SPOKANE, Wash. –
The lone American team in a British Columbia-based junior B hockey league is withdrawing from the upcoming season because it cannot find enough players vaccinated against COVID-19 to fill its roster.
The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League announced last week that the Spokane Braves will not be participating in their 2022-23 season.
Commissioner Jeff Dubois said in a statement that the Braves were finding it difficult to fill a roster “despite their best efforts” and that they would miss the franchise’s 50th anniversary season.
Dubois said the Braves would like to be reinstated in the league if it is possible.
Canada’s COVID-19 protocols require visitors to be fully vaccinated to be allowed into the country. Canadian players from the league’s 19 BC-based teams would also need to be vaccinated to enter the United States for road games in Spokane.
The league said it will go ahead with 19 teams this season, and teams that were supposed to play the Braves will make up those games against other opponents.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 8, 2022.