2023-24 BCHL season

This is the 2023-24 British Columbia Hockey League season. This is the league's 33rd season under this name and its 62nd season overall dating back to the founding of the Okanagan Mainline Junior Hockey League in 1961.
==Withdrawal from Hockey Canada==
On May 1, 2023 the BCHL announced announced that it would not renew its' agreement with Hockey Canada (Canada's national sanctioning body for ice hockey) as of June 1, 2023. The league had previously withdrawn from the Canadian Junior Hockey League (the association which contains all of Canada's sanctioned Junior A leagues) in 2021. The claim is based upon a claim that the league produces more players that earn scholarships to NCAA Division I and U Sports schools as opposed to other leagues in the US and Canada and that the league was of a higher calibre than that of other Junior A leagues in Canada due to this. The announcement of the withdrawal also mentioned about the league being able to draw from a larger player pool indicating that the league would be recruiting U18 players from other provinces in Canada and the United States while continuing it commitment to British Columbia born players and that 97% of the British Columbia born players in NCAA Division I had played in the BCHL. The league also announced that it would eliminate player fees by the 2024-25 season. The decision to go independent was made after nearly five years of efforts to create a solution that would work for the BCHL within the Hockey Canada system.https://bchl.ca/bchl-to-become-independent-league
==Membership Changes==
*On June 16, 2023 the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League were sold with the intent to be relocated to Wenatchee, Washington as the Wenatchee Wild for the 2023-24 season. This was due to the franchise being unable to secure a new arena in the Winnipeg area after relocating to the city in 2019. The franchise was purchased by the owner of the BCHL franchise, which ended the BCHL tenure of the team.https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/sports/bchl-and-whl-comment-on-wild-acquisition-of-ice/article_54bc0440-0cc7-11ee-83d1-d70d268ff11b.html
*On January 20, 2024 the British Columbia Hockey League announced the addition of the the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints from the Alberta Junior Hockey League for the 2024-25 season.https://bchl.ca/bchl-agrees-to-terms-with-five-alberta-based-teams As a result of the announcement and the circumstances involved the five teams would be expelled from the AJHLhttps://www.ajhl.ca/ajhl-statement and would continue to play as an Alberta Division of the BCHL for the balance of the season and would play the BC champion in some sort of post-season event.
*On March 31, 2024 the board of directors of the Merritt Centennials announced that they would withdraw from the British Columbia Hockey League and cease operations at the end of the 2023-24 season.https://www.merrittcentennials.com/centennials-to-cease-bchl-operations-for-2024-25-season The team would be approved to be sold to private ownership and would be joining the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League for the 2024-25 season.https://www.kijhl.ca/kijhl-approves-merritt-centennials-as-expansion-club
==Teams==
Interior Conference 	Interior Conference 	Interior Conference 	Interior Conference
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined BCHL
Cranbrook Bucks 	Cranbrook, British Columbia 	Western Financial Place 	2020
Merritt Centennials 	Merritt, British Columbia 	Nicola Valley Memorial Arena	1961
Penticton Vees 	Penticton, British Columbia 	South Okanagan Events Centre	1961
Prince George Spruce Kings	Prince George, British Columbia	Rolling Mix Concrete Arena 	1972
Salmon Arm Silverbacks 	Salmon Arm, British Columbia 	Shaw Centre 	2001
Trail Smoke Eaters 	Trail, British Columbia 	Cominco Arena 	1987
Vernon Vipers 	Vernon, British Columbia 	Kal Tire Place 	1961
West Kelowna Warriors 	West Kelowna, British Columbia 	Royal Lepage Place 	1994
Coastal Conference 	Coastal Conference 	Coastal Conference 	Coastal Conference
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined BCHL
Alberni Valley Bulldogs 	Port Alberni, British Columbia	Weyerhaeuser Arena 	1998
Chilliwack Chiefs 	Chilliwack, British Columbia 	Chilliwack Coliseum 	1996
Coquitlam Express 	Coquitlam, British Columbia 	Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex	2001
Cowichan Valley Capitals	Duncan, British Columbia 	Island Savings Centre 	1980
Langley Rivermen 	Langley, British Columbia 	George Preston Arena 	1990
Nanaimo Clippers 	Nanaimo, British Columbia 	Frank Crane Arena 	1972
Powell River Kings 	Powell River, British Columbia	Hap Parker Arena 	1988
Surrey Eagles 	Surrey, British Columbia 	South Surrey Arena 	1976
Victoria Grizzlies 	Victoria, British Columbia 	The Q Centre 	1967
Alberta Conference 	Alberta Conference 	Alberta Conference 	Alberta Conference
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined BCHL
Blackfalds Bulldogs 	Blackfalds, Alberta 	Eagle Builders Centre 	2024
Brooks Bandits 	Brooks, Alberta 	Centennial Regional Arena	2024
Okotoks Oilers 	Okotoks, Alberta 	Pason Centennial Arena 	2024
Sherwood Park Crusaders	Sherwood Park, Alberta	Randy Rosen Rink 	2024
Spruce Grove Saints 	Spruce Grove, Alberta 	Grant Fuhr Arena 	2024
==Standings==
===Interior Conference===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Penticton Vees 	54	38	10	3 	3 	202	116	82
West Kelowna Warriors 	54	33	10	11	0 	208	158	77
Salmon Arm Silverbacks 	54	34	17	0 	3 	180	137	71
Vernon Vipers 	54	33	19	2 	0 	196	160	68
Trail Smoke Eaters 	54	28	20	6 	0 	186	187	62
Merritt Centennials 	54	22	26	5 	1 	176	206	50
Cranbrook Bucks 	54	20	31	3 	0 	133	178	43
Prince George Spruce Kings	54	16	35	3 	0 	148	236	35
===Coastal Conference===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Surrey Eagles 	54	44	8 	2 	0 	225	128	90
Chilliwack Chiefs 	54	32	17	4 	1 	171	160	69
Alberni Valley Bulldogs 	54	33	20	1 	0 	203	161	67
Victoria Grizzlies 	54	29	22	1 	2 	176	175	61
Nanaimo Clippers 	54	27	23	3 	1 	203	191	58
Coquitlam Express 	54	21	29	1 	3 	146	196	46
Langley Rivermen 	54	19	28	7 	0 	151	190	45
Cowichan Valley Capitals	54	16	34	3 	1 	154	234	36
Powell River Kings 	54	14	35	5 	0 	165	210	33
===Alberta Conference===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts	%
Brooks Bandits 	65	58	6 	1 	0 	144	60 	117	.900
Sherwood Park Crusaders	67	49	16	2 	0 	120	87 	100	.746
Blackfalds Bulldogs 	68	39	22	6 	1 	98 	99 	85 	.625
Okotoks Oilers 	69	38	28	3 	0 	108	113	79 	.572
Spruce Grove Saints 	66	26	24	5 	1 	82 	108	58 	.439
==Fred Page Cup Playoffs==
===Format===
With the slight realignment of the conferences for the 2020-21 season the playoff format was modified. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs with the traditional 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5 match-ups. Teams are re-seeded after the first round. A 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 format is used in the conference semifinals. Conference semifinal winners meet in the conference final and the conference winners meet in the Fred Page Cup final. All series are best-of-seven. Traditionally, the Fred Page Cup winners advance to the Doyle Cup against the champion of the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs for a spot in the Centennial Cup, however the BCHL withdrew from the Canadian Junior Hockey League after the 2020-21 season and are now ineligible to compete for the Doyle Cup or Centennial Cup or to participate in any events sponsored by the CJHL such as the World Junior A Challenge or the CJHL Prospects Game. As a result of the additon of the five teams from Alberta, the league will have a post-season event between the winners of the BCHL playoffs and the five team Alberta Conference. The event was later announced as being called the BCHL Rocky Mountain Challenge 2024 and will be a best-of-three series held May 31 to June 2 with all three games being hosted by the Alberta champion. This is a one off event and held outside of the Fred Page Cup playoffs as the teams will be fully integrated into the league for 2024-25. https://bchl.ca/bchl-announces-rocky-mountain-challenge-postseason-series
===Interior Conference Quarterfinals=== 
*Penticton Vees defeated Prince George Spruce Kings 4 games to none (3-0, 3-0, 3-2 (2ot), 3-2) 
*West Kelowna Warriors defeated Cranbrook Bucks 4 games to 3 (8-2, 4-3 (ot), 3-2, 3-4, 5-6, 3-4 (ot), 5-1)
*Salmon Arm Silverbacks defeated Merritt Centennials 4 games to 2 (3-2 (ot), 2-3, 4-1, 4-5, 1-0, 4-1)
*Vernon Vipers defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 4 games to 1 (2-0, 5-2, 5-3, 2-3, 6-2)
===Coastal Conference Quarterfinals=== 
*Surrey Eagles defeated Cowichan Valley Capitals 4 games to 1 (4-2, 5-0, 3-5, 4-2, 5-2)
*Chilliwack Chiefs defeated Langley Rivermen 4 games to none (5-4 (ot), 2-1 (2ot), 3-2 (ot), 5-2)
*Alberni Valley Bulldogs defeated Coquitlam Express 4 games to 3 (5-4 (ot), 2-4, 5-3, 1-3, 1-2, 3-1, 4-1)
*Victoria Grizzlies defeated Nanaimo Clippers 4 games to 1 (4-2, 8-2, 3-5, 3-2, 3-0)
===Alberta Conference Quarterfinal===
*Okotoks Oilers defeated Spruce Grove Saints 3 games to none (6-2, 3-2, 5-4)
===Interior Conference Semifinals=== 
*Penticton Vees defeated Vernon Vipers 4 games to 1 (4-3 (ot), 3-0, 4-0, 2-3 (ot), 2-1 (ot))
*Salmon Arm Silverbacks defeated West Kelowna Warriors 4 games to 1 (6-1, 4-5 (ot), 2-1, 3-0, 6-2)
===Coastal Conference Semifinals===
*Surrey Eagles defeated Victoria Grizzlies 4 games to 2 (1-2 (ot), 4-1, 3-5, 3-0, 3-2, 7-3)
*Alberni Valley Bulldogs defeated Chilliwack Chiefs 4 games to none (3-1, 3-1, 5-1, 3-2)
===Alberta Conference Semifinals=== 
*Brooks Bandits defeated Okotoks Oilers 4 games to 3 (4-0, 2-5, 5-0, 1-4, 8-2, 2-3 (ot), 5-1)
*Sherwood Park Crusaders defeated Blackfalds Bulldogs 4 games to none (5-3, 6-4, 10-3, 7-4)
===Interior Conference Final===
*Penticton Vees defeated Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4 games to 3 (0-2, 4-1, 4-1, 1-2 (ot), 1-3, 3-0, 4-3)(2-1, 3-2 (ot), 2-3 (ot), 5-2, 3-2 (ot), 2-5, 3-2)
===Coastal Conference Final===
*Surrey Eagles defeated Alberni Valley Bulldogs 4 games to 3 (2-1, 3-2 (ot), 2-3 (ot), 5-2, 3-2 (ot), 2-5, 3-2)
===Alberta Conference Final===
*Brooks Bandits defeated Sherwood Park Crusaders 4 games to 1 (8-1, 5-1, 3-4, 4-3 (ot), 7-3)
===Fred Page Cup Final===
*Surrey Eagles defeated Penticton Vees 4 games to 2 (6-0, 1-3, 1-3, 3-2, 4-0, 3-1) 
===BCHL Rocky Mountain Challenge===
*Brooks Bandits defeated Surrey Eagles 2 games to none (5-2, 4-1)
==References==
Category:2023-24 in ice hockey
Category:BCHL seasons