Merritt Centennials
| Merritt Centennials | |
|---|---|
| City | Merritt, British Columbia |
| League | |
| Conference | Okanagan/Shuswap |
| Division | Bill Ohlhausen |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Home arena | Nicola Valley Memorial Arena |
| Colours | Red, black, white |
| President | Ken Carruthers |
| General manager | Brad Anstey |
| Head coach | Wes McLeod |
| Captain | Vacant |
| Website | merrittcentennials.com |
| Franchise history | |
| 1961–1964 | Kamloops Rockets |
| 1964–1967 | Kamloops Kraft Kings |
| 1967–1973 | Kamloops Rockets |
| 1973 | White Rock Centennials |
| 1973–1985 | Merritt Centennials |
| 1985–1987 | Merritt Warriors |
| 1987–2024 | Merritt Centennials (BCHL) |
| 2024-present | Merritt Centennials (KIJHL) |
The Merritt Centennials are a Junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Merritt, British Columbia. They are members of the Bill Ohlhausen Division of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). They play their home games at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. The franchise was established in Kamloops in 1961 as part of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and moved to White Rock in 1973 when the WCHL's Vancouver Nats moved to Kamloops and became the Chiefs. The Centennials settled in Merritt midway through the 1973–74 season. In 2024, the team announced they would be leaving the BCHL to join the KIJHL.
The Centennials have once finished with the best record in the BCHL. They won the Mowat Cup and BC/Alberta Junior "A" Championship in 1978.
The Cents, as the team is known, were the longest continuously run franchise in the BCHL before leaving. Eleven former Centennials players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.