On Wednesday afternoon, the Western Hockey League officially awarded Chilliwack, B.C., an expansion franchise. In the announcement, the ownership group was introduced, featuring a pair of former Vancouver Canucks with ties to the province.

Ex-Abbotsford Canucks head coach Jeremy Colliton and former Canuck centre Brendan Morrison are two members of the five-person ownership group. Other owners include Brett Motherwell, Mario Amantea, and Patrick Lathrop.

“We welcome Jeremy Colliton, whose credibility, leadership, and deep roots in Western Canadian hockey bring an important dimension to this organization,” WHL Commissioner Dan Near said in the press release. “His understanding of our League, its communities, and the importance of player development will be tremendous assets as the franchise establishes itself in Chilliwack.”

Colliton served as the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. The Canucks finished with the same record in both years under Colliton: 40 wins, 25 losses, and seven overtime/shootout losses. In both seasons, the Canucks won their preliminary round of the Calder Cup playoffs but never got past the first round.

After his time in Abbotsford, Colliton returned to the NHL as an assistant coach on Sheldon Keefe’s bench in New Jersey. After two years with the Devils, Colliton parted ways to explore other opportunities. In an interview with Swedish reporter Adam Johansson at the end of August, Colliton revealed why he left the Devils:

“I resigned because I realized that I want to build a culture from the ground up again. I want to have a more direct influence on the culture and be more involved in shaping it. So I’m looking for the next opportunity that aligns with that goal. For my family’s sake, it’s also about finding somewhere where we can be for a longer period of time and where I can run a project like this.”

Today’s news appears to align with Colliton’s desires, as he will have a hand in just about everything in this new Chilliwack team. Along with an ownership role, Colliton will also serve as governor, general manager, and head coach of the hockey club.

“I’m honoured to be back in the Western Hockey League, which played such an important role in my development as a player and person,” Colliton said. “Our family is thrilled to be returning to the Fraser Valley. We are grateful for the partners we have at the City of Chilliwack, and in the regional business community. We look forward to building a franchise the hockey fans of Chilliwack will be proud of.”

Morrison spent eight seasons in Vancouver after being acquired in the Alexander Mogilny trade in 2000. He played 543 games in a Canucks uniform, scoring 136 goals and 257 assists for 393 points. Morrison is remembered best by Canucks fans for centring the West Coast Express line with Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi.

The new Chilliwack WHL franchise will debut in the 2027-28 season. They will be aligned in the B.C. Division in the Western Conference and use the Chilliwack Coliseum as their home arena.