A B.C. hockey trophy currently collecting dust may again be hoisted next spring.
On Thursday, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League announced it has submitted an application to be reclassified to Junior A from Junior B.
If that happens, the Mowat Cup could be awarded to the league’s champion.
First handed out in 1927-28, the Cup is presented to the province’s Junior A champion — which is a story unto itself.
For many years, champions from different leagues would battle for the Cup, including clubs from the B.C. Hockey League and the long-defunct Rocky Mountain and Peace Cariboo junior hockey leagues.
For example, the Trail Smoke Eaters won the Cup five times in a row from 1936 to 1940, then won another eight between 1943 and 1952.
However, since 1999-2000, the BCHL has been the province’s only Junior A league. The league champion not only won the BCHL’s Fred Page Cup, but also the Mowat Cup.
In 2017, though, the BCHL retired the Mowat Cup, opting to only award the Fred Page Cup to its champion.
Compounding matters: The BCHL recently became an independent league and now doesn’t classify itself as Junior A as it attempts to become a better U.S. college recruitment league.
On a side note, there are three types of junior hockey in B.C.: Major Junior (WHL), Junior A and Junior B.
In an email sent out on June 8, the BCHL gave this statement regarding the question if it’s still classified as Junior A.
“The BCHL is simply the British Columbia Hockey League. We don’t need to classify ourselves otherwise. Our goal is to provide a world-class experience to athletes pursuing education and hockey through college.”
Enter the KIJHL, which hopes to have its submission approved for the 2023-24 season.
“If approved, all 20 KIJHL clubs would transition to the Junior A level under a set of newly adopted operating standards designed to enhance the player experience league-wide,” the league said in a statement.
The KIJHL said its “application to BC Hockey was submitted after an exhaustive consultation process with the league’s minor hockey partners that resulted in letters of support from all four of the regional minor hockey districts in which KIJHL teams operate, as well as 19 separate minor hockey associations.”
The decision to jump up a level, said the league, was made at its annual general meeting in Sicamous this past weekend.
“The reality for our league is that the departure of the BCHL to independent hockey has left a major hole in sanctioned junior hockey programming in our province,” said KIJHL chairman Brett Holt.
“The KIJHL has continued to thrive in large part due to our reputation for offering a highly affordable development path to higher levels of hockey.
“Not having a sanctioned Junior A league in B.C. creates a significant void that we are well-positioned to help fill. It was very exciting to witness the positive feedback from our partners at the minor hockey level and their enthusiasm to see increased Junior A playing opportunities for B.C. athletes.”
Holt continued, saying, “We’re looking forward to further dialogue with B.C. Hockey on our application and our desire to further the growth of grassroots junior hockey in our province, and ultimately a vote by their board.”
The league said its 20 teams will each play a 44-game schedule, including 10 inter-conference games apiece. The regular season will start on Friday, Sept. 22, and end on Sunday, Feb. 11, with playoffs starting on Friday, Feb. 16.
The league also said that if the application goes through, it would look at the Mowat Cup and its storied history.
In an email to Global News, B.C. Hockey said it was in receipt of the KIJHL’s application to reclassify from Junior B to Junior A.
“This application will be considered by the BC Hockey Board of Directors in July,” said BCAHA.
“To help the board determine the correct pathway and best serve the interests of B.C. and Yukon participants, a junior hockey task team with representation from various member and non-member subject matter experts has been established.
“This task team will meet at the end of this month and will provide recommendations to our board of directors.”
In related news, the Spokane, Wash., Braves are returning to the KIJHL after a three-year hiatus.
The team says the 2023-24 season will mark the club’s 50th season in the KIJHL.
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