5 AJHL Teams Joining BCHL
 

This is a seismic shift for Alberta Jr Hockey. The 4 top teams just pulled the plug, I can't even imagine all the politics going on here. Wow.

https://everythinggp.com/2024/01/20/...mbers-of-bchl/

Going to sure make BC Junior hockey better, and better options for the players. Absolutely guts Alberta's Juniour hockey. With the league cancelling games for those 5 teams, has all the makings of a nasty divorce.

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Looking to bypass all those hockey Canada restrictions, opens more doors for the players .

Definitely have to do some research! Does do terminal damage to ajhl! Must be a good option though as some of the most prominent teams left. I always thought bc league wasn’t as good as ajhl? Maybe I am mistaken?

That's a big hit to the AJHL

Makes one wonder if the parade will continue?

I would love to be a fly on the wall. I hadn't heard a peep till the shoe dropped.

Abcjhl????????

Hockey Canada been in a huge state of flux with the hush money fiasco. Be interesting to see if other junior leagues follow suit. One drawback for the club teams will be insurance mebbe

I’m all for it.

The rules they have to play under are quite restrictive. This is a better option for fans and for the players themselves.

It reduces the AJ to Junior B league effectively.

A little more info:

https://theprovince.com/sports/hocke...eams-join-bchl

From a reliable source” this was in the makings back in 2019 but Covid stalled it for a couple years.”

Insurance is a non issue. The BCHL has already been operating outside of Hockey Canada. Insurance is already in place.

Biggest change going forward will be the ability to recruit 16-17 year old players from out of province. Currently Hockey Canada requires kids that age to stay in their own province at that level.
I would also think you will start to see some European kids interested in playing college hockey.

With the AJHL essentially suspending the 5 teams announced today I think this will get messy. There’s a lot of revenue at stake for the remainder of this season. 4 of the 5 teams would be in the playoffs as well so I’m thinking lawyers will be involved by Monday.


Should be interesting.

This is push back for how Hockey Canada has behaved and is behaving…..

Yes, the AJHL will hardly resemble Junior A as we know it going forward.

Interesting times for sure.

Whoever is left, welcome to the Jungle boys…

People might think that, but severing ties with the CJHL, and eventually Hockey Canada was all about shaking free of the rules that were in place to promote some level of parity across the country. BCHL, as well as some of the affluent AJHL teams have been pushing for the ability to do as they please for about 10 years now and this is what it has come to.

Watched BCHL games for years when I lived in Vernon.

Only a few ever made it to the NHL.

What was most impressive however, was how getting an education was stressed. Many players received full ride scholarships to major U.S. colleges, including at least one I know of who got a full ride scholarship into a major medical school.

If joining the BCHL can equate to many of the AJHL kids getting scholarships and a good education, then it is a win-win. :)

Mr Conservation

Lots of AJHL players getting full rides to NCAA schools, 4 of our past billets are playing or have rides to NCAA schools.
Another 4 went the ACAC route.

I know several as well, including my nephew.
Collegiate scouts look everywhere.

A bit more information that maybe sheds a little light on what is happening and perhaps why.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10239717/...ams-join-bchl/

https://www.sootoday.com/national-sp...o-bchl-8139999

That's awesome !!

Mr Conservation

An additional issue I haven't seen mentioned is Okotoks was the bid chosen for the 2025 Centennial Cup. This is typically a bit of a process, the chosen host is usually announced a little over 2 years prior to the even to allow ample time for planning and community prep. With them departing, the CJHL is having to go back to the drawing board and might be lucky to have a community lined up by this spring with barely a year to plan.

If they aren't leaving till 2024/0225, why are they canceling games this season? It kinda sounds like the league is being petty and may be worthy of leaving.

Must be some serious underlying issues at hand for these teams to just pull out with lots of hockey still to be played.

:thinking-006:

Lots of Politics
 

I have a grandson that has played in the SJHL the AJHL and is now in his last year of junior in the NOJHL, the business of junior hockey is a tough one with lot's of politics.

It sounds like politics is at play here between the teams and the AJHL / Hockey Canada, my understanding from a private source close to the AJHL is that once the AJHL found out those teams were planning to leave and join the BCHL after this season they immediately cancelled games for those 5 teams, my guess would be to flex their muscles and say well if your leaving us next year we will just toast the rest of this year for you. It is also my understanding that this was not to become public knowledge until the end of this season, not sure why the BCHL put out the notification to the AJHL, sounds like someone may have jumped the gun a bit.

Either way it has thrown the AJHL into turmoil and I am sure these 5 teams are not alone, more teams will follow which will almost certainly spell the end of the AJHL. As for the 11 teams that are left in the AJHL well lots of restructuring for the balance of this season, what happens to the points for games played against those 5 teams, how are the playoffs going to be determined and structured and what is our future etc.

I feel for the players on those 5 teams that are in their last year of junior hockey, it is wiped out and is a tough way to end their junior careers.

Anyway that's just the scoop I got, unconfirmed and unpublished but sounds to be somewhat legit and have some validity, lot's of stories circulating and lot's more will come out in the days to come.

That's one way to stop Brooks from winning the Natty this year.

They won't breeze into the Centennial Cup anymore. They'll face a much more competitive and grinding schedule throughout the season in the BCHL and have to defeat the Vees to even make it to the Fred Page Cup final.

But yeah...they might not even get the chance this year. I wouldn't shed a tear though. Without looking at their website, I'd imagine every kid on the Bandits is already committed to a Div 1 school.

I didnt think the BCHL could participate in the centennial cup anymore as it is a hockey Canada championship.

Wait, what? Now they aren't leaving the AJHL? Let the speculation begin...

https://everythinggp.com/2024/01/26/...-to-join-bchl/

I think not leaving the AJHL this season would be the intent of their words.

ARG

It's wordplay. BCHL says they have come to terms, the 5 teams say they haven't signed anything...yet.

Damage control 101

Somebody let the cat out of the bag before the AJHL season ended, and now the denials are flying……

Wanna wager that the AJHL’s Lawyers were tasked with levying breech of contract and conduct fines against the 5 franchises listed? And when that was in the mix, the franchises did an about face!