
* Tyler Eckford
*Link Gaetz
* Colin Fraser
* Zach Hamill
*Jeff Tambellini
* David Van der Gulik
* David Jones
*David Wilkie
*Jason Garrison
* Matt Hervey
*Dean Malkoc
*John Negrin
*Mike Santorelli
*Raymond Sawada
*Brent Seabrook
*Brandon Segal
*Jordan Sigalet
* Rob Skrlac
* Trevor Smith
*Nick Tarnasky
*Devon Toews
* Derek Grant
* Scott Langkow

References

External links

Official Website of the Pacific Junior Hockey LeaguePJHL historical standings archive

{{Junior Hockey

Ice hockey leagues in British Columbia
B
Sports leagues established in 1965
1965 establishments in British Columbia