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| 2021–22 KIJHL season | |
| League: | KIJHL |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Prevseason Year: | 2020–21 |
| Duration: | October - February |
| No Of Games: | 42 |
| No Of Teams: | 19 |
| League Champs: | Revelstoke Grizzlies |
| Second Place: | Nelson Leafs |
| Prevseason Link: | 2020-21 KIJHL Season |
| Nextseason Link: | 2022-23 KIJHL Season |
| Nextseason Year: | 2022-23 |
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The 2021-22 KIJHL season was the 55th in league history and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic. The season began on October 1, 2021, and ran until February 19, 2024.[1] The playoffs began February 22 and ran until March 31 when the Revelstoke Grizzlies won 6–4 at home over the Nelson Leafs to win the Teck Cup four games to one, hosting the trophy for the fourth time in franchise history.[2]
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the Spokane Braves were forced to drop out of the season on August 18 due to obstacles crossing the Canada-US border.[3] In addition no inter-conference games were to be played until the league championship. All on-ice officials, players, and bench staff had to be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the season.[4] Mask mandates, capacity restrictions, and proof of vaccination to enter followed health mandates from the province as the season was played.
In the off season the KIJHL changed the rules for how ties would be broken after regulation time, previously two five-minute four-on-four overtime periods were used to determine the winner, if neither team could score the game would end in a tie. This season the league introduced NHL-style tiebreaking, a single five-minute three-on-three overtime would be used instead, if the tie was still not broken a three-round shootout would be used, with extra rounds added as needbe.[5]
The final standings were as follows.[6]
| Team | |||||||
| Kimberley Dynamiters | 31 | 9 | 2 | 64 | 157 | 84 | |
| Columbia Valley Rockies | 30 | 9 | 3 | 63 | 158 | 123 | |
| Fernie Ghostriders | 22 | 15 | 5 | 49 | 123 | 123 | |
| Creston Valley Thunder Cats | 19 | 22 | 1 | 39 | 131 | 133 | |
| Golden Rockets | 13 | 26 | 3 | 29 | 109 | 169 |
| Team | |||||||
| Nelson Leafs | 31 | 10 | 1 | 63 | 171 | 93 | |
| Beaver Valley Nitehawks | 22 | 17 | 3 | 47 | 155 | 144 | |
| Castlegar Rebels | 16 | 24 | 2 | 34 | 115 | 151 | |
| Grand Forks Border Bruins | 5 | 34 | 3 | 13 | 79 | 178 |
| Team | |||||||
| Osoyoos Coyotes | 33 | 3 | 6 | 72 | 210 | 116 | |
| Kelowna Chiefs | 26 | 13 | 3 | 55 | 158 | 135 | |
| Summerland Steam | 22 | 16 | 4 | 48 | 148 | 163 | |
| Princeton Posse | 15 | 24 | 3 | 33 | 124 | 165 | |
| North Okanagan Knights | 10 | 25 | 7 | 27 | 106 | 166 |
| Team | |||||||
| Revelstoke Grizzlies | 31 | 9 | 2 | 64 | 145 | 84 | |
| Kamloops Storm | 28 | 10 | 4 | 60 | 141 | 91 | |
| Chase Heat | 20 | 15 | 7 | 47 | 152 | 144 | |
| Sicamous Eagles | 14 | 25 | 3 | 31 | 111 | 140 | |
| 100 Mile House Wranglers | 11 | 29 | 2 | 24 | 85 | 176 |
The season's various award winners were as follows.[7] awards were as follows.
| Award | League Winner | Eddie Mountain Winner | Neil Murdoch Winner | Doug Birks Winner | Bill Ohlhausen Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Jack Henderson, Osoyoos | Trystan Self, Kimberley | Griffen Ryden, Castlegar | Jacob Biensch, Chase | Jack Henderson, Osoyoos | |
| Top Scorer | Jack Henderson, Osoyoos | Kayde Kinaschuk, Columbia Valley | Hayden Stocks, Beaver Valley | Jacob Biensch, Chase | Jack Henderson, Osoyoos | |
| Top Defenceman | Brandon Gallo, Revelstoke | Cameron Reid, Kimberley | Bryce Sookro, Nelson | Brandon Gallo, Revelstoke | Ty Marchant, Kelowna | |
| Top Goaltender | Trystan Self, Kimberley | Trystan Self, Kimberley | Dylan Marshall, Nelson | Colton Phillips-Watts, Kamloops | Frederick LaRochelle, Kelowna | |
| Rookie of the Year | Kayde Kinaschuk, Columbia Valley | Kayde Kinaschuk, Columbia Valley | Bryce Sookro, Nelson | Zakery Anderson, Kamloops | Tristan Weill, Summerland | |
| Most Sportsmanlike | Matthew Johnston, North Okanagan | Corbin Cockerill, Creston Valley | Tyson Lautard, Nelson | Reid Stumpf, 100 Mile House | Matthew Johnston, North Okanagan | |
| Coach of the Year | Derek Stuart, Kimberley | Derek Stuart, Kimberley | Mario Dibella, Nelson | Geoff Grimwood, Kamloops | Carter Rigby, Osoyoos |
The 2022 playoffs began on February 22. The original playoff format would see the top four teams in each division, except the Neil Murdoch which would have three, make the playoffs and the next best team in the Kootenay Conference occupying the final spot in the Neil Murdoch Division playoffs, however after the Grand Forks Border Bruins were eliminated from making the playoffs it became increasingly likely that the Golden Rockets, representing the longest and most costly opponent for the Neil Murdoch Division champions, would move into the Neil Murdoch Division, the KIJHL opted to move the Creston Valley Thunder Cats instead.[8]