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44-735: The Tri-City Americans are an American major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League and based in Kennewick, Washington . Founded in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes , the team settled in Kennewick in 1988 after a number of relocations. The team plays its home games at Toyota Center , which was purpose-built for the team. The team has won one Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions and have played in one league playoff final; however,

88-608: A director with the Czech Ice Hockey Association , felt that Junior-aged players were enticed to play in North America before maturation, with a negative effect on the development of the player and the European system. He stated that of the 527 Czech Republic players who went to North American Junior hockey, only 22 of them played more than 400 NHL games. He sought to establish a European system that

132-535: A one-game walk-out; Dixon hired Bill LaForge to manage the team, and when he stepped in for coach Rick Kozuback and allegedly levied verbal abuse at players and instructed them to injure their opponents, the players refused to play in their December 31, 1989 game against the Portland Winter Hawks . Dixon ultimately agreed that Kozuback would continue coaching the team, rather than LaForge. In that season's playoffs, during their first round series against

176-720: A professional team, and are used by professional teams to develop their own prospects. One example of this is the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden or the Minor Hockey League in Russia . The lack of an amateur draft in Europe means that the onus is on the teams to sign the most talented young players they can get, and the presence of an affiliated junior team provides a place for young players who are not yet ready for

220-653: A significant concentration of teams in the central and southwestern parts of the United States, although the league began to expand to east coast as of 2015. In October 2016, the Tier III United States Premier Hockey League , a league predominately located on the east coast, applied to USA Hockey for approval of a Tier II league to begin in the 2017–18 season, however, the league was denied that December and decided to operate its Tier II league independently. The NAHL, like

264-817: Is currently the only Tier I league in the country, consisting of teams in the central and midwestern United States. The USHL provides an alternative to the Canadian Hockey League, which pays its major junior hockey players a stipend, for players who wish to maintain NCAA eligibility for later in their career. While playing in the USHL, all player expenses are paid for by the team; no membership or equipment fees are charged. Unlike major junior teams, free-college stipend does not exist. Historically, professional leagues have drafted less directly from USHL teams, although this trend has shifted in recent years, coinciding with

308-482: Is division leader z - team has clinched division Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts. = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout Losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage In total, 31 WHL players were selected at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft . The Subway Super Series (formerly known as ADT Canada Russia Challenge )

352-616: The Clarence Schmalz Cup which was first awarded in 1938. The Ontario Junior C playoffs are played for between six of the Province's seven different regional leagues. In Quebec and West of Manitoba, Junior C hockey tends to be an extension of the local minor hockey system and is sometimes called Juvenile or House League. In Ontario, Manitoba, and the Maritimes, Junior C is run independently of minor hockey systems, though with

396-823: The Coupe Dodge in Quebec , the Don Johnson Cup in the Atlantic Provinces , and the Keystone Cup that represents all of Western Canada, from British Columbia to Northwestern Ontario . Junior C (Junior A in Québec ) generally consists of local competitions, but is considered competitive in some regions, and serve as seeding or farm-teams for Junior B teams. Ontario Junior C Hockey has six rounds of best-of-seven playoffs (up to 42 games per team) for

440-694: The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League has operated as an independent league in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The league widely recruits players from outside of North America. In late 2016, the United States Premier Hockey League , an organization composed of several USA Hockey Tier III Junior as well as many youth hockey leagues, applied for a Tier II league. The Tier II status was denied in December 2016 but

484-757: The Memorial Cup in a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. Major Junior players were historically deemed ineligible to play college hockey in the United States , because they were considered to be professionals by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Major Junior players retain their eligibility for Canadian universities however, and all three leagues have scholarship programs for players. The NCAA changed its position and decided that CHL players were no longer ineligible as of

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528-505: The North American 3 Hockey League Some Junior ice hockey leagues operate outside the framework of governing bodies such as Hockey Canada and USA Hockey , typically due to disagreements with governing bodies over player recruitment policies and finances. These leagues are sometimes referred to as 'unsanctioned', 'rogue' or 'outlaw' leagues due to their lack of sanctioning or oversight from an outside governing body. Since 2006,

572-751: The Tri-City Americans in the championship series to claim their second Ed Chynoweth Cup , and a berth in the 2010 Memorial Cup tournament. The Western Hockey League opened the regular season on September 17, 2009, in Kelowna, with a game between the defending champion Kelowna Rockets and the Vancouver Giants . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes x - team clinched Western Hockey League Playoff spot y - team

616-619: The US . In 2023, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew from the Hockey Canada framework, and thus became an independent league. In response, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework, which included an opportunity for some Junior B teams (styled "Junior A Tier 2" by BC Hockey) to be promoted to Junior A (styled "Junior A Tier 1" by BC Hockey) and eventually seek membership with

660-466: The 2025–26 season. The decision was made after a class action was filed on behalf of a player who was declared ineligible after having played two exhibition games in the OHL when he was 16 years old. The CHL places a cap of three 20-year-old players per team, and allows up to four 16-year-olds on each roster. While 15-year-old players were formerly permitted to play a limited number of games per season at

704-648: The Americans have not won a playoff championship. The Americans franchise began as a founding franchise of the league, beginning as the Calgary Buffaloes in 1966. The original team was renamed the "Centennials" after one season. In 1977, the franchise relocated to Montana and was known as the Billings Bighorns —part of an initial wave of American teams in the league. In 1982, the team moved again, this time to Nanaimo , British Columbia , where

748-481: The Americans set a team record for attendance with 6,042 attendees. In 2009–10 , the Americans won their third straight division title and advanced to the championship series for the first time in history. They faced the Calgary Hitmen , losing the series in five games. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Alumni of

792-892: The Americans who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Scott Gomez was the first former American to win the Stanley Cup . The Americans honored Todd Klassen in 1993, months after he was killed in a car crash. The team also began awarding the Todd Klassen Humanitarian of the Year Award annually. David Branch Player of the Year Award CHL Goaltender of the Year CHL Top Scorer Award Brian Kilrea Coach of

836-585: The CHL level, they are now permitted to play only if they are deemed exceptional by Hockey Canada . As of 2024 , nine players have qualified under this rule: centre John Tavares in 2005, defenceman Aaron Ekblad in 2011, centre Connor McDavid in 2012, defenceman Sean Day in 2013, centre Joe Veleno in 2015, centre Shane Wright in 2019, forward Connor Bedard in 2020, forward Michael Misa in 2022, and defenceman Landon DuPont in 2024. CHL teams are currently permitted two "imports" (players from outside Canada and

880-772: The CJHL. The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024—25 season. Junior B (Junior AA in Québec ; Tier 2 in British Columbia ) was created in 1933, to differentiate between teams eligible for Memorial Cup competition and those who were not. The major championships across Canada are the Sutherland Cup in Southern Ontario , the Barkley Cup in the Ottawa District ,

924-843: The Canadian Club System: 1. Major Junior, 2. Junior A, 3. Junior B, and 4. Junior C. Not all teams playing in Canadian Junior leagues are based in Canada . As of 2024 , there were approximately twelve US-based teams playing in various Major Junior and Junior A leagues in Canada. In 2023, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework following the departure of its only Junior A league . Its three Junior B leagues ( PJHL , KIJHL and VIJHL ) were re-styled as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to promote some to "Junior A Tier 1" following an independent evaluation. It

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968-492: The Division final. Struggling on and off the ice, the team was nearly relocated to Chilliwack , British Columbia, in 2004. However, an ownership group including former players Kolzig and Barnes, along with Bob Tory and Dennis Loman, purchased the team and kept it in Kennewick. In 2021, Barnes would be named the team's head coach. The Americans' had their most successful run in a five-season period from 2007–08 to 2011–12, when

1012-737: The Game for their respective teams. The next night at Prospera Place in Kelowna, Team WHL defeated Team Russia 4–2 to end the series and give the CHL a 6–0 record. Goaltender Igor Bobkov was named Team Russia's Player of the Game for the second straight night, while Brandon McMillan was named Team WHL's Player of the Game. Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; SV& = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average The 92nd Memorial Cup

1056-545: The Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) beginning in the 2024-25 season. Major Junior is the highest level of Junior ice hockey in Canada. There are three Major Junior leagues that collectively make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) : The championship teams from each league, as well as a pre-selected host team, compete for

1100-605: The Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew its membership with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. In 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) announced that it would also withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season. In Europe, Junior teams are usually associated with

1144-725: The Thunderbirds, Kozuback and several players got into a physical altercation with fans, who had apparently been pouring beer onto the bench; Kozuback and two players were suspended, while Seattle was fined for its fans' actions. Despite re-branding as the Americans, the team wore the New West Bruins' black-and-gold colors for the first two seasons in Kennewick, before Dixon finally paid for new uniforms in their red, white, and blue color scheme in 1990. The team found limited success in its first two decades, winning its first playoff series in 1995 over Spokane, but never advancing past

1188-576: The Tier III level pay a fee or tuition, commonly ranging from $ 4,000 to $ 9,500. This is for all accounts and purposes an amateur level, although some players go directly to NCAA Division I schools. Most Tier III players are looking to increase their skills in hopes to move up to Tier II or I, while other players go directly to NCAA Division III , ACHA and CHF schools. Prior to July 2011, USA Hockey split Tier III into Junior A and B divisions. USA Hockey currently has one sanctioned Tier III league,

1232-572: The US) each. Up until 1970, the leagues that were classified as Major Junior and "Junior A" today were both part of Junior A. In 1970 they were divided into "Tier I Junior A" or "Major Junior A" and "Tier II Junior A". In 1980, the three Major Junior A leagues opted for self-control over being controlled by the branches of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and became Major Junior hockey, Tier II Junior A became

1276-500: The USHL, provides young players an alternative to major junior hockey, although the skill level is considered significantly lower than major junior hockey and typically filled with those who would not or did not make the roster of a Tier I team. Unlike Tier I, the NAHL does not pay for all players' expenses, such as room and board, but there is no tuition cost to the player as in Tier III. In addition to paying for room and board, players at

1320-518: The USNTDP moving to the USHL in 2009-10. In the 2019 NHL Entry Draft , 17 of the 44 players drafted out of the USHL played for the USNTDP. Those 44 draft picks were 16 more than any of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League, and included 9 first round picks (8 of which came from the USNTDP) and 7 second round picks. For most of its existence the USHL was considered inferior in quality of play to

1364-773: The USPHL moved forward with the new league anyway, creating the National Collegiate Development Conference. In response, the USPHL has removed all their junior level leagues (the NCDC and the Tier III-level Premier and Elite Divisions) from USA Hockey sanctioning since the 2017–18 season. In 2022, the Eastern Hockey League , which was operating two Tier III leagues, also left USA Hockey sanctioning. In 2023,

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1408-579: The Year Award Four Broncos Memorial Trophy Player of the year Del Wilson Trophy Goaltender of the year Bob Clarke Trophy Top Scorer Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy Coach of the year Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy Humanitarian of the year Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy Executive of the year WHL Plus-Minus Award Top plus-minus Junior ice hockey There are four levels of Junior hockey in

1452-670: The fall of 1988. The move was seen as a gamble given the lack of hockey history in Tri-City area, but it paid off—within a few seasons, the team counted nearly 4,000 season ticket holders. The team's new arena in Kennewick, the Tri-Cities Coliseum, was not ready in time for the start of the team's first season in Washington, forcing the team to seek practice ice in Walla Walla and to play its first seventeen games on

1496-495: The major junior levels. But it continued to improve and as of 2019 about 21 percent of NHL players had played USHL in their career. Between 80 and 90 percent of USHL players continued into NCAA hockey. Currently, the North American Hockey League is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II league in the United States. The NAHL consists of teams spread across the western two thirds of the United States with

1540-635: The rigours of the professional game to develop. However, not all players on a European junior team are necessarily property of their professional club, and may elect to sign elsewhere. At the World Hockey Summit in 2010, nations in Europe expressed concern about the number of junior players leaving to play in North America, despite the improved talent level and the increasing popularity of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Junior Championships . Slavomir Lener,

1584-610: The road. The team's inaugural game was a 4–2 loss in Spokane against the Chiefs . The team finally debuted in their new home arena on November 20, 1988, defeating the Seattle Thunderbirds 4–3 in overtime in front of 6,000 spectators. Led by stars Stu Barnes and goaltender Olaf Kolzig , the Americans were playoff contenders from the outset. The team gained widespread attention during their second season when they staged

1628-656: The same mostly recreational purpose. Junior ice hockey in the United States is sanctioned by USA Hockey . The top level is Tier I, represented by the United States Hockey League . Tier II is represented by the North American Hockey League . There are several Tier III and independently sanctioned leagues throughout the country. Some US-based teams play in Canadian leagues outside of the USA Hockey framework. The United States Hockey League (USHL)

1672-610: The team played for one season as the Nanaimo Islanders . The team then moved to New Westminster , BC, to become the second incarnation of the New Westminster Bruins . In 1987, owner Ron Dixon proposed moving the team to the Tri-Cities area if local investors would put together enough money for a new arena; the proposal was endorsed, and the team moved to Kennewick and became known as the Americans in

1716-416: The team topped the U.S. Division four times. In 2007–08 , led by goaltender Chet Pickard and coach-of-the-year Don Nachbaur , the team won the regular season title with a 52-win, 108-point season, before losing a seven-game conference final series against Spokane that featured a then-record five overtime games. The following season, at their annual New Year's Eve game against the Chiefs on December 31, 2008,

1760-502: The top tier of hockey in the CAHA and became Junior A hockey. Junior A (Junior AAA in Québec ; Tier 1 in British Columbia ) hockey is one level below Major Junior. It is governed by the respective regional branches of Hockey Canada . The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of nine Junior A leagues: The national championship is the Centennial Cup . Unlike Major Junior players, Junior A players retain their NCAA eligibility and may go on to play college hockey in

1804-456: Was a six-game series featuring four teams: three from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)—one team from each of the QMJHL, the OHL, and the WHL—versus Russia's national junior hockey team . The 2009 series was held in six cities across Canada. The series began on November 16, 2009, and concluded on November 26, 2009. Both Western Hockey League games were held in British Columbia. Former Victoria Cougar goaltender and Hall of Famer , Grant Fuhr ,

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1848-650: Was competitive enough to deter players from entering into the CHL Import Draft . 2009%E2%80%9310 WHL season The 2009–10 WHL season was the 44th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 17, 2009, and ended on March 14, 2010. The 2009 Subway Super Series , featuring Team WHL versus Team Russia, took place mid-season from November 25 to 26, 2009. The Calgary Hitmen won their second consecutive and fourth overall Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for best regular season record. The playoffs took place from March 18 to May 7. The Hitmen followed up their regular season title by defeating

1892-403: Was expected that those teams promoted to "Junior A Tier 1" would eventually apply for membership in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), an association of Junior A leagues governed by Hockey Canada and its regional branches . BC Hockey expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024-25 season. Before the process was completed, the VIJHL announced that it would also withdraw from

1936-519: Was named Honorary Captain for the first game in the series, held in Victoria on November 25, 2009. The next night, retired Kelowna fire chief, Gerry Zimmermann, was named Honorary Captain for the final game of the series. In the first game of the two part series between Team WHL and Team Russia, Team WHL scored two goals en route to a 2–1 win in front of 6,695 fans at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. Goaltender Igor Bobkov of Team Russia and forward Levko Koper of Team WHL were named Players of

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