Program of Excellence
Program of Excellence
BC Hockey athletes have the opportunity to try-out for and represent their province, region or country in various national and international competitions throughout their career.
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2025 Male U16 Program Steps |
Dates & Locations |
Registration/Schedules |
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1. 2025 Identification Camps |
Identification Camps have concluded for the 2025 season |
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| 2. 2025 U16 BC Cup |
The BC Cup has concluded for the 2025 season |
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3. 2025 U16 Provincial Camp |
July 24-27, 2025 - Chilliwack |
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4. 2025 WHL Cup |
October 2025 - TBD |
Information will be updated as it becomes available.
About the U16 Program of Excellence
The Male Program of Excellence (POE) was restructured for the 2016-17 season to better align with the key characteristics of the new program. With a greater focus on player development, BC Hockey will now have a better opportunity to work with and alongside the athletes.
The main change to the Male POE is the re-introduction of the U16 Identification (ID) Camps.
The U15 and U16 ID Camps are operated in co-operation with the BC AAA Leagues and the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). Team staff from local teams will be assigned a camp location with the expectation to deliver the camp and a high performance experience for the players in attendance. Player attendance and participation at the U15 and U16 ID Camps, combined with in-year evaluation, will determine players that will be selected to attend the U15 Tournament and U16 BC Cup.
Western Hockey League (WHL) Cup
Team BC competes at the Western Hockey League (WHL) Cup (formerly Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup) in non-Canada Winter Games years. The Canada Winter Games is held every four (4) years.
The WHL Cup (formerly the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup) happens every non Canada Winter Games year on the last weekend of October and the first week of November. Before heading to the WHL Cup, Team BC participates in a pre-stage camp that is geared towards team systems and team building.
Team BC brought home the silver medal in 2016 and won gold at the 2017 WHL Cup, the second gold medal for Team BC.
In 2013, Team BC competed and fell short in the final game against Team Alberta to bring home the silver medal. Defenseman Dante Fabbro (Surrey, BC) and forward Tyson Jost (Kelowna, BC) were named to the 2013 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup All-Star Team.
For the first time in the history of the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, Team BC captured gold in 2012 with a win over Team Alberta in the Championship game. Team BC finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record. Defenseman Chaz Reddekopp (West Kelowna, BC) and forward Mathew Barzal (Coquitlam, BC) were named to the 2012 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup All-Star Team. Team BC also won the gold medal at the WHL Cup in 2021.
The WHL Cup is a round robin format tournament consisting of the four (4) western branches: BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, Saskatchewan Hockey Association and Hockey Manitoba. The final game is determined based on the round robin standings.
U16 Team BC - Canada Winter Games
Every four (4) years, both male and female Team BC teams are assembled to compete at the Canada Winter Games. The Male Team BC is selected through the BC Hockey Male Under 16 Program of Excellence and the female team is selected through the BC Hockey Female Under 18 Program of Excellence.
Athlete Eligibility
For the 2025 season, eligible athletes must:
1. Be BC Hockey registered.
2. Be born in the appropriate year (2010).
3. Meet BC Hockey residential qualifications as outlined in Hockey Canada Regulations or as directed by Hockey Canada program policy.
4. Be male.
Complete Program of Excellence (POE) policies can be found in the BC Hockey policy manual.
The Male Program of Excellence (POE) staff consists of BC's top individuals from across the province.
For more information or any inquiries, please contact the BC Hockey POE Coordinator here: highperformance@bchockey.net
2025 Male U16 POE Staff
2024-25 Team: Shawnigan Lake School U15 Prep Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL)
James Pollock, Head Coach
Hometown: Victoria, B.C.
James Pollock returns to the Team BC bench for the 2025 season, marking his second year on the coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach last season. Prior to joining Team BC’s staff, he was a volunteer coach at the BC Cup and Male U16 Provincial Camp in 2023.
Pollock has been a member of the coaching staff at the U15 and U18 levels at Shawnigan Lake School (CSSHL) since the 2014-15 season. At the minor hockey level, he served as an assistant coach for the Kerry Park Minor Hockey Association's (MHA) U11 Development team from 2022-2024 and at the U8 level during the 2021-22 season.
Pollock spent four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seattle Thunderbirds from 1995-1999. He was then chosen in the fourth round (106th overall) in the 1997 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. His professional career began with him spending five seasons in the Blues' system with the majority of that time spent in the American Hockey League (AHL). Pollock registered nine games in the NHL with St. Louis during the 2003-04 season.
After his time with St. Louis, Pollock headed to Europe where he spent the following 10 years, minus a 16 game stint in the AHL in 2007-08, competing for teams in Switzerland, Germany, and Russia. During his time in Europe, Pollock received the opportunity to don the Maple Leaf and compete for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in 2003 and 2004.
Away from the rink, Pollock is a house director and guidance counsellor at Shawnigan Lake School.
2024-25 Team: Burnaby Winter Club U15 (CSSHL)
Dan Cioffi, Assistant Coach
Hometown: Langley, B.C.
This will mark the second consecutive season behind the Team BC bench as an assistant coach for Dan Cioffi. Previously, he served as an evaluator and coach at ID Camps and the BC Cup since 2017.
Cioffi is currently the head coach of the U15 Prep team at Burnaby Winter Club, as well as the Director of Operations at Burnaby Winter Club.
The Langley, B.C. native has been involved in coaching for over 20 years, and has held roles with the British Columbia Elite Hockey League's (BCEHL) U18 AAA Valley West Giants from 2018-2021, the Pacific Junior Hockey League's (PJHL) Delta Ice Hawks from 2011-2013, and North Vancouver MHA from 2010-2020. He has also worked for the CSSHL's Banff Hockey Academy during the 2005-06 season and the Carleton Ravens Women's Hockey team (U Sports) during the 2004-05 season.
Cioffi is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and possesses a Bachelor's degree in Human Kinetics.
2024-25 Team: RINK Hockey Academy U17 Prep (CSSHL)
Jackson Playfair, Assistant Coach
Hometown: Fort St. James, B.C.
Jackson Playfair will make his Team BC debut behind the bench as an assistant coach during the 2025 POE season after previously volunteering as a coach at POE Camps last year.
Playfair has been with RINK Hockey Academy (CSSHL) for two seasons and is currently the head coach for their U17 Prep team. He has had coaching experience with the University of British Columbia Men's Hockey team (U Sports) during the 2021-22 season, and U15 AAA Valley West Giants (BCEHL) during the 2020-21 season.
The Fort St. James native played in the WHL for three seasons between 2012-2015 for the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans. At the collegiate ranks, he played for Dalhousie University's Men's Hockey team (U Sports) from 2015-2019. Playfair then moved on to professional hockey, where he played for the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears during the 2018-19 season.
Playfair graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management.
2024-25 Team: University of British Columbia Men's Hockey Team (U Sports)
Matt Revel, Video Coach
Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C.
Matt Revel will join the Male U16 Team BC staff for the first time during the 2025 POE season as a video coach.
The Abbotsford native has coaching experience as an assistant with the University of British Columbia Men's Hockey team (U Sports) for two seasons from 2023-2025 and Vancouver Thunderbirds MHA at the U15 Tier 1 level during the 2020-21 season.
Revel played five seasons in the WHL from 2012-2017, split between the Saskatoon Blades, Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks. He then went on to play for the University of British Columbia Men's Hockey team (U Sports) from 2017-2022, and played one season in Austria with the Pioneers Vorarlberg of the International Central European Hockey League (ICEHL) during the 2022-23 season.
He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology.
2024-25 Team: Male U16 Team BC
Bob Pond, Athletic Therapist/Strength & Conditioning Coach
Hometown: Penticton, B.C.
This will be the second season with the POE for Bob Pond after serving as an athletic therapist for Male U16 Team BC in 2024.
He currently serves as the strength coach for the U15 Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association (OMAHA) South Zone Knights and Penticton MHA's U15 Tier 2 team. The Penticton, B.C. native has previously served as a safety person with Okanagan Hockey Academy (CSSHL) from 2016-2024, and as a trainer for Summerland Steam of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) from 2021-2023.
Pond has a Bachelor's degree in Science in Athletic Training from Minot State University in North Dakota, and is currently obtaining a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of British Columbia.
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2024-25 Team: Victoria Royals (WHL) & Juan de Fuca MHA
Glen Klassen, Equipment Manager
Hometown: Colwood, B.C.
Glen Klassen returns to Team BC as equipment manager for his second consecutive season after serving in 2024.
The Colwood native has been a trainer assistant for the Victoria Royals (WHL) since 2011. He also served as assistant equipment manager for the Victoria Salmon Kings (ECHL) during the 2010-11 season, and was their dressing room attendant from 2004 to 2007.
Klassen is currently the sports bookings clerk at the Westshore Parks and Recreation Society.
BC Athlete Assistance Program & CSCP Targeted Athlete
Each season BC Hockey is awarded the opportunity to nominate players to be designated by Canadian Sport Centre Pacific as “identified athletes”. The athletes are designated as a result of participation / selection / performance in the BC Hockey High Performance Program. The CSC Pacific performance model assists national and provincial sport organizations and their targeted athletes, across the province, providing services to both summer and winter sports. Registered athletes gain access to benefits including; Gymworks (gym passes), performance enhancement seminars, links to medical services, and career services. Their coaches also have access to these services.