The 2026-2027 North West Junior Hockey League season begins September 18 with a nine-team lineup that welcomes back the Slave Lake Wolves after a 12-year absence. The Dawson Creek Kodiaks will be part of the expanded 40-game schedule that runs through February 7, 2027.
Local fans have marked September 25 on their calendars. That is when the Kodiaks travel to Slave Lake for the Wolves’ home opener at 8 p.m. It will be the first regular season meeting between the teams since the Wolves left the league.
The Wolves were founding members of the NWJHL in 1994 and won the league’s first three championships. The team temporarily suspended play for the 2011–12 season in the aftermath of the Slave Lake wildfire and ultimately left the league in 2014, returning 12 years later. Their return gives the league nine teams for the first time in over a decade. The league continues to operate under the Strike Group North West Junior Hockey League name, with Strike Group of Companies serving as title sponsor.
The Kodiaks also have a new look behind the bench. Chad Sutton has taken over as general manager and coach, replacing Colby Wagar, who spent a decade with the team before moving to the Quesnel River Rush. The Kodiaks open the season at home on September 18 when they host the Fairview Flyers.
All regular season and playoff games will be broadcast live on FloHockey, giving Peace Region hockey supporters a way to follow the expanded league from home. The season also includes the NWJHL All Star game on December 12 in Sexsmith at the Dynamic Energy Centre.
