Mark MacDonald, a former player and part-owner in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey
League, has been named the new President of the VIJHL.
“We’re excited to have a long-time business associate of mine come on board as the new
President,” says VIJHL Executive Committee Chairman Shawn Vincent. “We look forward
to working with Mark to help grow the league and look at all the new possibilities that are
open to us now as a new independent hockey body.”
The 11-team VIJHL announced in April that it was leaving Hockey Canada, and has formed
an association and affiliation with the BC Hockey League, which became an independent
league prior to the 2023-2024 season, and has 21 teams in B.C. and Alberta.
Mark has been part of junior hockey on Vancouver Island for much of his life. He played
goal for Nanaimo in the VIJHL, the Nanaimo Clippers in the BCHL and earned a NCAA
Division I scholarship to U.S. International University in San Diego, CA. His eldest son
played in the VIJHL, and he has been a part owner of the Nanaimo Buccaneers.
A respected newspaper publisher, editor and columnist, Mark is also an author and award-
winning writer. Running his own successful publishing and communications companies for
over two decades, Mark and his wife Lise published five Business Examiner publications
covering most of B.C. He is an acknowledged community leader and contributor, and as
President, he guided the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce team to become BC
Chamber of the Year in 2003.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to serve as President of the VIJHL as the league
enters exciting new horizons as an independent league linking closer to the BCHL,”
MacDonald says. “We want to build even stronger franchises that enable young men to
experience great personal growth and bright opportunities for the future, including
scholarships.”