1972–73 KIJHL season
| 1972–73 KIJHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | KIJHL |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | September–February |
| Number of games | 30 |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| League champions | Cranbrook Colts |
| Runners-up | Rossland Warriors |
The 1972–73 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season was the sixth in league history and the first known as the KIJHL, after originally being named the West Kootenay Hockey League. This change was caused by the league expanding beyond the west Kootenays, with Cranbrook in the east Kootenays, and Spokane being in the United States. Despite both teams beginning play the previous season, 1972–73 was the first season where the two teams played a complete season. The Valley Kings also rebranded to the Rockets for the season. The KIJHL added an expansion team to Kimberley BC who would be known as the Knights. The Grand Forks Border Bruins would take a one year leave of absence. With these changes, the league would be divided into two divisions of three. The East would comprise Kimberley, Cranbrook, and Spokane, whilst the West would feature Nelson, Trail, and Rossland.
Season
- Western Division
- Nelson Leafs1
- Trail Smoke Eaters2
- Rossland Warriors3
- Eastern Division
- Kimberley Knights4
- Cranbrook Colts5
- Spokane Rockets6
Regular Season
The 1972/73 season was the first to feature divisions
| TEAM | W | L | T | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Division | ||||
| Trail Smoke Eaters | 17 | 13 | 0 | 34 |
| Rossland Warriors | 9 | 20 | 1 | 19 |
| Nelson Jr. Maple Leafs | 6 | 22 | 2 | 14 |
| Eastern Division | ||||
| Cranbrook Colts | 25 | 5 | 0 | 50 |
| Spokane Rockets | 20 | 10 | 0 | 40 |
| Kimberley Knights | 11 | 18 | 1 | 23 |
Playoffs
The 1973 championship was a four team playoff bracket with the top two teams in each division making the playoffs, the winners of those series meeting in the final.
| Division Finals | Finals | ||||||||
| W1 | Trail | ? | |||||||
| W2 | Rossland | 4? | |||||||
| W2 | Rossland | ? | |||||||
| E1 | Cranbrook | 4? | |||||||
| E1 | Cranbrook | 4? | |||||||
| E2 | Spokane | ? | |||||||
The Cranbrook Colts won their first title in their first full season in the league[2]
References
- ^ "Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (Design, Hosting, Registration & Administration tools by esportsdeskpro.com)". www.kijhl.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-05-26. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "Teck Cup Champions". www.kijhl.ca. Retrieved 2025-07-02.