September 1, 2026 – Training camps are complete, and the 11 teams in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League are undergoing final preparations for the opening games of the 2026-2027 season starting this Friday night.
“The off-season has been extremely busy for our teams and the league office, preparing for this year and the future,” says Chair Shawn Vincent. “Our partnership in independent hockey with the BCHL is really paying off in terms of our league’s ability to attract top quality players from across the globe.”
While the overwhelming number of players are Canadian, there are also players in the league from 17 other countries on 5 continents: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia: the United States, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Latvia, Belarus, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, Sweden, Hungary, Czech Republic, South Africa, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
There are some familiar faces back behind the bench for three VIJHL teams.
Lee Stone returns to Campbell River to guide the Storm, while Brian Passmore is back to lead the Westshore Wolves after a season with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles.
Defending VIJHL Champion Victoria Cougars have a new coach in Craig Didmon, taking over from Mike Vandekamp, who guided the club to three straight series wins, including the final against Nanaimo Buccaneers.
The season kicks off Friday, September 4 with three games: Victoria at Saanich Predators at 6:30 p.m. at George Pearkes Arena, Lake Cowichan Kraken at Nanaimo Buccaneers at the Nanaimo Ice Centre at 7 p.m., and Westshore traveling to Sidney to take on the Peninsula Panthers at the Panorama Recreation Centre at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5 will see the Campbell River Storm at the Comox Valley Glacier Kings at the Comox Valley Sports Centre starting at 6:30 p.m., with the Port Alberni Bombers visiting the Oceanside Generals at Oceanside Place in Parksville at 7 p.m., while Peninsula tangles with the Kerry Park Islanders at Kerry Park Arena in Mill Bay at 7:30 p.m.
All league contests are broadcast on FloHockey, with access available through the VIJHL website at www.vijhl.com, where schedules and game results can be viewed.
