The Abbotsford Pilots are a Junior "A"

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

team based in Abbotsford,

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. They are members of the Harold Brittain Conference of the

Pacific Junior Hockey League The Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a junior ice hockey league which operates in the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Although the PJHL has included American teams in the past, the league's fifteen franchises ...

(PJHL). The Pilots play their home games at MSA Arena. Jack Goesen is the team's president and general manager, Daniell Lange is the associate head

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

History

Mission

The Mission Pilots were formed in 1975, and played in Mission for thirteen years, when they relocated south to Abbotsford, where the team name was retained. While in Mission, the team won no league championships. They played out of the Mission Arena on 7th avenue.

Abbotsford 1988-2005

In 1988 the Mission Pilots relocated to Abbotsford, retaining the name, which was a name similar to that of the Abbotsford Flyers, a former Junior A level team in Abbotsford, that in itself was named for the Abbotsford International Airshow. In 1989, the Pilots won the league championship in only their second season in Abbotsford. The team suffered a 3-1 finals loss to the

Richmond Sockeyes The Richmond Sockeyes are a Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond, British Columbia. They were named the "Sockeyes" by the original owner and longtime Richmond resident and B.C. hockey volunteer and leader Bruce Allison in 1972. Allison was ...

in the 1991-92 season, and did not win another championship until 1999, ten years after their first. The following year, the Pilots swept the

Grandview Steelers The Grandview Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Tom Shaw Conference of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL). The Steelers play their home games at Burnaby Winter Club. ...

to win the league championship, with player Brock Currie leading the league in scoring, and continued their success by winning the 2000 Cyclone Taylor Cup, and finished as consolation champions in the Keystone Cup. The following year the Pilots finished a disappointing fourth in the league, and lost in the league quarterfinals to the Sockeyes. But they rebounded the following year, winning the league again over the

Delta Ice Hawks The Delta Ice Hawks are a Junior ice hockey team based in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Tom Shaw Conference of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL). The Ice Hawks play their home games at Sungod Recreation Centre. ...

in the finals, before losing to the Sicamous Eagles in the final of the Cyclone Taylor Cup. Kiyomi Parsons was named league MVP. The following year, 2002-03, the Pilots finished first during the regular season, but lost 4-3 in the league finals to the Sockeyes again. In 2003-04, the Pilots slipped to fifth in the league standings, and did not win any trophies during the season, despite having a winning record of 22-18-2. They rebounded again the following year, defeating the Delta Ice Hawks in the final by a series score of 4-3, with Abbotsford goalie Travis Dyck being named league MVP.

2005-present

In 2005-06, the Pilots lost twice to the Ice Hawks, once in the league finals, and again in the Cyclone Taylor Cup championship. The following year the Pilots finished first in the league again, and defeated the Grandview Steelers by a score of 4-2 in the finals. They would win the league's regular season title again the following year, but lost to Grandview in the playoff championship by a score of 4-1. They would then lose in the league final three of the next four years, save for a first round loss to Aldergrove in 2009-10. In 2010-11, despite losing narrowly to the Ice Hawks in the finals again, the Pilots won the Cyclone Taylor Cup over the

Victoria Cougars The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...

, and then crushed the

Thunder Bay Northern Hawks The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They play in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League, formerly the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League. The Northern Hawks are 12-time Thunder Bay Junior ...

in the final of the 2011 Keystone Cup to claim their first Western Canada championship. The following year they would win the Harold Brittain Division, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Aldergrove Kodiaks. They would lose to the Kodiaks in the second round for three straight years, including a Game 7 loss as heavy underdogs in 2014-15. In the 2015-16 season, the Pilots defeated the Kodiaks in the first round, before losing in the second round to eventual league champions Mission City Outlaws. Beginning in the 2025–26 season, the league will be divided into two tiers. Seven of the league's 15 clubs will be promoted to tier 1, including the Chilliwack Jets, Coastal Tsunami,

, Langley Trappers,

and Ridge Meadows Flames. Tier 2 will include the Abbotsford Pilots, Aldergrove Kodiaks, Mission City Outlaws, North Vancouver Wolf Pack, Port Coquitlam Trailblazers, Port Moody Panthers, Surrey Knights and White Rock Whalers.

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OT = Overtime Losses, Shootout losses & Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''

Staff and personnel

*President and general manager: Jack Goesen *Associate head coach: Daniell Lange *Associate head coach: Mitch Plevy

Awards and trophies

Keystone Cup *2011-12 Cyclone Taylor Cup *1999-00, 2011–12 PJHL Championship *1999-00, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2006–07

External links

Official website of the Abbotsford PilotsOfficial website of the Pacific Junior Hockey League

References

{{British Columbia Sports Pacific Junior Hockey League teams Ice hockey teams in British Columbia Abbotsford, British Columbia 1975 establishments in British Columbia Ice hockey clubs established in 1975