The Cranbrook Bucks will become the league's 18th team, in the 2020-21 season, playing out of Western Financial Place in Cranbrook.

Covid-19 Pandemic

The Wenatchee Wild announced that the franchise is taking a hiatus for the 2020-21 BCHL season due to the closure of the American-Canadian border and COVID-19 restrictions put in place by the State of Washington.

League extends Training Season (exhibition play), between teams of cohorts of four by geographic location, from September 25 till November 19.

The, five-week, 2020-21 regular season includes 20 games per team for a total of 160 league games to commence on Friday, Apr. 2 and will run until Sunday, May 9.

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The newly-formed Department of Player Safety (DOPS) led by Director of Officiating & Player Safety, Brad Lazarowich and Steven Cocker will continue to review all accumulative penalties that fall within the Junior A Supplement to ensure the correct assessment at ice level was called on the play. In addition, the DOPS will be responsible for visiting each team during their training camps in order to review and set expectations of compliance to the Junior A Supplement in its entirety with the players and coaching staff. The DOPS will hold individual meetings with players who reach specific accumulation thresholds throughout the season.

Fighting Majors:

In 2020-21 a player will receive supplemental discipline on their second fight. Under the previous standard, the league would step in for supplemental discipline on a player's fifth fight. The new standard will increase exponentially after the second offence, including one-on-one calls from the Department of Player Safety. There will also be a zero-tolerance stance on instigator and aggressor penalties, both receiving suspensions on first offence and will significantly increase on accumulation.

Charging:

The league has also implemented specific wording to address hits that come from outside of a player's line of sight. Specifically, those that do not involve head contact, as blow to the head penalties are already strictly enforced. Any hit that occurs from a player's blindside, meaning outside a 90-degree angle of their line of vision, with significant force, will be called charging. Addressing this type of hit with a minor, major and game misconduct or match penalty will allow the DOPS an opportunity to review the hit for further possible discipline.

Slew-Footing:

The BCHL has also imposed stricter penalties and supplemental discipline on slew-footing penalties. Slew-footing will now be categorized with clipping and kneeing as an accumulation category. Any player who commits a slew foot will be assessed a four-minute double-minor penalty or a match penalty, depending on the severity of the incident as determined by the referee. An automatic match penalty will be assessed when an injury occurs due to a slew foot.

Portable Defibrillators:

It will now be mandatory for each team to have a portable defibrillator on hand in case of an emergency involving a player or team staff member. Trainers will be required to carry one for every game, practice and team event. This is in addition to the defibrillators located in all BCHL facilities.

Rosters:

Teams are allowed 25 players signed, normaly 23, to allow for flexibility in case of injury or suspension.

A minimum of four rookie players, defined as those with less than 30 games of junior A experience.

Each team carry a minimum of two, under-17 players. For this pod season, a U17 player is one born in 2003 or 2004, even if he has turned 17 or 18 already.

Each team is allowed six import players at any one time, defined as an American-born player.

Teams are allowed six 20-year-olds, which are defined as players born in the year 2000.

Teams are allowed two 2000-born major junior players and two U20 major junior players.

Bauer Equipment:

Players are required to use a Bauer Supreme Team stick, pants, gloves, helmets, visors, game jerseys, practice jerseys, socks, off-ice apparel.

The trade deadline was Thursday, Feb, 25.