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 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]
