SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
About 40 players, including four Brooks Bandits, left the BCHL over the past month to play major junior hockey in Canada and the United States as a result of the NCAA eligibility rule change.
The eligibility change was made in November and it is expected to go into effect on Aug. 1 which will allow “professional” players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in the OHL, QMJHL and the Western Hockey League (WHL) to be eligible for NCAA Division 1 colleges.
CHL players are considered to be professional because they receive compensation and signing bonuses. As long as they do not receive more than their necessary expenses they will be eligible for Division 1.
Bandits goalie Johnny Hicks, who was slotted to play in the BCHL Top Prospects match and All-Star tournament for the Interior Conference, Montreal Canadiens draftee goalie Mikus Vecvanags, and defensemen Mathieu Taillefer and Quinn McCall have moved to the major juniors.
Bandits president Paul Seaton confirmed that the players have joined other leagues.
Hicks signed with the Victoria Royals of the WHL, Vecvanags is with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Junior Major Hockey League (QMJHL), Taillefer is with the QMJHL’s Halifax Moosehead and McCall is with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters.
“The rule change permits them to retain their college commitments and play major junior,” Seaton said.
Following an emergency meeting of the BCHL in November the league stated they will continue to move forward.
“There’s no doubt that this rule change has altered the landscape of junior hockey but as our league has always done, we will adapt to the new regulations and continue to thrive,” said BCHL Commissioner Steven Cocker.
Cocker acknowledged that while a small percentage of players left the league, teams are recruiting highly skilled athletes from other leagues.
“As a league without a draft, the BCHL has always supported players choice. We will always be in favour of athletes doing what they think is best for their development,” he said.
BCHL players have left other teams due to the rule change including five from the Chilliwack Chiefs, four each from the Nanaimo Clippers and West Kelowna Warriors, three from the Vernon Vipers, two players each from the Coquitlam Express, Cowichan Valley Express, Langley Rivermen, Salmon Arm Silverbacks, West Kelowna Warriors, Vernon Vipers and Penticton Vees, two from Cranbrook Bucks (one returned) and one each from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, Powell River Kings and Prince George Spruce Kings.
The BCHL Vipers, Chiefs, Powell River Kings, Silverbacks and West Kelowna have signed players from the major juniors.
Since the end of December the Bandits have recruited forward Cooper Pierson from the United States Hockey League’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, defenceman Shane Burns from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Steinbach Pistons, goalie Chris Quizi from the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Oakville Blades and defenceman Krists Retenais, who started his season with the Abderdeen Wings of the North American Hockey League.
He was a member of Team Latvia at the 2025 IIHF World Juniors in Ottawa in December and January.
Retenais was a teammate of Vecvanags on the 2022-23 Latvia U17 national team.
