The relocation of the Summerland Steam to Williams Lake is a significant move for the KIJHL league. The Steam, which has been in Summerland for the past 13 seasons, will now become the Mustangs and call Williams Lake their new home. This decision was unanimously approved by the KIJHL’s board of governors and will take effect immediately. The expansion of the league’s geographic footprint adds a natural rival for the existing Cariboo team, the 100 Mile House Wranglers.
The Steam had a challenging 2023-24 season, winning only nine out of 44 games and finishing fifth in their division with 24 points. They did not qualify for the playoffs. Attendance issues are believed to be the primary reason for the team’s relocation, as the largest home crowd this season was 254 on October 23, 2023, and the average attendance was 156 for the regular season.
With the addition of the Mustangs, the KIJHL league is looking forward to the growth and excitement that this move will bring to Williams Lake and its surrounding communities. Fans in the area can now look forward to supporting their new local team and watching exciting rivalries unfold between the Mustangs and the 100 Mile House Wranglers.
Williams Lake and Quesnel probably could support teams in the BCHL. KIJHL is quite a bit better than the junior B in Alberta but it is still Junior B no matter what letter they call it. There are just too many teams.
Williams Lake Mustangs VS Cranbrook Colts 1993
This was back when the Williams Lake Mustangs were in the now defunct Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League
