Castlegar’s Selkirk College is shutting down its men’s hockey program as the Saints will no longer take to the ice in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL).
Joining the league in 2006, the Saints played 15 seasons in the BCIHL which included four consecutive championships from 2012 to 2016.
“This was a very difficult decision, but with our current fiscal reality and shifting priorities, we need to focus on what is best for our entire student body,” said John Kincaid, Vice President of Students & Advancement at Selkirk College.
“Men’s hockey has been an exciting part of the college’s history and over the last 15 years, this current team has represented our community extremely well in the BCIHL. We appreciate all the effort put into this program over the years by everyone involved and our communities have been very supportive of the student-athletes.”
According to Selkirk College, the main factor in the decision was budget constraints. The school wants to shift focus for its athletics programs to the overall recreation offerings for its college community.
“This decision was necessary to ensure overall success for the entire college in the coming years,” said Kincaid. “The direction we are heading with our focus will have a positive impact on the wider student experience.”
Selkirk College has made the difficult decision to discontinue the men’s hockey program due to budgetary constraints. Thank you to everyone who has made the program a success over the last 15 years. More info can be found in a letter to the community at: https://t.co/Uw5yXP59wC pic.twitter.com/HN2dIlH7FF
— Selkirk Men’s Hockey (@SelkirkHockey) March 30, 2021
The BCIHL made the decision to cancel its 2020/21 season last November following the ongoing restrictions with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BC Intercollegiate Hockey League has elected to cancel the 2020-21 season due to ongoing restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MORE âž¡ https://t.co/bbbpWDYWrk#BCIHL pic.twitter.com/s6p2qqJPSn
— British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (@bcihl) November 26, 2020
*** With files from Zach Stewart ***