Cloverdale Junior Hockey Club

Cloverdale Jr. Hockey Club
CityCloverdale
LeaguePJHL
ConferenceHarold Brittain
Founded2025 (2025)
Home arenaCloverdale Arena
Colours  St. Patrick's blue
  Fire engine red
OwnerRonnie Paterson
General managerBrien Gemmell
Head coachAdam Rossignol
Websitecloverdalejuniorhockey.ca

The Cloverdale Junior Hockey Club is a Junior ice hockey club and franchise of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) based in Cloverdale, British Columbia. The club debuted as an expansion team in the 2025–26 PJHL season and plays its home games at Cloverdale Arena.[1]

Arena

The team plays its home games at Cloverdale Arena, which opened in 1972 and is owned by the City of Surrey.[2] The team is expected to move to Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex for the 2027–28 season.[1]

Brand

In its inaugural season, the team was known as the Cloverdale Jr. Hockey Club. The organization announced that it would seek public input and select a permanent name before the end of the 2025–26 season.[3]

History

The PJHL announced the establishment of the Cloverdale Jr. Hockey Club as an expansion franchise in 2025.[1] The announcement came at a time when the league was undergoing a restructuring process aimed at splitting the league into two separate tiers beginning in the 2025–26 PJHL season.[4] The proposed owner of the Cloverdale franchise, Ronald (Ronnie) Paterson, also founded and remained a partner of the White Rock Whalers.[5] Paterson had previously been a part owner of the Richmond Sockeyes franchise and the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL as well.[6] He was inducted into the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame in the "Builder" category in 2023.[7]

Prior to opening day of the 2025–26 PJHL season, the league removed the club the game schedule and issued a statement that the Cloverdale franchise had "not been able to satisfy necessary league bylaws in order to operate as a member club in good standing".[8][9] Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of seven PJHL franchises alleging that the league acted in "an oppressive and unfairly prejudicial manner" in relation to the cancellation of the Cloverdale expansion.[10][11]

In responding to the suit, the league stated that the club lacked an approved ownership structure and that there was a conflict of interest involving the White Rock Whalers franchise.[11] The league cited its bylaw stating that that an existing governor or member cannot have any control or financial interest in a new team.[11] The league also stated that the proposed owner had not presented any plan or ownership structure for the team and did not attend any of the required meetings.[11] Further, the league believed that the proposed owner did not want to be a part of the PJHL.[11]

On 18 September 2025, news media reported that the Cloverdale team had been reinstated.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "PJHL welcomes new Cloverdale tier 2 franchise for 2025-26 season". pjhl.net (Press release). Pacific Junior Hockey League. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  2. ^ Jordan, Malin (10 June 2022). "Cloverdale Arena to get upgrade". Cloverdale Reporter. Black Press Media. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  3. ^ Jordan, Malin (22 October 2025). "Cloverdale HC to launch naming contest". Cloverdale Reporter. Black Press Media. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  4. ^ Zillich, Tom (18 March 2025). "PJHL move to 2 tiers will divide 15 junior hockey teams next season". Cloverdale Reporter. Black Press Media. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  5. ^ Jordan, Malin (7 May 2025). "Cloverdale awarded new junior hockey team". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News. Black Press Media. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Ronnie Paterson". bchhof.com. British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Paterson Inducted into BC Hall of Fame". whiterockwhalers.ca (Press release). White Rock Whalers. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  8. ^ Jordan, Malin (4 September 2025). "Scrubbed? Cloverdale Hockey Club removed from PJHL website". Surrey Now-Leader. Black Press Media. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Statement regarding the Cloverdale Hockey Club". pjhl.net (Press release). Pacific Junior Hockey League. 9 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  10. ^ Ewen, Steve (12 September 2025). "Junior hockey league winds up in court after expansion Cloverdale team is shut down ahead of season opener". The Province. Postmedia. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e Lypka, Ben (11 September 2025). "Hockey league, 7 PJHL teams stickhandle in court over Cloverdale exclusion". Cloverdale Reporter. Black Press Media. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  12. ^ Jordan, Malin (18 September 2025). "GAME ON: Cloverdale Jr. Hockey Club to play 2025-2026 season in PJHL". Cloverdale Reporter. Black Press Media. Retrieved 18 September 2025.

Sources

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