August 11, 2026 – Schedules have been released by the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, with the Exhibition schedule starting August 21 and the 2026-2027 Regular Season kicking off on September 4.
Port Alberni Bombers visit the Lake Cowichan Kraken at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena on Friday, August 21 at 6 p.m. Each of the VIJHL teams will play at least two exhibition games, with Lake Cowichan slated to play five.
Each team in the league – which began in 1965 – plays 48 games, 24 at home and 24 on the road, with the regular season completing on Sunday, February 28.
Playoffs will continue in the same format as the past two seasons, with the top four teams in each of the North and South Divisions squaring off in best-of-seven series, resulting in three rounds, culminating in the VIJHL final featuring the North and South champions starting in mid-March.
The Regular Season has three contests on opening night, Friday, September 4, including the 2026-2026 VIJHL Playoff Champion Victoria Cougars visiting the Saanich Predators at George Pearkes Arena, the Lake Cowichan Kraken taking on the Nanaimo Buccaneers at the Nanaimo Ice Centre, and the Westshore Wolves meeting the Peninsula Panthers at the Panorama Recreation Centre in Sidney.
There were several nuances that greeted schedule organizers this year, including Nanaimo moving their regular home games from Thursday to Friday nights, and the renovation of Victoria’s home rink, Archie Browning Arena in Esquimalt, which is projected to take longer than anticipated. The Cougars will play four games at Save On Foods Memorial Center in Victoria, two at SeaParc Arena in Sooke, and one at Naden Arena in Esquimalt.
“We are very excited about this season’s schedule,” notes VIJHL Chair Shawn Vincent. “There were a few unique challenges and our scheduling team did an amazing job of putting it all together. With an influx of new players, we anticipate that the 2026-2027 season will be one of the best in the history of the league.”
