By Pete McIntyre

Merritt Centennials leaving BCHL, joining KIJHL

Apr 2, 2024 | 2:44 PM

After 51 years in the BC Hockey League, the Merritt Centennials will be on the move before the next hockey season.

After announcing last week that the team was withdrawing from the BCHL at the end of this season, Merritt was awarded an expansion franchise in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

The club will continue to be known as the Centennials and will begin play in the Junior A league for the 2024/25 season. The Centennials will continue to play out of the 1,000-seat Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, with the team’s ownership group having secured a new five-year lease agreement for the facility.

“The board members past and present have worked extremely hard to maintain 51 continuous years of operation in the BCHL, but have finally conceded that continuing into the future is no longer viable,” a news release on the Centennials’ website said.

Merritt’s expansion application was approved unanimously by the KIJHL’s board of governors, and will see the longstanding Junior A club move from community to private ownership under the leadership of Brad Anstey and Daniel Schofield. The team will join the Bill Ohlhausen division, taking the place of the Summerland Steam following that franchise’s relocation to Williams Lake.

Anstey said the owners are excited to keep the Centennials in the community where they have dedicated fans, sponsors, alumni, and volunteers.

“We guarantee our commitment to grow the Centennials brand while building a competitive team with the best of sporting cultures. We are proud to become a member of a league that provides development opportunities for local and provincial players to continue to pursue their hockey goals and dreams. We thank the City of Merritt and the KIJHL for this opportunity,” Anstey said.

The league said Centennials fans can look forward to a number of immediate rivalries to develop, with the Kamloops Storm, Princeton Posse, Kelowna Chiefs and Chase Heat all located less than 90 minutes from Merritt.

Further details regarding the Centennials franchise, including season ticket information, spring camp dates and locations, and staffing announcements will be announced in the coming weeks.