Coaches for the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League All-Star and Top Prospects event this year have been determined.
The top two teams in the North and South Divisions as of December 1 will coach in the event, which is in conjunction with the BCHL and takes place Jan. 16 and 17 in Spruce Grove, Alberta.
Garrett Dunlop, coach of the North Division leading Oceanside Generals, will coach the North team, with assistant coach Tyler Gow of the second place Nanaimo Buccaneers. Grayson Vickers, coach of the South Division leading Peninsula Panthers, will be behind the South bench along with Mike Nesbitt of the second place Westshore Wolves. The players on each team will be announced later this week.
The event will feature a VIJHL Top Prospects Game on day one and a VIJHL Skills Competition and All-Star Game on day two. It is the second straight year that the VIJHL will participate in the BCHL’s All-Star Weekend.
“The VIJHL is very excited to be involved in the BCHL’s All-Star Weekend for the second straight year,” said league President Mark MacDonald. “It’s an excellent event that will showcase our players to scouts and BCHL teams. Our hope is to display the high calibre of player we have in our league, which will result in them being invited to play and practice with BCHL teams this season.”
“We are proud to be an independent junior hockey league in association with the BCHL.”
While the Top Prospects and All-Star Games were on the event itinerary last year, the VIJHL Skills Competition is a new part of the league’s involvement in the event.
“We are very much looking forward to having the VIJHL participate in our All-Star event again this year,” said BCHL Commissioner Steven Cocker. “Our alliance with their historic league has only gotten stronger over the years and we look forward to expanding it even further in the coming years.”
Additional details about scheduling and ticketing will be provided in the near future.
Since its formation in 1965, the VIJHL has been providing competitive, entertaining hockey for players from across the province, and now, internationally. Its 11 team members are the Campbell River Storm, Comox Valley Glacier Kings, Oceanside Generals in Parksville, Port Alberni Bombers, Nanaimo Buccaneers, Lake Cowichan Kraken, Kerry Park Islanders in Mill Bay, Westshore Wolves in Langford, Saanich Predators, Victoria Cougars and the Peninsula Panthers in Sidney.
Sending more players on to Division I college hockey every season than any other hockey league in Canada, the BCHL has established itself as a national leader in the development of young student athletes. Considering approximately a third of today’s NHL is made up of NCAA alumni, the BCHL has become a breeding ground for some the sport’s most elite and successful players. In 2023-24 alone, there were a BCHL-record 292 players in the league with NCAA Division I scholarships.
