The North Okanagan Knights are gearing up for the 2023-24 Kootenay International Junior A Hockey League (KIJHL) season.
Last year saw the Knights finish with a 22-16-4-2 record. The team advanced to the second round of the playoffs, defeating the Osoyoos Coyotes in Round 1 before falling to the Princeton Posse in five games.
General manager and head coach Liam McOnie is looking forward to the upcoming year, with regular season play set to begin on Friday, Sept. 22.
“We had a good off-season and recruited some skilled young players,” said McOnie. “We’re excited to get started and we really like that our returning players are great people, first. Their work ethic and leadership are going to bring a lot in helping create a strong culture.”
The KIJHL will be entering its first year as a junior A league, placing the league in Hockey Canada’s Canadian development model with the Western Hockey League (WHL) and Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
“We’re excited about the opportunities this new pathway will create for junior hockey players in B.C. and Yukon,” said Stephanie White, Chair of the Board of Directors at BC Hockey. “Having these teams dedicate themselves to raised standards, first to Junior A Tier 2, and eventually Junior A Tier 1 for some, will provide more of our talented players with a better player experience at the highest level in our province.”
Ticket information and more can be found at northokanaganknights.com
READ MORE: Vernon ultra athlete trying to overcome pain in Swiss event
READ MORE: Amanda Shatzko in running for new Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA
@B0B0Assman
bowen.assman@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our daily and subscribe to our daily newsletter.