It’s down to the final four in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoffs.
The Princeton Posse and Revelstoke Grizzlies will compete in the Okanagan-Shuswap conference final, while the Beaver Valley Nitehawks and Fernie Ghostriders will face off in the Kootenay conference final.
Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: The Summerland Steam will no longer be based in the Okanagan.
The league recently announced that the Steam has been sold and will move to Williams Lake, where they'll be known as the Mustangs.
The league declared, “The sale and move was approved unanimously by the KIJHL’s board of governors and will take effect immediately. With the addition of the Mustangs, the KIJHL geographic footprint expands nearly 100 kilometres to the northwest and adds a natural rival for the Cariboo’s existing team, the 100 Mile House Wranglers.”
The Steam called Summerland home for 13 seasons, starting in 2011-12.
Summerland had a tough 2023-24 season, winning just nine games out of 44. They finished fifth in their division with 24 points and did not make it to the playoffs.
Attendance problems likely contributed to the team's relocation. The largest home crowd this season was 254 on Oct. 6, during a 6-5 overtime win against Osoyoos. Most attendance figures were less than 150, with the smallest being 102.
Global News has reached out to the Steam for comment.
KIJHL commissioner Jeff Dubois thanked everyone involved with the Summerland Steam organization for their hard work and dedication, including the volunteers, billets, and fans, as well as the Hogg family — Steve, Betsy and Tim.
The move will take the team from a community of around 12,000 to one of around 25,000 in the central Cariboo.
However, Williams Lake has had a fluctuating relationship with junior hockey teams.
The Mustangs were part of the junior-B Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League from 1978-79 until they disbanded in 1995-96.
At that point, the league was renamed the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League following the merger of the PCJHL and the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League in 1991.
Williams Lake welcomed a team named the Timberwolves in 2002-03, but that franchise only lasted six seasons in the B.C. Hockey League, with the final season being 2009-10.
The Timberwolves attempted to move to Wenatchee, Wash., in 2007, which was unsuccessful. The league also rejected a potential move to Dawson Creek.
Tyrel Lucas Lucas will be the head coach and general manager for Williams Lake.
Lucas played in the BCHL and WHL before playing two seasons with the University of Calgary and three seasons in the Central Hockey League.
It's worth noting that this is the second time that an Okanagan-based KIJHL team has moved to the Cariboo. In 2013, the Penticton Lakers relocated to 100 Mile House and became the Wranglers.
The team is currently in search of a new head coach and general manager.
