48-game Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League season opens Sept. 4
Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, August 12, 2026
The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League season just released its regular-season and exhibition schedules.
The new season gets underway with exhibition play beginning Aug. 21, while the regular season opens Sept. 4. Each VIJHL team will play a 48-game regular-season schedule, consisting of 24 home games and 24 road games. The regular season runs through Feb. 28, 2027.
The Oceanside Generals will be among the teams looking to make their mark in a league that has been operating since 1965. The Generals have lined up three exhibition games. They play their first game on the road against the Nanaimo Buccaneers at the Nanaimo Ice Centre on Friday, Aug. 28. They take their turn to host the Buccaneers the next day, Aug. 28 at Oceanside Place at 7 p.m. They play their final tune-up game when they take on Lake Cowichan Kraken on Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena.
Opening night on Sept. 4 features three games across the league, including the defending VIJHL playoff champion Victoria Cougars visiting the Saanich Predators at George Pearkes Arena. The Lake Cowichan Kraken will travel to face the Nanaimo Buccaneers at the Nanaimo Ice Centre, while the Westshore Wolves host the Peninsula Panthers at Panorama Recreation Centre in Sidney.
The Generals will kick off their VIJHL campaign when they host the Port Alberni Bombers at Oceanside Place on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.
League officials said several scheduling challenges had to be addressed this year, including a change for the Nanaimo Buccaneers, who will move their regular home games from Thursday to Friday nights.
The Victoria Cougars will also face a temporary change to their home-ice situation while renovations continue at Archie Browning Arena in Esquimalt. The Cougars are scheduled to play four home games at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, two at SeaParc Arena in Sooke and one at Naden Arena in Esquimalt.
“We are very excited about this season’s schedule,” VIJHL chair Shawn Vincent said in a league release.
Vincent said the league’s scheduling team faced several unique challenges but was able to put together the 2026-27 slate.
“With an influx of new players, we anticipate that the 2026-2027 season will be one of the best in the history of the league,” he said.
The VIJHL’s playoff format will remain unchanged from the past two seasons. The top four teams in each of the North and South divisions will advance to best-of-seven series, with three rounds ultimately determining the division champions. The North and South champions will then meet in the VIJHL final, which is scheduled to begin in mid-March.
For the Oceanside Generals, the release of the schedule marks another step toward the start of a new season and the opportunity to compete for a berth in the VIJHL playoffs.