The BCHL announced its intention to withdraw its membership from the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) last week, but the league is staying tight-lipped about the B次元官网网址榳hyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址榳hat now.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎fter reviewing our options, the BCHL has chosen to no longer belong to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL),B次元官网网址� the league said in a Twitter post April 9. B次元官网网址淭he BCHL is not withdrawing from Hockey Canada or BC Hockey.B次元官网网址�

Since Chris Hebb took over as commissioner of the junior A league in 2018, the BCHL has been very careful about messaging. When The Chilliwack Progress reached out for comment and to arrange an interview with Hebb Monday morning, the leagueB次元官网网址檚 Coordinator of Content Services, Jesse Adamson, had nothing more to offer.

B次元官网网址淎t this time, we donB次元官网网址檛 have anything to say on the matter beyond that statement,B次元官网网址� he said.

Team officials at the local level, including Chilliwack Chiefs hockey boss Brian Maloney, arenB次元官网网址檛 allowed to comment either, leaving media and fans to speculate. ThereB次元官网网址檚 long been whispers of a B次元官网网址榮uper leagueB次元官网网址� scenario B次元官网网址� perhaps a partnership with the Alberta Junior Hockey League or the USHL. The two westernmost Canadian leagues are regarded as the strongest in Canada and the USHL has made significant inroads south of the border.

In a statement released last week, the CJHL noted that BCHL players would no longer be eligible to participate in the CJHL Top Prospects Game or the World Junior A Challenge (WJAC). The former is a certainty, and a loss to draft-eligible BCHL players hoping to impress National Hockey League scouts in the annual showcase game.

But the latter may not necessarily be out if the BCHL is maintaining affiliation with Hockey Canada, as the WJAC is a Hockey Canada event.

Lots of questions and no answers from the BCHL head office. Adamson suggested the league should have more to say after its annual general meeting in mid-May.

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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