The BCHL’s Powell River Kings have been on life support since the start of the 2025-2026 season. Now, the team is in the critical care unit, as it tries to hold on.
Reports of financial troubles for the Ricer Kings have been public information since the start of the 2025-2026 season. The city has been looking for new ownership, and trying to find creative ways to keep the money losing team afloat moving forward.
Needless to say, those efforts have not paid off in the long or short run.
The BCHL has given the River Kings until March 29th to resolve the financial situation, and commit to playing in the BCHL 2026-2027 season. With efforts spanning the last six months, its not reasonable to believe that the team will find a benefactor to cover existing debt and assume the likelyhood of additional debt moving forward.
Make no mistake, free to play, or very inexpensive to play junior hockey is not a business model that is going to survive long term without massive local revenue from ticket sales and advertising sales.
Whats driving costs up is a big part of why the River Kings will likely not be the only Tier 2 team folding in the next twelve months.
Coaches salaries in Canada and the US are simply out of control. But the coaches are not to blame. Inflation in both countries and th cost of living is to blame.
Ice rental expenses, for the same inflationary reasons are also making it impossible for arenas to keep ice costs at a reasonable level for any team.
Coach bus rental, equipment, and nearly every other item needed to play at a high level is simply spiralingout of control.
The River Kings are simply the only current public example of a Tier 2 team in trouble. There are dozens more that are not made public. And there will be more coming in the future.
When Tier 2 teams start folding, the downward market pressure on the player pool becomes more intense. Twenty five players who have played for the River Kings would hit the open market with junior eligibility remaining. Those twenty five players take up twenty five roster spots that other players were looking to claim as their own. Not enough supply and too much demand.
When Tier 2 is now seen as an NCAA D3, ACHA and EUCHL feeder, it is a significant market correction. And all of this began because the NCAA wanted to avoid a lawsuit.
Todays junior hockey problems at every level that the public can see, are really just the tip of several icebergs that many players and parents are not aware of existing. The summer of 2026 will be one that many are not prepared for.
For those of you who thought the blood bath of the summer of 2025 was something, 2026 is shaping up to be much worse. More on that later.
