Here is the press release from the league website,
BCHL to become independent league | BCHL League Site
Here is the story from Castanet.net,
BCHL pulling out of Hockey Canada to become independent league - BCHL - Castanet.net
Here is the story from the BCHL YouTube page,
Shocked to hear that the BCHL will allow teams to recruit so heavily outside BC. Teams will now only be required to have a minimum of 5 BC players. Only 5. Here's an interview with BCHL CEO Chriss Hebb.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjbmKTLlWFg
Here is what you need to know if this happens:
ReplyDeleteThe Incentive for the BCHL to become a non-sanctioned league is so they can recruit underage players (age 16-17) from outside of British Columbia and Europeans. Hockey Canada does not allow hockey players to play outside of their home province (where their parents reside) until their 18-year-old season at the Junior ‘A’ level. Furthermore, Hockey Canada does not allow Europeans to play in Junior A leagues.
The September 30 blackball date is extremely important to know as a player. Hockey Canada blackballs all hockey players who play in non-sanctioned leagues if they are released or leave willing after Sept. 30 for the remainder of that season. That means if you play in a non-sanctioned league, you can not report to a CJHL league (AJHL, SJHL, OJHL etc.), a sanctioned Junior B league (KIJHL, VIJHL etc.) or a sanctioned U18 league (AEHL, CSSHL etc.) if you are released/leave a non-sanctioned team after Sept. 30.
To add to the above point, after Sept. 30 your only options will be other non-sanctioned leagues for the remainder of that season. NCDC and the EHL are non-sanctioned leagues in the United States and the JPHL is a non-sanctioned U18 league in Western Canada. A lot of players have to pack it in for the season when released by a non-sanctioned team in the winter due to the limited opportunities.
After Sept. 30, a player on a non-sanctioned team can not get called up to a Hockey Canada Major Junior (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) team for the remainder of that season. In addition, he can not participate in any Hockey Canada events that season like the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge or U20 World Junior Championship.
Non-sanctioned teams can not AP (affiliate) players from sanctioned leagues like the CSSHL, KIJHL etc.
A non-sanctioned U18 league like the JPHL could allow its players to AP with a non-sanctioned junior league.
No trade or release is required to join a non-sanctioned team from a sanctioned team. This ultimately means if you are playing on a CJHL team, you can leave that team without their consent to join a non-sanctioned team. That sanctioned junior team will likely retain your Hockey Canada rights despite leaving the team though.
The Sept. 30 date is not a two-way street. You can still leave a Hockey Canada team after Sept. 30 for a non-sanctioned team. It’s Hockey Canada that is doing the blackballing – not the other way around.
FROM ICEEXPOSURE.COM