The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League has released its first round playoff schedule, with postseason games beginning Tuesday, February 22nd. As many as 56 first round games may be played by the 16 qualifying teams, with the round set to end no later than Thursday, March 3rd. The second round will begin on Friday, March 4th.
In the Kootenay Conference, top spot in the Eddie Mountain Division came down to the final night of the regular season, with the Kimberley Dynamiters clinching the division banner and a first round match-up with Golden after a shutout win over the Castlegar Rebels. Columbia Valley finished one point back in second place and will face the Fernie Ghostriders. Meanwhile, a red hot Nelson Leafs squad that won 14 of their final 15 regular season games will take on the fourth place Rebels, and Beaver Valley will battle Creston Valley after the Thunder Cats moved over from the Mountain division.
In the Okanagan-Shuswap Conference, Revelstoke’s successful come-from-behind push unseated Kamloops from first place in the Doug Birks Division and earned them a series against the Sicamous Eagles while the Storm settle for second and a match-up with the Chase Heat. In the Bill Ohlhausen Division, the Osoyoos Coyotes will tackle the Princeton Posse after wrapping up the KIJHL’s best overall regular season record, and the Kelowna Chiefs and Summerland Steam will face off in a second vs. third series where home ice advantage was up in the air until a decisive Friday night win for the Chiefs in Summerland.
The full schedules for each of the KIJHL’s eight first round playoff series are below.
Kootenay Conference – Eddie Mountain Division
Series 1: Kimberley Dynamiters (1st seed) vs. Golden Rockets (4th seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Kimberley – 7:00 PM MST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Kimberley – 7:00 PM MST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Golden – 7:30 PM MST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Golden – 7:30 PM MST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Kimberley – 7:00 PM MST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Golden – 7:30 PM MST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Kimberley – 7:00 PM MST*
Series 2: Columbia Valley Rockies (2nd seed) vs. Fernie Ghostriders (3rd seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Columbia Valley – 7:30 PM MST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Columbia Valley – 7:30 PM MST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Fernie – 7:30 PM MST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Fernie – 7:30 PM MST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Columbia Valley – 7:30 PM MST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Fernie – 7:30 PM MST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Columbia Valley – 7:30 PM MST*
Kootenay Conference – Neil Murdoch Division
Series 3: Nelson Leafs (1st seed) vs. Castlegar Rebels (4th seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Nelson – 7:00 PM PST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Nelson – 7:00 PM PST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Castlegar – 7:00 PM PST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Castlegar – 7:00 PM PST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Nelson – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Castlegar – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Nelson – 7:00 PM PST*
Series 4: Beaver Valley Nitehawks (2nd seed) vs. Creston Valley Thunder Cats (3rd seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Beaver Valley – 7:00 PM PST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Beaver Valley – 7:00 PM PST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Creston Valley – 7:30 PM MST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Creston Valley – 7:30 PM MST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Beaver Valley – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Creston Valley – 7:30 PM MST*
Game 7 – Thursday, March 3 at Beaver Valley – 7:00 PM PST*
Okanagan-Shuswap Conference – Doug Birks Division
Series 5: Revelstoke Grizzlies (1st seed) vs. Sicamous Eagles (4th seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Revelstoke – 7:00 PM PST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Revelstoke – 7:00 PM PST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Sicamous – 7:30 PM PST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Sicamous – 7:30 PM PST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Revelstoke – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Sicamous – 7:30 PM PST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Revelstoke – 7:00 PM PST*
Series 6: Kamloops Storm (2nd seed) vs. Chase Heat (3rd seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Kamloops – 7:00 PM PST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Kamloops – 7:00 PM PST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Chase – 7:00 PM PST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Chase – 7:00 PM PST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Kamloops – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Chase – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Kamloops – 7:00 PM PST*
Okanagan-Shuswap Conference – Bill Ohlhausen Division
Series 7: Osoyoos Coyotes (1st seed) vs. Princeton Posse (4th seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Osoyoos – 8:05 PM PST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Osoyoos – 7:35 PM PST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Princeton – 7:00 PM PST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Princeton – 7:00 PM PST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Osoyoos – 8:05 PM PST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Princeton – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Osoyoos – 7:35 PM PST*
Series 8: Kelowna Chiefs (2nd seed) vs. Summerland Steam (3rd seed)
Game 1 – Tuesday, February 22 at Kelowna – 7:00 PM PST
Game 2 – Wednesday, February 23 at Kelowna – 7:00 PM PST
Game 3 – Friday, February 25 at Summerland – 7:30 PM PST
Game 4 – Saturday, February 26 at Summerland – 7:30 PM PST
Game 5 – Monday, February 28 at Kelowna – 7:00 PM PST*
Game 6 – Tuesday, March 1 at Summerland – 7:30 PM PST*
Game 7 – Wednesday, March 2 at Kelowna – 7:00 PM PST*
* If necessary
