It was the end of a hockey era in Summerland as the community鈥檚 junior hockey team was sold and relocated to Williams Lake.

The sale was announced March 22, and had been approved unanimously by the board of governors of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

The team name was changed to the Williams Lake Mustangs. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to welcome the Mustangs franchise to the KIJHL and mark the return of junior hockey to Williams Lake,鈥� league commissioner Jeff Dubois said at the time. 

鈥淥ur board of governors was very impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the individuals who make up the local ownership group, and we can鈥檛 wait to see the Mustangs hit the ice this fall.鈥�

Prior to the move, the team had been owned by Sean Paxman and Bob Liu.

For the 2011- 2012 season, the Summerland Steam had been created as an expansion team in the league.

The community had previously been home to the Summerland Sting from 2001-2009, and in the 1980s, Summerland had been home to the Summerland Buckaroos, a Junior 'A 'team. 

During the Steam鈥檚 time in Summerland, the hockey team advanced to the division semifinals 10 times, played in the division finals five times and played in the conference finals once, in the 2016-2017 season.

鈥淭he KIJHL would like to thank all those individuals who worked incredibly hard over many years as part of the Summerland Steam organization, including the team鈥檚 many volunteers and billets, as well as their fans,鈥� Dubois said. 鈥淭he Hogg family 鈥� Steve, Betsy and Tim 鈥� deserve special recognition for their dedication and contributions to the Steam and the KIJHL.鈥�

The Williams Lake Mustangs are now part of the Doug Birks Division of the hockey league. At present, the team is ranked fifth of the five teams in that hockey division.