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Academic Readiness Program

Governors discussed the league’s continuing focus on education, including the status of the newly implemented Academic Readiness Program.

• Academic Database has had over 2,000 views from college coaches since its inception
• BCHL alumni make up 47.4 per cent of all Ivy League hockey players (total of 74)
• 40 league alumni are currently captains or assistant captains at the NCAA Division I level

With the meeting coinciding with the BCHL Showcase, the league hosted Richard Wolfe and Shawn Burt from the Athlete Development Alliance at the event. 

Wolfe, in his role as the league’s academic consultant, was able to speak with college coaches and scouts about the Academic Readiness Program, receiving valuable feedback about the initiative.

“Since its inception in the summer, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the league’s new Academic Readiness Program,” said BCHL Commissioner Steven Cocker. “The number of views that our Academic Database has received in such a short time shows that we are providing second-to-none academic and competitive exposure for our athletes, putting them in the best position possible to succeed at the collegiate level when it comes time for them to make the jump.”

“BCHL athletes have been engrained in the college pathway for years and know the importance that academics plays, as well as the rigours involved in juggling hockey and grades. This will continue to be a priority for our league as we strive to make the BCHL the most efficient and accessible league for colleges”.

The BCHL is continuing to explore ways to evolve the program, including more resources to aid in recruitment, entry requirements to schools and ensuring athletes are thriving once they have graduated from the league.

Scorecard

Governors also discussed the league’s Standards Scorecard, which was introduced in 2021 and has continued to evolve since.

As part of the BCHL’s ongoing mission to raise standards across the league, both on and off the ice, the Board was provided with an update on where teams stand and what the benchmark will be going forward.

“Since it was first implemented, our committees have worked tirelessly to overhaul the scorecard process over the years and, as a result, we have seen significant pay off across the league,” said Rich Murphy, owner of the Trail Smoke Eaters and Chair of the BCHL Board of Governors. “Our owners are competitive and are doing everything they can to show that their programs are among the best in, not only the BCHL, but junior hockey as a whole. Our newest members from Alberta that have hit the ground running since joining our league in 2024 with a number of great facilities and improvements. We are excited to see even more progress and development in the coming years.”

Business Workshop

The 20 team owners and business leaders conducted a Business Workshop during the second half of the day with organizations leading seminars on a wide variety of topics, including merchandise, events, hockey programming, restaurants, ticketing, lotteries and hockey camps and schools.

League Growth

The Board passed a new Strategic Growth Plan that identifies calculated opportunities for the league to grow in the near future.

The objectives of the growth plan include:

• Strategic growth in markets that push forward the league’s mandate in delivering a first-class athlete and community experience
• Protecting the quality of the league’s product
• Ensuring league-wide financial stability
• Building sustainable value for current and potential future franchises
• Continuing to enforce the BCHL’s role as a development pathway for student athletes

The post BCHL October Governors Meeting first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

It is interesting to note that the 1977-78 season saw the North Delta SunGods operate in the WCJHL and had Jack McDonald (former NHLer and  member of the Surrey Stampeders and White Rock Rangers active with the team as well as Pat Francis.

THe 1979-1985 season saw the Surrey/North Delta Saints move to Sungod at the start of the 83-84 season and changed their name to the North Delta Saints noting that the 84-85 season was the Saints best season winning first place advancing the full five games in league finals against the North Shore Winter Club Flames unfortunately losing the series.

Turning our attention to present day it’s exciting to hear that the PJHL Tier One Delta Ice Hawks are moving and will be playing in North Delta at the Sungod Arena which seats over 2,000 which they are hoping to fill.

As you might expect volunteers are at the front of any organization and if you would like to volunteer contact the Delta Ice  Hawks at (604) 806 0104 or president@deltaicehawks.com

The move has been in the works and given the  virtually empty Sungod the moves help put Delta’s Show Palace back on the map which sadly has been missing Junior hockey for years.

Centrally located, the 2,000-seat Sungod Arena is part of the Sungod Recreation Center, which boasts a cycle-fit studio, gym, fitness studio, four pools, a swirl pool, sauna, steam room, weight room, aerobic studio and an ice rink. 

Sungod Arena was recently the venue for the IIHF 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge which was covered by Sportswave.

The expansion the Ice Hawks will have their own dressing room which was initially used by the Delta Hurry Kings Senior A Team who operated from 1979-81 owned by Cliff Smith and relocated from the Karen Magnussen Arena. 

This move marks a significant step forward for the team, enhancing player development, fan experience, community engagement and the potential to host future Junior A Tier 1 Championships and events. 

It also means that the Delta Ice Hawks home games will now start at 7:00 pm on Saturdays, changing from Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm in Ladner. 

Mayor George V. Harvie .“The City of Delta is proud to support the Delta Ice Hawks as they take this exciting next step in their journey.” 

He continued “The move to Sungod Arena not only reflects the team’s incredible growth and success but also strengthens community connections in North Delta. 

We look forward to welcoming fans from across Delta to cheer on the Ice Hawks in their new home and to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere this move will bring to Sungod Recreation Centre” finishing off by saying “It’s a very exciting and bitter-sweet moment. 

Ice Hawks owner Eduard Epshtein mentioned “There are so many amazing memories and so much history in the 28 consecutive seasons at Ladner Leisure Centre, as a Junior B club and, most recently, a Junior A, Tier 2 club.”

He continued “With this move, we are starting a new chapter in the team’s history as Junior A, Tier 1 hockey team. We are grateful to the City of Delta and the minor hockey associations for making this move possible. We hope that our South Delta-based fans continue to support our team in the new North Delta location.”

The Delta Ice Hawks Founded in 1997, the Delta Ice Hawks is a Junior A, Tier 1 hockey team of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (“PJHL”) operating under Hockey Canada sanctioned junior hockey. 

The team was a Junior B level team until 2024-25 season, Junior A, Tier 2 for the 2024-25 season, and was awarded Junior A, Tier 1 status for the 2025-26 season. 

About Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) Founded in 1965, PJHL is the longest running junior hockey league in the province of British Columbia. 

The league has 15 teams based on Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast, operating in two divisions: Junior A, Tier 1 division with 7 teams and Junior A, Tier 2 division with 8 teams. 

The post Delta Ice Hawks Relocate To Sungod Arena first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Back in 1967, they upset favorites the Montreal Canadiens, with Jim Pappin scoring the series winner in game 6. 

Going way back to 1942, the Leafs bounced back from 3 games down to win the Cup. Last season, the Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Bruins. 

But this year the team has an outstanding record in the Atlantic Division. 

The Maple Leafs are on 42 points as of 19 December, with 20 wins from 32 games. Mitch Marner has posted 42 points with 32 assists, and William Nylander leads the goals tally with 20. 

Who are favorites for the Stanley Cup?

The odds suggest the favorites are Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers, with Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche not too far behind. 

The Maple Leafs are seventh favorites according to one sportsbook.

The Florida Panthers have an almost identical record to the Leafs, having played a game extra (drawing 11). Sam Reinhart leads their scoring and assist charts with 20 goals and 22 assists. 

The Caroline Hurricanes are only third in the Metropolitan division as it stands, having played 31 and winning 20. 

Their goals have been quite evenly spread, with Martin Necas (14), Jack Roslovic (13), and Andrei Svechnikov (12) leading the way.

Last season, the Hurricanes lost in the second round of the playoffs, falling 2-4 to the Ne w York Rangers (who also beat them at the same stage in 2022). 

When are the playoffs?

The regular season ends Thursday April 17, 2025. The playoffs are likely to start Saturday April 19. 

Will the Maple Leafs definitely make the playoffs?

They are certainly well positioned, sitting top of the Atlantic division. The top three teams from both divisions, plus two wildcard teams, make the playoffs. 

In November, the Leafs announced the signing of forward Alex Nylander on a one-year contract. Nylander had posted 12 points in 14 games with the Toronto Marlies.

What are some of the Leafs’ greatest moments?

The Maple Leafs had a few moments ranking among Yardbarker’s greatest NHL moments in history. The ’42 Stanley Cup win was up there.

Another moment was Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Final, when defenseman Bob Baun broke his leg – but continued playing. He even scored a goal.

From 1983 to 2003, Doug Gilmour enjoyed an amazing run of 1,414 points in 1,474 games. He played for seven teams in the NHL, and was with the Leafs from January 1992 to 1997. Gilmour was one of the team’s most popular players.

In 1994, Mike Gartner scored an overtime goal for the Leafs in Game 6 in the Cup Final.

In 2017, on the 100th anniversary of the NHL, Maple Leafs great Dave Keon made the list of 100 greatest players in NHL history. Keon won four Stanley Cups with the club.

In 2025, the Leafs will be hoping there’s a few more names to join Keon on their list of legends.

The post Can The Maple Leafs End Their Stanley Cup Drought? first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Abbotsford Canucks GM, Ryan Johnson made it official and announced Justin Pogge (38) has been hired as the Goaltending Coach of the club. 

He was born in Fort McMurray April 22nd, 1986 and played his Junior B days with the Summerland Sting  in the 2002-03 season

Last season (2023-24) he was the Goaltending Consultant with the Columbus Blue Jackets and also worked for Hockey Canada as a Goaltending Coach for Canada’s World Championship and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup teams.

Johnson mentioned “First of all, I’d like to congratulate Marko Torenius on his well-deserved promotion to Vancouver.” 

He continued “We thank him for his work and dedication to our team in Abbotsford over the past two seasons. With that being said, I am very excited to have Justin Pogge join our team as Goaltending Coach. He brings a plethora of experience as a player at the NHL, AHL, international and European professional levels and I’m looking forward to seeing him help develop our goaltenders in Abbotsford.”

Pogge played his first one-and-a-half seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Prince George Cougars before being dealt to the Calgary Hitmen at the 2004–05 trade deadline. 

After his rookie season with the Cougars, he was drafted in the third round, 90th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. 

He turned pro in 2006-07 with the Leafs AHL affiliate Marlies signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Leafs on December 19, 2005. 

He was first called up to the Leaf’s on January 11th, 2008 but never played and sent back to the Marlies the following day finishing with 19 wins, and a GAA of 3.03 in his rookie season winning the Marlies Fan Choice Award.

Playing for the Hitmen in 2005–06, Pogge was awarded the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as league MVP as well as the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award and Del Wilson Trophy as the top WHL goaltender with a 1.72 goals against average (GAA) and 11 shutouts.

He had a 17-year pro career as a player which included 254 AHL regular season games, 13 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Marlies, San Antonio Rampage, Albany River Rats, Charlotte Checkers and Portland Pirates. 

He was selected by the Leafs in the third round (90th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft playing in seven NHL games between Toronto, Anaheim and Phoenix. 

In 2011 he took his talents across the water to play in Europe signing his first European contract with Ritten Sport a top team in Italy of Elite A as well as suiting up for teams in Sweden, Slovakia and Germany.

His WHL Junior career saw him spend time in PG playing for the Cougars as well as the Calgary Hitmen.

He managed to post a 6-0 record and tournament-best .952 SV% at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops, eventually winning the Gold Medal with Team Canada.

In addition the Abby Canucks hired Harry Mahesh as Assistant Coach, Andrew Shaw as Video Coach, and Ross MacEluch as Assistant Athletic Therapist.

Great hire by the Abbotsford Canucks and we’ll see you at the rink!!!!

The post From The Summerland Sting To Abbotsford Canucks first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

As much as the world’s changing, some are still living in the past when it comes to having Women involved in Men’s sport at the pro level of the game.

It’s only the one’s that fail to embrace change for the few that continue to hide under a rock and live in the past but thankfully that ship has sailed!

It’s true that we can all learn from each other but some simply won’t admit that sport is one constant that can keep the sporting world united without being offside and also sitting in the sin-bin.

While this was the big news of the day so questioned that this might just be a publicity stunt by the Kraken to gather a “W” with the female part of society which might be related in the same manner that Phil Esposito signed Manon Rhéaume in 1992 with Tampa Bay.

Earlier in the day I just happened to be out having coffee (surprise) when a couple of guy’s wandered by the table and the conversation quickly turned to the newest hire by the Seattle Kraken.

For those who have been in hibernation all day you should know that the Kraken made it official announcing the hiring of Jessica Campbell as Assistant Coach becoming the first women to work behind an NHL bench.

She played at Cornell managing to collect 100 points through four seasons while wearing the “C” in her final year leading to success playing with the Calgary Inferno as well as Team Canada.

In addition to other ventures she began her company, JC Powerskating that many feel quickly started her off into coaching in Europe and North America;  and now working under Dan Bylsma.

She mentioned to the media “Maybe in a naive way, I’ve had the courage to believe that this could be possible and even though I didn’t see it, I believed I could do it. And I think that with that inner belief, whatever it is, in sport, in life, you can create whatever you believe in.”

Several athletes have their sights set on a career beyond playing and turning to coaching, but not all achieve success at the transition, but she loves hockey and teaching skating which she can add to her portfolio.  .

One of her sessions was with Coquitlam’s Mat Barzal who played with the BCJHL Express then advancing to the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds playing from 2013-14 to 2016-17 then jumping to the Islanders.

She was the skills coach for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers (Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Germany) and behind the bench for Team Germany at the 2022 Men’s World Championship. 

Dan Bylsma was eventually named Head Coach of AHL Coachella Valley and brought Campbell to his staff that saw her as the first woman as an Assistant Coach in the AHL.

Not just coaching but also making it a fun work environment knowing that its’s believing in the old cliché “games are won in practice” knowing that she credits the culture of the staff in Coachella Valley that helped build it into a pair of runs to the Calder Cup Final in their first two seasons.

Campbell knows she is the first woman and thrilled to hold this position knowing that she’s not just growing women’s presence in hockey alone!!!

Wishing her all the best moving forward with many wondering if the Kraken will have a better record than the Canucks in the upcoming season.

The post Hockey’s Ever Changing Culture first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

This venue, home to the British Columbia Hockey League’s Penticton Vees, seats up to 5,000 people and regularly draws a crowd of hockey fans from the interior.

As in previous years, the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets will participate in this four-day event. 

This year marks the 11th edition of the Young Stars Classic, which began in 2010. The tournament features top prospects from these four NHL teams competing in a six-game round-robin format.

The significance of the tournament is evident from last year’s participants, many of whom made their NHL debuts in the 2023-24 season. 

Notable players include Vancouver’s Arshdeep Bains and Cole McWard, Calgary’s Matt Coronato, Adam Klapka, and Yan Kuznetsov, and Winnipeg’s Nikita Chibrikov and Brad Lambert.

Last year’s event also featured the Young Stars Classic Party on the Plaza, where fans could meet the Vancouver Canucks’ mascot, FIN, and enjoy games, bouncy castles, and crafting stations.

The party was located outside of the South Okanagan Events Centre and was free to attend.

In a press release, Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin expressed excitement about the upcoming tournament. “We are excited to be heading back to Penticton this fall to participate in this great event,” Allvin said. “This will be an opportunity for some of our top prospects to work with Manny Malhotra in a very competitive environment. We look forward to seeing Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson, Ty Mueller, and Ty Young compete in this tournament.”

Not just fans from the interior, but many from the Lower Mainland also tend to make the trip up north for a chance to take in some of the best rising talent in Western Canada.

Ticket information and the weekend schedule will be released at a later date, according to the Canucks.

The post Canucks Dates For 2024 Young Stars Classic In Penticton first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Locally the Abbotsford Canucks forced a game four against the Calgary Wranglers with the game played in front of a sell-out crowd in what was a must win game for the Canucks.

The winning team would advance to the Division final on the road to the 2022-23 Calder Cup Playoff run.

Some were speculating that Abby would start Arturs Silovs but given the strong start two nights prior it was no real surprise that it was once again Spencer Martin between the pipes which makes this his first time with consecutive starts since early March. 

Calgary again went with Dustin Wolf who played solid in the previous game that saw him stop 27 of 30 he faced making this his fourth start of the series where he stopped 27 of 30 shorts he faced.

Despite the fact that the NHL Canucks were unable to advance this season you know that this group of players are clearly on the radar for upcoming seasons.

It wasn’t just the Canucks brass that was on hand but rather various other retired players and office staff who were there to promote the parent team with aspirations of selling season tickets for both teams for the upcoming season.

To the delight of the fans it was the hometown team that got off to an early jump with Rathbone sending one off the crossbar that saw Höglander jump on the loose puck at 2:18 sending one past Wolf giving Abby the early lead.

This was his third goal of the playoffs and his first of the playoff series and if conversation with some fans indicate anything he could be around for a while in a Canucks uniform.

The Wranglers pressed knowing that they wanted to pull out a win and not head into a game five situation in a hostile arena.

Playing aggressive saw them continue to throw pressure toward Martin that saw him faced to make some remarkable stops while killing penalties.

Given the pressure it was a matter of time that the Wranglers would score and it was Kitchener’s Cole Schwindt who got the tying goal past Martin at 12:51 on the PP with helpers to Zary and Poirier.

The first ended with Abbotsford outshooting the Wranglers by a 12-8 margin that saw more pressure from the home side who were in need of a win.

The second saw fast, entertaining aggressive play with only one goal in the middle period that saw Abby take a 2-1 lead at 15:33 that saw Tristen Nielsen get the crowd hopping.

The Canucks continued to pepper Wolf in the second that saw them narrowly  outshot the Wranglers 7-6 and 19-14 through two periods. 

Entering the third and trailing by one you sense the urgency for the Wranglers to even the score at two that followed a fast face-off in the Canucks zone to the right of Martin.

One might say that prior to the goal there seemed to be a sense of confusion that took a while to like the players up for the draw that caught the Canucks off guard for the draw.

Following a win off the draw the puck went directly to Ilya Solvyov who peppered one on target beating Spencer Martin at 11:31 that would set up an exciting finish.

Try as they might, it was the Wranglers who picked up a loose puck in front of Martin at 12:41 who sent a slow rolling puck through a group of players giving the Wranglers their first lead of the game.

Abby continued to throw pressure at Wolf who played strong considering that Abby was looking for the tying goal, but it was Adam Klapka who managed to get the winning goal finishing off any hopes of advancing.

The Wranglers finished the season for the Canucks that saw Wolf stop 23 of 25 shots while Spencer Martin turned aside 21 of the 24 he faced..

The win see’s Calgary advance to the Pacific Division Final that will see them face Coachella Valley Firebirds. 

For only a second season for the Abbotsford Canuck a season with more highs than lows saw them set their sights on next season and beyond.

On behalf of the Sportswave crew we thank media relations for all their assistance for the past season and we look forward to seeing you in Abby this fall.

Three stars:

1st Dustin Wolf (Calgary)

2nd Adam Klapka (Calgary)

3rd Tristen Nielsen (Abbotsford)

The post Abbotsford Season Ends – Building For The Future first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The mid-week game switches to home ice for the Abbotsford Canucks as they are searching for a win to keep the series alive.

Currently they find themselves down with the Calgary Wranglers leading the series taking the first two games, outscoring the Canucks by 7-5 with both games requiring additional time.

Moving back to home ice hopefully gives the Canucks the advantage with the seventh player being a packed house.

Sportswave’s photographer Mark Steffens shares photo’s with The Hockey News with the article written by Carol Schram.

You knew that the Canucks were looking at roster changes and one saw Alex Kannok Leipert replaced by Noah Juulsen with Spencer Martin taking over from Arturs Silovs while the Wranglers started Dustin Wolf. 

Wranglers Jeremie Poirier opened the scoring. With what looked like a tennis ball bouncing in front of Martin at 4:37 giving the visitors the  early lead which silenced the crowd.

As we all know penalties can prove costly and in this case it was Linus Karlsson who got pulled by the Canucks even on a PP marker at 9:58 with Höglander and Wolanin getting assists.

The first ended with the teams tied at one that saw Abby outshoot the Wranglers by a narrow 12-11 margin with the Wranglers getting three minors while the Canucks managed one.

Speed is essential to any game and in this case it was Wolanin who gave Abby a 2-1 lead at 4:44 with helpers to Giuttari and Rau that saw the puck deflect over the shoulder of Wolf.

The Canucks had a two-man advantage that saw Jack Rathbone send one first off the post then after getting his own rebound he sent it off the crossbar and despite turning on the red light, it was ruled no goal after video review.

That was the only scoring in the second that saw shots on goal with Abby outshooting the Wranglers by a narrow 9-7 margin leading 21-18 after 40 minutes.

Abby continued the scoring at 1:10 of the third that saw Rau get set up by Nielsen after he grabbed a long cross-ice pass only that saw Nielsen dish it back to Rau for his first of the playoffs this season. 

The Wranglers pressed but they were turned aside by the strong play of the Canucks “D” who kept shots to a minimum on Martin in the last twenty minutes.

The pressure continued and with 9:15 remaining in the third it was Nick DeSimone who got the visitors within one.

To the delight of the fans that would be the only goal in the third that saw Abby get back in the series taking a 3-2 win on home ice.

Abby’s Spencer Martin stopped 25 of 27 while Wrangler’s Dustin Wolf stopped 27 of the 30 he faced through sixty minutes.

The post Abbotsford Stay Alive first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.