The road to B.C. Junior ‘B’ hockey supremacy will travel off the mainland and through Victoria in 2016.
B.C. Hockey awarded the 2016 Cyclone Taylor Cup, British Columbia’s Junior ‘B’ provincial championship, to the Victoria Cougars of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) Monday morning.
The tournament will run from April 7 to 10, 2016.
“On behalf of the Victoria Cougars Junior Hockey Club, I’d like to say that we are honoured to be selected to host the 2016 Cyclone Taylor Cup,” said Tom Arlidge, director at large for the Victoria Cougars, in a B.C. Hockey press release. “I know that our board of directors, volunteers and coaches will work together to produce what we hope will be the best Cyclone Taylor Cup to date.”
The Cyclone Taylor Cup pits the best of the best from B.C. Junior ‘B’ hockey against one another.
The four-team tournament features league champions from each of the province’s three Junior ‘B’ hockey leagues -- the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) and VIJHL -- along with the host team.
“[Victoria] provided a solid bid with strong indicators of hosting a successful event,” said Sean Orr, senior manager of communications and events for B.C. Hockey. “We went through our process to formally review the bid and follow up with the host committee. From our review, it looks like they will be hosting a first-class event that can continue on from the great job that Mission did [in 2015].”
B.C. Hockey did not reveal the number of bids received for the 2016 Cyclone Taylor Cup, stating “multiple bids” were submitted.
B.C. Hockey reviews a broad list of factors when examining host bids for the Cyclone Taylor Cup, including but not limited to: presented budget, volunteer pool, media, ticketing and sponsorship.
According to Orr, the venue for the tournament will be announced at a later date by the Cougars.
The Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt is home to the Cougars for all VIJHL home dates.
In 2015, the Kimberley Dynamiters ventured to the Cyclone Taylor Cup after claiming Kimberley’s first KIJHL championship since 1980 when the Kimberley Knights took the title.
Hosted by the Mission Outlaws of the PJHL, the 2015 Cyclone Taylor Cup was won by the Campbell River Storm of the VIJHL. The Storm knocked off the Dynamiters 6-5 in the championship game.
The winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup advances to compete for the Keystone Cup -- Western Canada’s Junior ‘B’ hockey championship.
The Storm also went on to win the 2015 Keystone Cup.
The 2016 edition of the Keystone Cup is set to be hosted by the Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals of the Prairie Junior Hockey League.
The 2016 Keystone Cup will run from April 14 to 17.
Junior ‘B’ champions from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario compete for the Keystone Cup.
Hosting opportunities for the Cyclone Taylor Cup rotate on a three-year basis between each of the province’s three Junior ‘B’ hockey leagues.
With the PJHL’s Mission Outlaws hosting in 2015 and the VIJHL’s Victoria Cougars hosting in 2016, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League will host the 2017 Cyclone Taylor Cup.
The application process to host the 2017 Cyclone Taylor Cup will open in January 2016.
Kimberley previously hosted the 2008 Cyclone Taylor Cup.