In yet another big moment in this winning season, the Ridge Meadows Flames got word they will play in Junior A, Tier One next season.
The news broke on Tuesday, the eve of the Flames' Stonehouse Cup PJHL championship series against the Delta Ice Hawks.
As the Pacific Junior Hockey League was divided into two tiers for next season, there must have been no easier pick for the top tier than the Flames. They've been to the league championship series for three straight seasons, won last year, and are a model franchise for the league.
Flames general manager Derek Bedard said the announcement by the league has created a lot of talk.
"My phone has been blowing up," said Bedard. "It's an exciting opportunity for us."
There was no Junior A, Tier One hockey run by Hockey Canada since the B.C. Hockey League broke from the national body in June of 2023. It was a move to allow the BCHL to bring in players from other provinces at the age of 16 and 17, and to roster as many as six international players.
Bedard said the Flames will continue to develop players from this province. His roster boasts 10 hometown players from Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, and the balance are from the Lower Mainland.
"We want to serve the B.C. athlete," he said.
"You can play high-end hockey, and still live at home, with an eye to your future."
Looking at the roster of the Chilliwack Chiefs, the top team in the BCHL's Coastal Conference, there are players from across Canada, five from the U.S., and one from Czechia. There is no hometown Chilliwack player, however.
BC Hockey noted the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) and the PJHL transitioned to Junior A Tier 2 ahead of the 2023-24 season. Since then, teams have been evaluated, while the leagues have defined their structure from both business operations and governance standpoints.
“The Junior A pathway continues to evolve,” BC Hockey CEO Cameron Hope said, “and we are very pleased with the progress to this point. The leagues continue to make solid decisions based on what is best for the long-term success of Junior A hockey in our region and their leagues. It has been of paramount importance for BC Hockey, the KIJHL, the PJHL as well as our partners and supporters that this process is done correctly.”
The PJHL’s original 15 teams will be split, with seven teams competing in Tier 1, and the other eight teams continuing in Tier 2.
“This is a step forward in redeveloping junior hockey in B.C.,” PJHL commissioner Trevor Alto said. “It is the right time to establish both Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels in the PJHL, which will allow clubs to work with their tiered partners to grow the game and set standards to enhance the player experience.”
PJHL Junior A Tier 1:
• Chilliwack Jets
• Coastal Tsunami
• Delta Ice Hawks
• Grandview Steelers
• Langley Trappers
• Richmond Sockeyes
• Ridge Meadows Flames
PJHL Junior A Tier 2
• Abbotsford Pilots
• Aldergrove Kodiaks
• Mission City Outlaws
• North Vancouver Wolf Pack
• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers
• Port Moody Panthers
• Surrey Knights
• White Rock Whalers
The KIJHL is similarly re-aligned, and will have 11 Interior teams transition to Tier 1.
