The president of the 100 Mile House Wranglers is not "super happy" over upcoming changes to the KIJHL (Kootenay International Junior Hockey League)'s structure.
In a news release published on the KIJHL's website on March 18, it was announced that the league's 21 members will be competing within separate Junior A Tier 1 and Tier 2 leagues beginning in the 2026-27 season. All of the 21 teams have undergone a Tier 1 assessment process conducted by Blackfin Sports Group - and the 100 Mile House Wranglers were not one of the 11 teams that were selected to transition to Tier 1. Instead, the Wranglers will be given an opportunity for a further assessment by Blackfin to determine if they will be in Tier 1 or Tier 2.
In a FAQ attached via link to the article, the KIJHL noted that Tier 1 teams would not be playing against Tier 2 teams. This reorganization of the league has been ongoing since the 2023/2024 season when the KIJHL first announced it was transitioning from a Junior B to Junior A hockey league.
Greg Aiken, the president of the 100 Mile House Wranglers, said he does not believe the Wranglers should be in Tier 2 of Junior A.
"We feel that we have strong community support, we have a good on-ice product and we get lots of fans in the building," Aiken said, adding that they also have corporate support.
Aiken also says he does not know what exactly would be the difference between a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 league.
"When I see the teams that have been designated as tier one, I don't see any difference between some of those teams and the size of the town they're in and how they run their business, and how we run our business," Aiken said.
He also added that the Wranglers are currently in the final four of the KIJHL playoffs alongside the Revelstoke Grizzlies, the Grand Forks Border Bruins and the Kimberley Dynamiters, all of which have been approved to transition to Tier 1. It should also be noted that the Wranglers eliminated the Kamloops Storm in six games to get there - another team which will be transitioning to Tier 1.
Aiken says that the Wranglers will be participating in the further assessment by Blackfish Sports Group in hopes they will get into Tier 1, and will be making their feelings known to the KIJHL.
"It's an ongoing process," he said.
In their release, the KIJHL noted that a final decision on which teams will make Tier 1 and which ones will make Tier 2 would be announced in 2026. They also indicated more information would be released over the summer following their annual general meeting scheduled for June 20-22 in Kamloops.
