The Wenatchee Wild has long been a franchise in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) that has been heavy on American-born players.

Located in the state of Washington, the Wild is the lone BCHL team situated south of the border. Per BCHL rules, Wenatchee has to build its roster with a minimum of 15 players from its territory states – California, Colorado and Washington.

Earlier this month, Arizona was added to the list.

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This means players from Arizona are now considered to be “territory players” and not “American import” players. Territory players of any age are eligible to play in Wenatchee, including high school-aged players. To round out the remaining eight roster spots, the Wild is permitted to have four American import players from any state in the country who have completed their senior year of high school, as well as four Canadian players, also after their senior year of high school has been completed.

Wenatchee coach-GM Bliss Littler is excited for the BCHL’s announcement.

“This is a great step forward for the Wild and having another territory with a more geographic connection to the West only helps us improve our brand and provide more opportunities for players to reach the NCAA,” said Littler. “Arizona is a state that continually produces talented players, and we are excited for the potential to have them in a Wild uniform in the future.

“We would like to thank BCHL commissioner John Grisdale and the BCHL Board of Governors for the approval of our request.”

(March 2, 2018)