BCIHL Announces addition of Logan Lake Miners for 22/23 season

The BCIHL is pleased to announce the addition of the Logan Lake Miners collegiate hockey program commencing with the 2022/23 season. 

The Miners operate as an independent team with student-athletes enrolled in full time courses at Thompson Rivers University and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. 

Led by head coach Mike Carlsen, the Miners will call the Logan Lake Recreation Centre home heading into what the BCIHL expects to be a full schedule beginning in October 2022.

"We're thrilled to be adding our third new program since 2017. Mike and his organizing group have done a fantastic job working with us over the past year and putting together a strong application. Their core values centered around community, respect and character align with ours and we believe they have a head start on a successful program," says BCIHL President Chris Munshaw. 

"The Miners are honing in on a deep talent pool of graduating junior hockey players in the Okanagan, as well as across BC and Alberta, many of whom are looking for opportunities to compete and study closer to home rather than the traditional American university hockey routes many Canadians take." says Munshaw. 

Logan Lake has close proximity to Merritt and Kamloops with no active rep, academy or junior teams operating in the district.

"We believe the close-knit community, the facility and the team behind the team are a great foundation, and that Logan Lake will make a nice home with a lot of unique opportunities in the future," says Munshaw. 

The BCIHL has continued dialog with a number of post-secondary institutions throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to explore opportunities to expand with both official school and independent programs as resources and funding permits. 

"We're seeing significant growth in interest from high performance student-athletes who are genuinely committed to education and leading successful careers. I think that's reflected in the growth of the CSSHL now at 94 teams, both accredited and private, ranging from U15-U18. We'll evaluate every opportunity to tap into this interest and accept new teams, but we are focused on the ones that align with our values and enhance the future of the BCIHL. We'll continue to work closely with USports programs to enhance our exhibition tournament schedule and promote university/college hockey across BC."

Logan Lake residents will get a taste of what's to come this weekend as the Okanagan Lakers take on Vancouver Island University in a pair of neutral site games. The puck drops at 7:30pm on Friday February 11th and 7:30pm on Saturday February 12th at the Logan Lake Recreation Centre. Entry is free for all spectators, and public health guidance on face masks and proof of Covid-19 vaccination is in effect for both games. 

For more information on the Miners program, visit www.loganlakeminers.com