Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League


The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League is a junior ice hockey league of 11 clubs on Vancouver Island. The Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. In 2024, the league decided to withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and operate as an independent farm league for the BCHL.

History

The most recent provincial Jr. B champions to come from the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League are the Campbell River Storm in 2015, the Peninsula Panthers in 2011, the Victoria Cougars in 2007, and the Campbell River Storm again in 1999 during their dynasty of the league. The only team in VIJHL history to ever win the Keystone Cup as Western Canadian champions are the 2015 Campbell River Storm. This has been accomplished multiple times by teams in the rival Pacific Junior Hockey League and Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
In 2012, the VIJHL announced the addition of two new franchises, the Nanaimo Buccaneers and the Westshore Wolves. The Buccaneers are the namesake of a team that played in the VIJHL in the 1970s. The Wolves are not new to the area either, but are replacing an unsuccessful team, the Westshore Stingers, that folded on December 4, 2010. The Lake Cowichan Kraken and Port Alberni Bombers joined the league as expansion franchises in the 2021–22 VIJHL season.
In 2023, governing body BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its junior hockey framework following the departure of its only Junior A league. The three Junior B leagues were summarily designated as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to conduct an independent evaluation of those teams seeking to be promoted to "Junior A Tier 1". It was expected that those teams promoted to Tier 1 would eventually apply for membership in the CJHL. The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024–25 season.
In April 2024, the league announced that it would withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL in the 2024–25 season. Some BCHL clubs acquired an ownership stake in VIJHL clubs after the announcement. However, sources reported that there will be no club-specific affiliations, and that BCHL teams will be allowed to call players up from, or send players down to, any VIJHL team.

Franchises

DivisionTeamHomeArena
NorthCampbell River StormCampbell RiverRod Brind'Amour Arena
NorthComox Valley Glacier KingsCourtenayComox Valley Sports Centre
NorthLake Cowichan KrakenLake CowichanCowichan Lake Sport Arena
NorthNanaimo BuccaneersNanaimoNanaimo Ice Centre
NorthOceanside GeneralsParksvilleOceanside Place
NorthPort Alberni BombersPort AlberniAlberni Valley Multiplex
SouthKerry Park IslandersMill BayKerry Park Arena
SouthPeninsula PanthersNorth SaanichPanorama Recreation Centre
SouthSaanich PredatorsSaanichGeorge Pearkes Arena
SouthVictoria CougarsEsquimaltArchie Browning Sports Centre
SouthWestshore WolvesColwoodThe Q Centre

Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy champions

! width="20"|Year
! width="160"|Winning team
! width="160"|Runner up
! width="20"|Year
! width="160"|Winning team

2025 playoffs

Division Semifinals

South Division

(1) Kerry Park Islanders vs. (4) Victoria Cougars

(2) Peninsula Panthers vs. (3) Westshore Wolves

North Division

(1) Campbell River Storm vs. (4) Lake Cowichan Kraken

(2) Port Alberni Bombers vs. (3) Comox Valley Glacier Kings

Division Finals

South Division

(1) Kerry Park Islanders vs. (2) Peninsula Panthers

Division/Conference

(1) Campbell River Storm vs. (2) Port Alberni Bombers

Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy Finals

Peninsula Panthers vs. Campbell River Storm

League championships by team

! Team
! Championships

NHL alumni

  • Jamie Benn
  • Jordie Benn
  • Matt Ellison
  • Matt Irwin
  • Ryan O'Byrne
  • Clayton Stoner
  • Trent Knorr