2022-23 BCHL season

This is the 2022-23 British Columbia Hockey League season. This is the league's 32nd season under this name and its 61st 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 The league had previously withdrawn from the Canadian Junior Hockey League (the association which contains all of Canada's sanctioned Junior A leagues) in 2021.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==
*None
*On June 16, 2023 the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League were sold with the intent to be relocated to Wenatchee 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
==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
Wenatchee Wild 	Wenatchee, Washington 	Town Toyota Center 	2015
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
==Standings==
===Interior Conference===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Penticton Vees 	54	50	3 	0 	1 	304	96 	101
Cranbrook Bucks 	54	36	14	1 	3 	199	139	76
West Kelowna Warriors 	54	28	20	6 	0 	211	205	62
Salmon Arm Silverbacks 	54	27	20	4 	3 	173	162	61
Prince George Spruce Kings	54	27	20	6 	1 	167	161	61
Vernon Vipers 	54	27	21	2 	4 	160	164	60
Wenatchee Wild 	54	28	23	1 	2 	198	186	59
Trail Smoke Eaters 	54	20	27	3 	4 	162	214	47
Merritt Centennials 	54	12	37	3 	2 	136	302	29
===Coastal Conference===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Nanaimo Clippers 	54	37	14	3 	0 	207	174	77
Surrey Eagles 	54	35	16	2 	1 	200	151	73
Alberni Valley Bulldogs 	54	31	19	3 	1 	198	164	66
Coquitlam Express 	54	28	19	4 	3 	191	186	63
Chilliwack Chiefs 	54	28	22	1 	3 	162	164	60
Victoria Grizzlies 	54	26	20	5 	3 	163	154	60
Powell River Kings 	54	20	26	5 	3 	193	231	48
Langley Rivermen 	54	16	33	2 	3 	137	200	37
Cowichan Valley Capitals	54	10	38	4 	2 	129	237	26
==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.
===Interior Conference Quarterfinals=== 
*Penticton Vees defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 4 games to none
*Wenatchee Wild defeated Cranbrook Bucks 4 games to 2
*Vernon Vipers defeated West Kelowna Warriors defeated 4 games to 2
*Salmon Arm Silverbacks defeated Prince George Spruce Kings 4 games to none 
===Coastal Conference Quarterfinals===
*Nanaimo Clippers defeated Langley Rivermen 4 games to 2
*Surrey Eagles defeated Powell River Kings 4 games to 1
*Alberni Valley Bulldogs defeated Victoria Grizzlies 4 games to none 
*Chilliwack Chiefs defeated Coquitlam Express 4 games to 1
===Interior Conference Semifinals===
*Penticton Vees defeated Wenatchee Wild 4 games to none 
*Salmon Arm Silverbacks defeated Vernon Vipers 4 games to 1
===Coastal Conference Semifinals=== 
*Chilliwack Chiefs defeated Nanaimo Clippers 4 games to 2 
*Alberni Valley Bulldogs defeated Surrey Eagles 4 games to 3
===Interior Conference Final===
*Penticton Vees defeated Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4 games to 1
===Coastal Conference Final===
*Alberni Valley Bulldogs defeated Chilliwack Chiefs 4 games to none
=== Final===
*Penticton Vees defeated Alberni Valley Bulldogs 4 games to none
==References==
Category:2023 in ice hockey
Category:BCHL seasons