Each year, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League presents seven awards for on-ice excellence: Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player and Coach of the Year. Winners are named from each of the league’s four divisions prior to the start of KIJHL Playoffs, with overall league […]

Welcome to episode 23 of Top Shelf – The KIJHL podcast. The Golden Rockets have the weekend off awaiting the start of the playoffs; Emanuel Sequeira chats with their captain Jordan Lario about the regular season and preparing for the playoffs. Fernie Head Coach/General Manager Ty Valin joins Mark Berry to talk about the Ghostriders’ […]

  Since the calendar flipped to 2023, 11 hat-tricks have been scored. Included are two four-goal performances by Reece Nelson of the Creston Valley Thunder Cats on and Kaelan Shelton of the Columbia Valley Rockies. Shelton’s came on the same night that Nathan Dominici of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks collected three goals against the Nelson […]

    Kevin-Thomas Walters (North Okanagan Knights), Liam Furlong (Golden Rockets) and Nathan Presley (Beaver Valley Nitehawks) have been selected as the Instat KIJHL 3 Stars of the Week for the period ending Jan. 29. Walters – Top Forward – The Vernon product had a big week with five goals and six assists in three […]

  Kelowna native Maddix McCagherty began his junior hockey career in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos, who selected him in the 2021 bantam draft in the second round, 25th overall. The 16-year-old played 13 games and registered four shots. The Kelowna Chiefs announced on January 7 that they added the 5-11, 160-pound forward. […]

  Unless Kent Moors of the Summerland Steam goes on an absolute offensive tear in their final 10 games, Keenan Ingram of the Columbia Valley Rockies will finish as the top rookie producer. Plus, Moors would need Ingram, his KIJHL Prospects teammate to slow down. In 31 games, the Calgary product leads all rookies with […]

Welcome to episode 19 of Top Shelf – The KIJHL podcast. This week, Emanuel talks with two KIJHL players who had strong weekends in the BCHL; Matt Fleet of the Kimberley Dynamiters and Nathan Dominici of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. Branden Toye has a wealth of BCHL experience; now that he’s back with his hometown Kamloops Storm, […]

  This week’s KIJHL Notebook begins with a focus on education with insight provided by Tom McEvay, the league’s education director. McEvay answered some questions to provide players with valuable information to consider when making that important decision for their future. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.   KIJHL: In using hockey […]

  Jake Swanson says that Steve Piccolo embodies the culture of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. “It’s about hard work and giving back to your community, and treating people the way that you want to be treated. Steve is a fantastic leader for us and a selfless leader,” says Swanson, the Nitehawks Vice-President on Piccolo, their […]

  Judah Makway and Rhett Hamilton are KIJHL alumni from the Beaver Valley Nitehawks and Nelson Leafs, respectively. Both made the step up to the BCHL with the Trail Smoke Eaters.  Makway, a Trail product, has two goals and four points in 17 games. He registered his first BCHL point in his second game and […]