After 15 years, Bill Olhausen has decided to end his tenure as the president of the Kootenay Internation Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
“Bill and Mary Olhausen have been the face of the KIJHL for many years. They have poured heart and soul into making this the best Junior B league in Canada,” said Tom Bachynski.
Replacing him will be Larry Martell, the former vice-president, after nominations from the floor at the league’s annual general meeting. Martell appointed Kathy Merkel to the secretary/treasurer position after John Surovy resigned for personal reasons.
The governors of the league have also decided on a new governance model, where the president would have a much smaller role and the day-to-day work will be handled by a paid person. Bachynski said he expects this model will be in place close to October and thinks it will be good for the league.
The 2018-19 KIJHL season will also see some changes on the ice with the league going down to 49-game schedule per team and cross-over conference play.
The Wranglers will travel to East Kootenay and host West Kootenay teams giving them a chance to face off against last year’s winners, the Kimberley Dynamiters.
“Our fans maybe got a bit tired of seeing division rivals four times in the regular season, so this will add some variety,” said Bachynski. “The cross-over is great. It’s nice to see the league as one again.”
To accommodate this change, the Wranglers will only play six inter-divisional games instead of eight.
The three Junior B leagues in the province, the KIJHL, Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL) and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) also met with BC Hockey to discuss some rule changes, particularly the controversial full-face shield rule that will become mandatory across the leagues next year.
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“I think Junior B was done a disservice. Players go through the ranks of minor hockey with a full shield. Once they reach junior they can wear a half-shield, except in B.C. It puts us in a very unfair recruitment position while all of junior hockey elsewhere uses half shields. I’m not certain the decision was out of context or was announced prior to due consideration. There are some very angry teams and leagues on BC Hockey’s decision,” said Bachynski.
The Spokane Braves, the KIJHL’s only team based in the U.S. are exempt from the rule as they follow the direction of US Hockey. However, it is already mandatory for all American junior and college-aged players to wear a full mask unless they are 18 and sign a waiver.
Also new to the KIJHL is a three-day showcase in Kamloops, where all 20 teams in the league will play two games in the three days. All games are considered to be regular season play and at the same time showcasing the league’s talent for scouts of universities and Junior A teams.
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