Statement regarding withdrawal of Thompson Rivers University from BCIHL

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The British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League regrets to announce that Thompson Rivers University has ceased operations of their school’s Men’s Hockey program effective immediately.

As a result, the BCIHL will operate with five member teams – Eastern Washington University, Selkirk College, Simon Fraser University, Trinity Western University and the University of Victoria – for the 2014/15 hockey season.

"We're sorry to lose a valued member that has provided high-quality competition in our league for the past five years," says BCIHL President Kim Verigin. "The timing and circumstances surrounding TRU's decision are unfortunate and disappointing, but it's important at times like these to focus on the many areas where the league has made great strides in the areas of competitive growth and stability."

In recent years, the BCIHL has become a premier option for graduating junior hockey players from leagues like the WHL and BCHL to compete at the post-secondary level in their home province.

As well, BCIHL teams have participated in exhibition play with teams from the NCAA and CIS. Last season, Simon Fraser University hosted NCAA Division I heavyweights North Dakota and Princeton in Burnaby, and this season will join Trinity Western University in travelling to face top-level American college opposition south of the border in October.

"The BCIHL has become and will continue to be a tremendous option for student-athletes who are seeking an elite academic and hockey experience," says Verigin. "We will work to assist TRU's existing players in any way possible in order to support them under these difficult circumstances. We will also embark on an aggressive search to identify potential schools to join our league, but ultimately our membership is very satisfied with the level of play and the overall health of the BCIHL."

TRU joined the BCIHL in 2009 and has been a two-time league finalist (2010, 2011) while participating in the league playoffs in each of their five seasons. They finished fourth during regular season play in 2013/14 with a record of 9-14-0-1 and were eliminated by Selkirk College in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs.

"I would like to thank the past and current members of the Hockey Board of Directors for their hard work and tireless effort," says TRU Director of Athletics Ken Olynyk. "They established this program five years ago for student-athletes who wanted to continue to play competitive hockey while pursuing their education. They made every effort possible to maintain the program to this point, but due to economics and a lack of a sustainable model, we have no choice but to dissolve the program."

The BCIHL will announce details of its schedule for the 2014/15 season in the coming days.