What Hockey Team Is in British Columbia? (Pro, University, Juniors)

Did you know a BC hockey team has won the Stanley Cup before?

That’s right, in 1911, British Columbia got its first professional hockey team: the Vancouver Millionaires. The team competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) between 1911 and 1926.

In 1915, the Millionaires won their first PCHA championship which means Vancouver has technically won the Stanley Cup before!

While the original Vancouver Millionaires have been out of commission for about a hundred years at this point, British Columbia has had a wide variety of high-level hockey over the years.

In this article, I’ll show you what professional hockey teams are in BC and what university and junior hockey teams compete in the province.

Pssssst! Are you curious about hockey teams in other Canadian provinces? You can learn more by checking out our other posts: What Hockey Team Is in Ontario and What Hockey Team Is in Alberta.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In British Columbia:

British Columbia’s top hockey team is the Vancouver Canucks (NHL). The other professional hockey team is the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL). The top D1 university teams are the UBC Thunderbirds and Trinity Western Spartans. The top major junior teams (WHL) are Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants, and Victoria Royals.

Does British Columbia Have a Hockey Team?

So, what is British Columbia’s hockey team?

BC has dozens of high-level hockey teams and two professional teams. The top hockey team in the province is the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The other professional team is the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL).

The top D1 university hockey teams are Trinity Western Spartans and UBC Thunderbirds.

The top junior hockey teams are major junior teams that compete within the Western Hockey League (WHL): Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants, and Victoria Royals.

Does British Columbia Have an NHL Team?

So, will you find an NHL hockey team in British Columbia?

Absolutely. British Columbia is home to the Vancouver Canucks, otherwise known as the “Nucks.”

The Canucks compete in the Pacific Division of the NHL’s Western Conference. The team was founded in 1970 alongside the Buffalo Sabres (in New York state).

The Canucks have reached the Stanley Cup Finals a total of three times but have yet to win the Stanley Cup. The Canucks are tied with the Sabres for being the oldest active teams that haven’t won the Stanley Cup yet.

The Canucks were defeated by the New York Islanders in four games in 1982, the New York Rangers in seven games in 1994, and the Boston Bruins in seven games in 2011.

The Canucks have won three division titles within the Smythe Division (1974-1993) and seven division titles within the Northwest Division (1998-2013). The team has had their highest level of regular season success in 2010-11 and 2011-12 when they won the President’s Trophy in back-to-back seasons with the league’s top regular season record.

The Canucks celebrated their 50th anniversary back in 2020.

Some of the most famous Vancouver Canucks players include:

Henrik Sedin
Daniel Sedin
Pavel Bure
Trevor Linden
Stan Smyl
Markus Nasund
Roberto Luongo
Kirk McLean
Alex Edler (Active – L.A. Kings)
Bo Horvat (Active – New York Islanders)
Thomas Gradin
Todd Bertuzzi
Ryan Kesler
Elias Pettersson (Active)
Quinn Hughes (Active)
Mattias Ohlund
Brendan Morrison
Alexander Mogilny
Alexandre Burrows
Cliff Ronning
Tony Tanti

What Hockey Teams Are in British Columbia?

So, what hockey teams are in British Columbia? BC has two professional hockey teams and dozens of university and junior teams as listed below:

NHL

BC’s NHL team is the Vancouver Canucks. They play their home games out of Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

AHL

The AHL is a high-level professional sports league just one step below the NHL. British Columbia has one team in the American Hockey League (AHL) team.

What is the name of the BC AHL team? The Abbotsford Canucks. They’re the affiliated minor league farm team for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.

So, where do they play? The Abbotsford Canucks play their home games at the Abbotsford Centre located at 33800 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC.

D1 University Hockey

While BC is better known for its junior hockey, the province has two D1 university hockey teams that compete within the U Sports League which is the highest-level university sports league in Canada:

Trinity Western Spartans
UBC Thunderbirds

D2 University Hockey

British Columbia has a handful of D2 college hockey teams that compete within the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) which is the second highest-level university sports league in Canada:

Simon Fraser University
University of Victoria
Vancouver Island University
University of British Columbia-Okanagan / Okanagan College
Thompson Rivers University / Nicola Valley Institute of Technology

Junior Hockey

British Columbia has over sixty junior ice hockey teams spread across four leagues: Western Hockey League (WHL – Major Junior), British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL – Junior A), Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL – Junior B), Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL – Junior B), and Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL – Junior B).

BC’s Western Hockey League (WHL – Major Junior) Teams:

Kamloops Blazers
Kelowna Rockets
Prince George Cougars
Vancouver Giants
Victoria Royals

British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL – Junior A) Teams:

Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Chilliwack Chiefs
Coquitlam Express
Cowichan Valley Capitals
Langley Rivermen
Nanaimo Clippers
Victoria Grizzlies
Powell River Kings
Surrey Eagles
Cranbrook Bucks
Merritt Centennials
Penticton Vees
Prince George Spruce Kings
Salmon Arm Silverbacks
Trail Smoke Eaters
Vernon Vipers
Wenatchee Wild
West Kelowna Warriors

Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL – Junior B) Teams:

Abbotsford Pilots
Aldergrove Kodiaks
Chilliwack Jets
Langley Trappers
Mission City Outlaws
Ridge Meadows Flames
Surrey Knights
Delta Ice Hawks
Grandview Steelers
North Vancouver Wolf Pack
Port Moody Panthers
Richmond Sockeyes
White Rock Whalers

Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL – Junior B) Teams:

Columbia Valley Rockies
Creston Valley Thunder Cats
Fernie Ghostriders
Golden Rockets
Kimberley Dynamiters
Beaver Valley Nitehawks
Castlegar Rebels
Grand Forks Border Bruins
Nelson Leafs
100 Mile House Wranglers
Chase Heat
Kamloops Storm
Revelstoke Grizzlies
Sicamous Eagles
Kelowna Chiefs
North Okanagan Knights
Osoyoos Coyotes
Princeton Posse
Summerland Steam

Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL – Junior B) Teams:

Campbell River Storm
Comox Valley Glacier Kings
Lake Cowichan Kraken
Nanaimo Buccaneers
Oceanside Generals
Port Alberni Bombers
Kerry Park Islanders
Peninsula Panthers
Saanich Predators
Victoria Cougars
Westshore Wolves

Is There High School Hockey in British Columbia?

Yes, there is plenty of high school hockey to go around in BC. There are two primary hockey leagues in BC.

The main high school hockey league in BC is the British Columbia High School Hockey League. It consists of nineteen teams across three divisions:

Division 1

Earl Marriot
Heritage Woods
McMath
Terry Fox
Walnut Grove
Windsor

Division 2

Charles Best
Elgin Park
MEI Secondary
Riverside
Robert Bateman
Rockridge
Sands

Division 3

Archbishop Carney
Burnsview
Holy Cross
Magee
Moscrop
Sir Winston Churchill

The second high school hockey league in BC is the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). It’s a high-level national league that features high school teams from across Canada. BC has several teams that compete within the Prep West Division. Here are all the teams in the CSSHL’s Prep West:

Edge School
RINK hockey Academy Kelowna
Yale Hockey Academy
Prairie Hockey Academy
RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg
Delta Hockey Academy
Shawnigan Lake School
International Hockey Academy
BWC Academy
Northern Alberta Xtreme
South Alberta Hockey Academy
St. George’s School
Okanagan Hockey Academy
Pacific Coast Hockey Academy
OHA Edmonton

What AHL Teams Are in British Columbia?

There is one American Hockey League (AHL) team in British Columbia: the Abbotsford Canucks. They play their home games in Abbotsford, BC out of Abbotsford Centre. The Abbotsford Canucks are the affiliated minor league hockey team for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.

What NHL Teams Are in Vancouver?

There is only one NHL team in Vancouver: the Vancouver Canucks. They have been in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over 50 years (since 1970).

Junior A Hockey Teams in BC

There’s one Junior A hockey league in BC: the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). The league consists of eighteen teams spread across the province.

Here’s a list of every “Junior A” hockey team in BC:

Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Chilliwack Chiefs
Coquitlam Express
Cowichan Valley Capitals
Langley Rivermen
Nanaimo Clippers
Victoria Grizzlies
Powell River Kings
Surrey Eagles
Cranbrook Bucks
Merritt Centennials
Penticton Vees
Prince George Spruce Kings
Salmon Arm Silverbacks
Trail Smoke Eaters
Vernon Vipers
Wenatchee Wild
West Kelowna Warriors

Junior B Hockey Teams in BC

There are over forty different Junior B hockey teams in BC. Junior B hockey in BC is spread across three different leagues: Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), and Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL).

Here is every Junior B hockey team in British Columbia:

Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL)

Abbotsford Pilots
Aldergrove Kodiaks
Chilliwack Jets
Langley Trappers
Mission City Outlaws
Ridge Meadows Flames
Surrey Knights
Delta Ice Hawks
Grandview Steelers
North Vancouver Wolf Pack
Port Moody Panthers
Richmond Sockeyes
White Rock Whalers

Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL)

Columbia Valley Rockies
Creston Valley Thunder Cats
Fernie Ghostriders
Golden Rockets
Kimberley Dynamiters
Beaver Valley Nitehawks
Castlegar Rebels
Grand Forks Border Bruins
Nelson Leafs
100 Mile House Wranglers
Chase Heat
Kamloops Storm
Revelstoke Grizzlies
Sicamous Eagles
Kelowna Chiefs
North Okanagan Knights
Osoyoos Coyotes
Princeton Posse
Summerland Steam

Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL)

Campbell River Storm
Comox Valley Glacier Kings
Lake Cowichan Kraken
Nanaimo Buccaneers
Oceanside Generals
Port Alberni Bombers
Kerry Park Islanders
Peninsula Panthers
Saanich Predators
Victoria Cougars
Westshore Wolves

Is there AAA Hockey in BC?

Yes, there is AAA hockey in BC within the BC Elite Hockey League (BCEHL). In the BCEHL, there are 35 teams (and 680 players) that compete within four AAA leagues in BC: Female U18, U18, U17, and U15.

Here are the different AAA hockey teams in BC:

U18 AAA

Greater Vancouver Canadians
Okanagan Rockets
Vancouver North West Hawks
Vancouver North East Chiefs
Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Valley West Giants
Cariboo Cougars
Thompson Blazers
North Island Silvertips

Female U18 AAA

Fraser Valley Rush
Thompson-Okanagan Lakers
Vancouver Island Seals
Northern Capitals
Greater Vancouver Comets

U17 AAA

Greater Vancouver Canadians
Okanagan Rockets
Vancouver North West Hawks
Vancouver North East Chiefs
Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Valley West Giants
Cariboo Cougars
Thompson Blazers
North Island Silvertips
South Island Royals

U15 AAA

Greater Vancouver Canadians
Okanagan Rockets
Vancouver North West Hawks
Vancouver North East Chiefs
Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Valley West Giants
Cariboo Cougars
Thompson Blazers
North Island Silvertips

What Is the Famous Hockey Team in Vancouver?

The famous hockey team in Vancouver is the Vancouver Canucks. The team was formed in the 1970 NHL expansion alongside the Buffalo Sabres to take the league from twelve teams to fourteen.

The Canucks compete in the Pacific Division of the NHL’s Western Conference. They play their home games out of Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver, BC.

Does BC Have an NHL Team?

Yes, BC has an NHL team: The Vancouver Canucks. They play in downtown Vancouver out of Rogers Arena.

Are you curious to know what hockey teams compete in different American states? Be sure to check out our post: Hockey Teams in Every U.S. State: Complete NHL & College List (2023).