Summerland Jets Home Opener
For Immediate Release
September 16, 2026
Summerland Jets Ready for First-Ever Home Opener September 18
Community tailgate, special hockey guests and a tribute to Summerland’s first responders will mark the beginning of the Jets’ inaugural home season
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Summerland, B.C. - The Summerland Jets will play their first regular-season home game Friday, September 18, marking the beginning of a new chapter for junior hockey in Summerland.
The Jets will host the Osoyoos Coyotes at Summerland Arena, with opening-day celebrations beginning at 5pm in the arena parking lot. The community tailgate will bring together live music, family activities, local organizations and familiar names from Canadian hockey before the inaugural Jets roster is introduced on home ice for the first time.
Opening night will also honour the firefighters, first responders and community members who supported Summerland during the recent wildfire emergency. Fans will be invited to sign a Thank You to Summerland Heroes banner during the tailgate before it is carried to centre ice during a special first intermission activation.
“The Jets were created to be Summerland’s team, and those words mean even more to us today,” said Terry Rolston, Board Chair of the Summerland Junior A Hockey Society. “We know hockey cannot change what people have been through with the Bald Range wildfire, but we hope it can give our community another place to be together. Our first home game will be our opportunity to recognize the people who protected, supported and cared for Summerland when it mattered most.”
Local country artist Dane Bateman will perform throughout the tailgate and sing the national anthem before the game. Special guests will include former Team Canada Women’s National Team coach Nancy Wilson, former Hockey Canada CEO Bob Nicholson, former NHL goaltender Andy Moog and BCHC Commissioner Jeff Dubois.
Penticton Indian Band Chief Greg Gabriel and Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes will join Bonaparte First Nation Chief Frank Antoine for the ceremonial puck drop following the first on-ice introduction of the Summerland Jets roster.
The tailgate will also include bouncy castles, street hockey with Recycle BC, community organization tents, Summerland Jets merchandise, an ice cream truck and a Summerland Fire Department truck. The Kinsmen Club, Bears Den and Summerland Jets Alumni Association will host the barbecue.
The Eclipse Helicopters Flight for Life raffle sale will also launch during the tailgate, with proceeds supporting the Summerland Jets Health & Safety Program and a $3,500 grand prize featuring a Skaha Vineyards wine and mountaintop helicopter tour. The partnership carries added meaning after Derek Robinson and the Eclipse team supported tactical operations during the August 7 wildfire emergency.
Photo credit: @heikoryll
The home opener comes during a milestone week for the organization, with the Jets unveiling their inaugural 2026/27 roster on September 17. The team enters its first BCHC season under Head Coach Robert Dirk with a focus on learning how to play together, compete and hold one another accountable.
“We are learning how to play together, how to battle and compete, and how to be accountable to one another,” said Dirk. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of turning a group of individual players into a team that can become a force to be reckoned with. That takes work, and opening night gives us our first opportunity to show Summerland what we are building.”
The road to opening night has also been captured by Summerland creator Brad Riemer in The Jets Built On Ice, a locally produced video documenting the return of junior hockey to Summerland and the people behind the team’s inaugural season.
Local businesses are helping shape that first season as well. Nesters Market Summerland is making regular-season admission free for children 12 and under when accompanied by an adult, while Sunshine Glass is sponsoring the season-long 50/50 so every home-game pot begins at $100. Giants Head Brewing Co. has created Jet Fuel, a Summerland Jets lager with partial proceeds from every six-pack returning to the community-owned organization.
The Jets are still looking for a few billet families, with approved homes receiving $750 per player each month. Founders Club memberships remain available for $1,000, along with a limited number of corporate sponsorship opportunities for businesses interested in supporting the inaugural season.
“This team only works if the community is part of it,” added Rolston. “Whether someone comes to a game, volunteers on game day, joins the Founders Club or simply helps spread the word, every bit of involvement helps us build something that can belong to Summerland for the long term.”
Regular-season tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and $5 for students with valid student identification, while children 12 and under attend free with an accompanying adult thanks to Nesters Market Summerland. Seasons tickets are $225 for adults, $175 for seniors, and $100 for students.
Tickets and additional information are available at summerlandjets.com.
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Acknowledgement and Partnership
The Summerland Jets respectfully acknowledge that Summerland is located on the traditional territory of the syilx Okanagan people. We also acknowledge and value our partnership with St’uxwtéws, Bonaparte First Nation.
About the Summerland Jets
The Summerland Jets are a community-owned junior hockey team based in Summerland, British Columbia, led by the Summerland Junior A Hockey Society, a not-for-profit organization committed to bringing junior hockey back to the community for the long term. Built around local pride, youth opportunity, and community connection, the Jets aim to create a team that gives young athletes the chance to grow while strengthening the spirit and economy of Summerland. Through hockey, community programming, local partnerships, and family-friendly experiences, the Summerland Jets are working to build something lasting that belongs to the people of Summerland and the South Okanagan.
For more information visit summerlandjets.com, or connect socially at @bchc_jets on Instagram and Summerland Jets Hockey Club on Facebook.
Media Contact:
Krista Lochhead
Archer Public Relations
778.227.2396
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