BC Elite Hockey League

History

Originally established in 2004–05 as the British Columbia Major Midget League for players under 18 years of age, a female division was initialized in 2007–08 and played under the umbrella of the Female Midget AAA League. In 2018, a U16 AAA league was created (now the U17 AAA league), followed by a U15 AAA league in 2019. These four divisions (Female U18 AAA, U18 AAA, U17 AAA and U15 AAA) now comprise the BCEHL.

On September 16, 2021, the league was announced as being renamed the British Columbia Elite Hockey League.

Current teams

Integrated

• Cariboo Cougars
• Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
• Greater Vancouver Canadians
• Okanagan Rockets
• Thompson Blazers
• Vancouver Island Royals
• Valley West Giants
• Vancouver North East Chiefs
• Vancouver North West Hawks

Female

• Fraser Valley Rush
• Greater Vancouver Comets
• Northern Capitals
• Thompson Okanagan Lakers
• Vancouver Island Seals

Former teams

• North Island Silvertips (merged in 2023 with South Island Royals to form Vancouver Island Royals)
• Kootenay Ice
• Kootenay Wild (female)

U18 League champions

Telus Cup

The Vancouver North West Giants (2007, 2011), Okanagan Rockets (2014) and the Vancouver North East Chiefs (2022) are the only teams to have represented the league at the Telus Cup. Upon the Giants' winning the BC MML championship in 2007, a regional final with the AMHL was not necessary as Red Deer was hosting the Telus Cup that year. The Giants finished fourth in the Telus Cup tournament in 2007 before returning four years later; they again finished fourth in 2011. The 2014 Rockets, meanwhile, won the bronze medal.

Prior to the inauguration of the BC MML, the national midget championship was held in British Columbia twice – hosted by Kelowna in 1996 and Prince George in 2001. The Burnaby Winter Club Travellers represent the only B.C. team to win the national championship, defeating the Gouverneurs de Ste-Foy from Quebec in 1982, as well as winning bronze in 1980.

Timeline of franchises (since 2004)

Source:

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:2004 till:2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 # to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20" Colors = id:barcolor id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:Former value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a former league member id:Current value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member id:lineColor value:gray(0.5)

PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:Current from:01/01/2004 till:end text:Thompson Blazers

bar:2 color:Current from:01/01/2004 till:end text:Okanagan Rockets

bar:3 color:Former from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2018 text:Vancouver NW Giants bar:3 color:Current from:09/01/2018 till:end text:Vancouver NW Hawks

bar:4 color:Former from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2006 text:Vancouver NE Attack bar:4 color:Current from:09/01/2006 till:end text:Vancouver NE Chiefs

bar:5 color:Former from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2006 text:Vancouver SW Hawks bar:5 color:Former from:09/01/2006 till:09/01/2018 text:Valley West Hawks bar:5 color:Current from:09/01/2018 till:end text:Valley West Giants

bar:6 color:Former from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2006 text:Cariboo Canucks bar:6 color:Current from:09/01/2006 till:end text:Cariboo Cougars

bar:7 color:Former from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2006 text:Vancouver SE Flames bar:7 color:Former from:09/01/2006 till:09/01/2013 text:Fraser Valley Bruins bar:7 color:Current from:09/01/2013 till:end text:Fraser Valley Thunderbirds

bar:8 color:Former from:09/01/2005 till:09/01/2007 text:South Island Avalanche bar:8 color:Former from:09/01/2007 till:09/01/2013 text:South Island Thunderbirds bar:8 color:Former from:09/01/2013 till:09/01/2023 text:South Island Royals bar:8 color:Current from:09/01/2023 till:end text:Vancouver Island Royals

bar:9 color:Former from:09/01/2005 till:09/01/2007 text:North Island Pack bar:9 color:Former from:09/01/2007 till:03/01/2023 text:North Island Silvertips

bar:10 color:Former from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2006 text:Vancouver Rangers bar:10 color:Current from:09/01/2006 till:end text:Greater Vancouver Canadians

bar:11 color:Former from:09/01/2006 till:03/01/2021 text:Kootenay Ice

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:3 start:2004

LineData = at:09/01/2004 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #BCMML begins at:09/01/2007 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #BCMML Female begins at:09/01/2018 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #BCEHL begins

References

References

1. "Q&A". BC Hockey Major Midget League.
2. "Past Championships and Awards {{!}} BC Elite Hockey League".
3. "Rosters {{!}} 2022 TELUS Cup".
4. "Program & History {{!}} BC Elite Hockey League".
5. "BC Hockey AAA Leagues Rebrand as British Columbia Elite Hockey League".
6. "Alberta Elite Hockey League U18 AAA".
7. "Standings {{!}} 2025 TELUS Cup".
8. "Pacific Midget Regional's - Game 3". [[BC Hockey]].
9. "National Playoff Bracket". [[Hockey Canada]].
10. "National Playoff Bracket". [[Hockey Canada]].
11. "Road to the Telus Cup". [[Hockey Canada]].
12. "2007 Telus Cup". [[Hockey Canada]].
13. "Telus Cup". [[Hockey Canada]].
14. "Elite Prospects - BCEHL U18 - Season 2023-2024".