The puck drops today in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) on its 2021-22 season.
There are seven games slated today. The Beaver Valley Nitehawks make their return following a year off as they visit division rival, the Nelson Leafs. It’s the first of eight games during the season between the teams as the KIJHL 42-game schedule features eight matchups between division rivals.
Five new head coaches will also make their regular season debuts: Castlegar Rebels new Head Coach-GM Arnie Caplan and team visit the Golden Rockets; Kelowna is in Princeton, where Mark Readman makes his coaching debut for the Posse. Sicamous takes on Chase at the Art Holding Memorial Arena with Gerald Bouchard on the Eagles bench. Osoyoos heads to McArthur Park Arena to take on the Kamloops Storm, where Geoff Grimwood makes his debut on the Storm bench, and Fernie visits the Creston Valley Thunder Cats with Ty Valin makes his debut for the Ghostriders. Columbia Valley is in Kimberley to play the Dynamiters.
On the second day of the opening weekend, one new Head Coach-GM makes his debut, and that’s Liam McOnie for the North Okanagan Knights playing in Sicamous. That’s one of nine games being played.
Another team returning after a one-year hiatus is the 100 Mile House Wranglers, hosting the Chase Heat at the South Cariboo Rec Center. From Golden, Castlegar travels to Columbia Valley to take on the Rockies; Beaver Valley hosts Grand Forks; Nelson welcomes the Fernie Ghostriders; Kelowna hosts the Princeton Posse; Kamloops hosts the defending KIJHL champion Revelstoke Grizzlies; Creston Valley hosts Kimberley; and Osoyoos welcomes Summerland to the Sun Bowl Arena.
All KIJHL games are streamed on HockeyTV.com.
