The Nanaimo Ball Hockey League is entering it's fifth year and organizers have brought the provincial B and D tournaments to the Harbour City from July 3-5. (Image Credit: Nanaimo Ball Hockey League)

By Dan Marshall

Street Kings

Nanaimo awarded B and D level provincial ball hockey tournament

Mar 16, 2026 | 2:26 PM

NANAIMO — It’s year five for the Nanaimo Ball Hockey League and the second year of putting on a kids division.

The 2026 season will be extra special because Nanaimo will also host the B and D level men’s provincials the first weekend of July.

Goaltender and league co-organizer Troy Gladesdahl said it was a long process to secure two divisions of B.C. championships.

“It’s nice to be able to host the provincials. The D will be at NIC 1 and Frank Crane Arena, and the B will be down to Duncan, and then they’ll combine when they get to the playoffs in Nanaimo.”

Provincials will bring a number of teams to the region from July 3-5.

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“It’s looking like we could have anywhere from 12-16 teams in the D division and eight teams in the B provincials,” Gladesdahol said. “There are going to be a lot players coming to Nanaimo using the facilities and going to restaurants.”

The men’s league schedule will begin in early April with an expected 12-game season.

Three free agent floor sessions looking have also just been completed in a search for new talent.

Another one of the highlights on the local ball hockey calendar will be the second annual Island Cup.

“It’s May 22-24,” Gladesdahl explained. Last year we were able to play with our Nanaimo and Victoria groups with ten teams. This year we’re hoping to have 12 to 14. We run it at Kerry Park as a meeting place for people from both Nanaimo and Victoria.”

Registration for youth ball hockey from ages U6 to U16 has just closed, and the league is also targeting an early April start date.

Organizer Craig Klemets said they are looking to build on a successful inaugural first season in 2025.

“It was a great first year for us. We had just under 80 players, and everybody got at least eight practices and eight games in a ten-week season.”

Klemets said the U6 will be doing one practice a week in-house, while the U8 to U16 teams will be playing games in Nanaimo, Duncan, and potentially Port Alberni.

As the youth league grows, the plan will be to develop a tier one and a tier two division.

There is also a provincial tournament for youth as well, which Klemets hopes to send a Nanaimo team to be part of in in the near future.

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