The North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee will be asked to support a bid for a Junior-B hockey team in Quesnel.
A proposal to support a KIJHL team is on the agenda of tonight’s (Tuesday) meeting.
The report that will go before Quesnel City Council and the northern CRD Directors says the bid is for the 2022-23 season.
The team’s investors indicate that they are in the process of forming a non-profit organization that will own and operate the team.
The report goes over the economic benefits to the community in hosting 25 games during the season.
It also states that once a bid is successful, the group would then negotiate an agreement with the committee to play in the West Fraser Centre.
The team is not only requesting a letter of support, but also confirmation that ice time can be made available to the team.
Letter to Committee
Dear North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee Members,
I am part of ownership group that is pursuing a bid to bring Junior B hockey to Quesnel for the start of the 2022 season. We are putting together a bid application to become the next expansion team for the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). The KIJHL was started in 1967, has 20 teams currently and is sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The age group for this league is 16–20. Currently, there are 8 players on record from Quesnel playing in this league that were forced to go to other communities to play this level of hockey.
We are looking for the Support from you and your committee. We would like to play all our home games in the West Fraser Center in Quesnel. We require ice time for our practices that would occur during offpeak hours when the demand from other user groups for the ice surface is low. We are predicting to have approximately 25 home games that would feature fast paced and highly skilled hockey. We are confident that a team in this league playing in Quesnel would be very competitive, feature local talent and showcase our stunning arena and facility.
Our goal is to have a team here in Quesnel so our local youth can advance past the Midget level and play in a competitive league that has advanced 191 players in the last 5 years to a higher level of hockey (e.g., Junior A, Major Junior). We owe it to our younger hockey players to have the option to play in front of there hometown family and friends. In addition, we plan to work in collaboration with Quesnel & District Minor Hockey Association (QDMHA) to develop elite players in all age groups to improve their skills. We will look to sign and affiliate as many local players as we can to stay competitive. Furthermore, we have reached out to make an early connection with the Quesnel Kangaroos and feel the two teams will not function in a game of tug-a-war, but more operate in synergy with a partnership that foster strong ongoing connections that will have a positive impact within the local community. Lastly, we have connected with many local organizations and business owners already, including Letters of Support from the Quesnel Chamber of Commerce and QDMHA
Please reach out if there are any questions.
We look forward to your positive reply.
Cory Broadhead Quesnel Thunder Junior Hockey Club President of Hockey Operations