Western Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 WHL season | |
 | |
| Formerly | Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (1966–67) Western Canada Junior Hockey League (1967–68) Western Canada Hockey League (1968–78) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Commissioner | Ron Robison |
| No. of teams | 22 |
| Countries |
|
| Headquarters | Calgary, Alberta |
| Most recent champion(s) | Seattle Thunderbirds (2023) |
| Most titles | Kamloops Blazers (6) |
| TV partner(s) | Canada TSN RDS CBC United States KRCW-TV KZJO |
| Official website | whl |
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada, alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. The WHL is composed of 22 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, while the Western Conference comprises eleven teams from British Columbia and the American states of Washington and Oregon.
The league was founded in 1966 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL), with seven teams in Saskatchewan and Alberta. For its 1967 season, the league was renamed the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). From 1968, the league was renamed the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and finally the Western Hockey League from 1978 after the admission of American-based teams to the league.
The league was the brainchild of Bill Hunter, who desired to build a western league capable of competing with the top leagues in Ontario and Quebec. He partnered with Scotty Munro, Del Wilson, and Jim Piggott to make this vision a reality. Originally considered an "outlaw league" by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, the western league was not sanctioned as a top junior league until 1970, when Canadian junior hockey was reorganized.
History[edit]
Establishment[edit]
Despite winning the 1966 Memorial Cup, Edmonton Oil Kings' owner Bill Hunter was growing concerned about the state of junior hockey in Western Canada. Each of the West's four provinces had its own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at a disadvantage when competing nationally against larger leagues based in Ontario and Quebec. Desiring stronger competition, Hunter's Oil Kings competed in the Alberta Senior Hockey League rather than the Alberta Junior Hockey League.[citation needed] During the 1966 Memorial Cup, Hunter made newspaper headlines when he stated his vision for a nation-wide junior ice hockey league competing for the Memorial Cup. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) second vice-president Lloyd Pollock responded by saying that the idea was nothing more than a pipe dream, and would not be feasible while the CAHA was re-negotiating a development agreement with the National Hockey League.[1]
CAHA informed the Oil Kings that they were required to play in a junior hockey league for the 1966–67 season or would be held ineligible to compete for the Memorial Cup. This led Hunter to endorse the suggestion of Estevan Bruins owner Scotty Munro to create a new regional junior league.[2] Five members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL)—the Bruins, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Canucks, and Weyburn Red Wings—left the SJHL and joined the Oil Kings and the Calgary Buffaloes in forming the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL). Despite concerns that the CMJHL would see the demise of the Alberta and Saskatchewan leagues—the SJHL did immediately fold—the governing bodies in both provinces sanctioned the new league. However, CAHA did not sanction the new league, declaring the CMJHL to be an "outlaw league" and suspending its teams and players from participation in CAHA events, including the Memorial Cup.[3] The new league accused CAHA of overstepping its boundaries and, with the support of the players and their families, chose to play the season regardless.[4] The CMJHL began legal action against the CAHA executive in March 1967, fighting to regain eligibility to enter the Memorial Cup tournament.[5]
In May 1967, the CMJHL renamed itself to the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL).[6] The founders initially avoided the term "Western" to keep open the possibility of inviting top Eastern junior clubs to join in a national junior league in case negotiations with CAHA reached an impasse.[citation needed] The new CAHA-NHL development agreement came into effect July 1, 1967. The new pact ended direct sponsorship of junior teams by the NHL, which shifted to paying development fees to CAHA, with junior players becoming eligible for the NHL entry draft at age 20.[7] In May 1968, Hunter announced that the league would use an age limit of 21 in defiance of the CAHA-NHL agreement. The WCJHL stopped short of declaring independence from CAHA, and claimed that the lower age limit would decrease its talent pool and negatively affect ticket sales. In response, CAHA again suspended the league and its players.[8]
In June 1968, the WCJHL announced a name change to the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and that it was leaving CAHA to affiliate with the rival Canadian Hockey Association (CHA). Hunter became chairman of the board for the WCHL, and Ron Butlin became president of the WCHL and the CHA.[9] Four new teams were added in 1968 to total eleven as the league stretched east into Manitoba. Concerns over the WCHL's relationship with CAHA led the Pats, Canucks and Red Wings to withdraw before the 1968–69 season, and join a revived Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League instead.[citation needed]
When the CAHA reorganized junior hockey in 1970, it finally sanctioned the WCHL, making it one of three Tier I major junior leagues, along with the Ontario Hockey Association's Tier I division—now the Ontario Hockey League—and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League—now the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.[citation needed]
- League logo timeline
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1968–1978 -
1978–2002 -
2002–present
Early years[edit]
The first decade of the WCHL saw constant expansion and franchise movement as the league spread throughout the west. The Flin Flon Bombers, led by future NHL stars Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach, became the league's first powerhouse team, making three straight finals appearances and winning back-to-back championships in 1969 and 1970. The Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current Broncos joined in 1967, and the Medicine Hat Tigers joined in 1970. The WCHL became a truly western league in 1971 when the Estevan team moved to British Columbia to become the New Westminster Bruins, joined by the expansion Victoria Cougars and Vancouver Nats.[2]
In the mid-1970s, the Bruins became the WCHL's first true dynasty, capturing four consecutive championships between 1975 and 1978. The Bruins also won back-to-back Memorial Cups in 1977 and 1978.
In 1976, the Oil Kings, competing with the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association, relocated to Portland to become the Winter Hawks, marking the WCHL's first American club.[10] With the addition of American teams in Seattle and Billings a year later, the WCHL shortened its name to the Western Hockey League.[2]
The brawling '80s[edit]
The 1980s were marked by several brawls that involved police intervention, one of the most bizarre trades in hockey history, and the tragic deaths of four players in a bus crash.
Early in the 1980–81 WHL season, Medicine Hat Tigers manager and coach Pat Ginnell traded blows with a linesman during a bench clearing brawl against the Lethbridge Broncos. Ginnell was found guilty of assault, fined $360, and suspended for 36 games by the WHL. In March 1982, a violent brawl between the Regina Pats and Calgary Wranglers saw the two teams collectively fined $2,250 and players suspended for 73 combined games. Pats coach Bill LaForge would end up in a courtroom later that season when he got into an altercation with a fan. LaForge was acquitted when the judge noted that it was hard to convict a man for assault when faced with "an obnoxious person trying to get into the coach's area."[citation needed] LaForge resigned following the season after serving three separate suspensions.
On January 19, 1983, the Seattle Breakers dealt Tom Martin and $35,000 to the Victoria Cougars for the Cougars' team bus. The Breakers had been unable to sign Martin, who wanted to play in his home town of Victoria, and the Cougars were unable to use the bus, which they had purchased from the folded Spokane Flyers, because they were unwilling to pay the taxes and duties required to register the vehicle in Canada.
On December 30, 1986, tragedy struck the Swift Current Broncos when their bus slid off an icy highway and rolled on the way to Regina for a game. Scott Kruger, Trent Kresse, Brent Ruff, and Chris Mantyka were killed.[11] The Broncos retired their numbers and introduced a commemorative patch in remembrance of the four players; in 2016, a memorial was unveiled at the crash site.[12] The WHL later renamed its award for most valuable player as the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in their honour.[13]
The 1990s[edit]
The 1990s saw another period of expansion and the return of the league to Western Canada's major cities. The Kamloops Blazers became the WHL's second dynasty in the early 1990s when they won both the WHL Championship and Memorial Cup three times in four years between 1992 and 1995. The Kelowna Rockets became the third dynasty, winning three WHL titles in 2003, 2005, and 2009; and winning the Memorial Cup as host city in 2004. The Portland Winter Hawks won their second Memorial Cup in 1998.
In 1995, the Calgary Hitmen, founded by a group of investors including Bret "the Hitman" Hart, from whom the team got its name, were granted an expansion franchise. Despite early fears that the WHL could not succeed in an NHL city, the Hitmen were a success, averaging as many as 10,000 fans per game in 2004–05. The Hitmen were followed one year later by the Edmonton Ice, but that team failed after only two seasons because of conflicts with the Edmonton Oilers. The team became the Kootenay Ice and had better success in Cranbrook, British Columbia, including winning the 2002 Memorial Cup, despite being one of the smallest markets in the league.
The twenty-first century[edit]
In the 2000s, the league expanded with four more teams—the Vancouver Giants in 2001, the Everett Silvertips in 2003, the Chilliwack Bruins in 2005 (who relocated in 2011 to become the Victoria Royals), and the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2007, as the Oilers took an interest in cultivating a junior team within their home market in the Alberta capital.
2011 saw WHL teams participate in two outdoor games. The Spokane Chiefs also hosted the Kootenay Ice on January 15, and on February 21, the Calgary Hitmen hosted the Regina Pats for a game in conjunction with the 2011 Heritage Classic. The teams wore retro-inspired jerseys. The 2010–11 season was the first for the league to be featured in video game, EA Sports' NHL 11, which included all WHL teams and rosters.
On January 29, 2019, the Kootenay Ice announced the team would relocate to Winnipeg for the 2019–20 season as the Winnipeg Ice.[14] On June 16, 2023, the Ice announced the team would relocate to Wenatchee, Washington, for the 2023–24 WHL season as the Wenatchee Wild.[15]
Member teams[edit]
The WHL comprises 22 teams divided into two conferences, making it the largest league in the CHL—the Ontario Hockey League has 20 teams and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has 18. The WHL has member teams across four Canadian provinces and two American states. The Eastern Conference comprises teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The Western Conference is made up of teams based in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, with the division winners declared the top two seeds in the first round of the post-season. In the playoffs, the four remaining teams in each conference are reseeded by regular season points in the second round.
* Indicates franchise was relocated from original location
Franchise history and timeline[edit]
Former member Current member
- Calgary Buffaloes (1966–67) → Calgary Centennials (1967–77) → Billings Bighorns (1977–82) → Nanaimo Islanders (1982–83) → New Westminster Bruins (1983–88) → Tri-City Americans (1988–present)
- Edmonton Oil Kings (1966–76) → Portland Winterhawks (1976–present)
- Estevan Bruins (1966–71) → New Westminster Bruins (1971–81) → Kamloops Junior Oilers (1981–84) → Kamloops Blazers (1984–present)
- Moose Jaw Canucks (1966–68)
- Regina Pats (1966–68, 1970–present)
- Saskatoon Blades (1966–present)
- Weyburn Red Wings (1966–68)
- Brandon Wheat Kings (1967–present)
- Flin Flon Bombers (1967–78) → Edmonton Oil Kings (1978–79) → Great Falls Americans (1979–80) → Spokane Flyers (1980–82)
- Swift Current Broncos (1967–74) → Lethbridge Broncos (1974–86) → Swift Current Broncos (1986–present)
- Winnipeg Jets (1967–73) → Winnipeg Clubs (1973–76) → Winnipeg Monarchs (1976–77) → Calgary Wranglers (1977–87) → Lethbridge Hurricanes (1987–present)
- Medicine Hat Tigers (1970–present)
- Vancouver Nats (1971–73) → Kamloops Chiefs (1973–77) → Seattle Breakers (1977–85) → Seattle Thunderbirds (1985–present)
- Victoria Cougars (1971–94) → Prince George Cougars (1994–present)
- Winnipeg Warriors (1980–84) → Moose Jaw Warriors (1984–present)
- Kelowna Wings (1982–85) → Spokane Chiefs (1985–present)
- Prince Albert Raiders (1982–present)
- Tacoma Rockets (1991–95) → Kelowna Rockets (1995–present)
- Red Deer Rebels (1992–present)
- Calgary Hitmen (1995–present)
- Edmonton Ice (1996–98) → Kootenay Ice (1998–2019) → Winnipeg Ice (2019–2023) → Wenatchee Wild (2023–present)
- Vancouver Giants (2001–present)
- Everett Silvertips (2003–present)
- Chilliwack Bruins (2006–11) → Victoria Royals (2011–present)
- Edmonton Oil Kings (2007–present)
Player eligibility[edit]
The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual event in which teams select players from bantam hockey league age groups, i.e. 14 or 15 years old. The order of selection depends on the final standings of the teams.
Players aged 15–20 are eligible to play in the WHL, with some restrictions. 15-year-olds are permitted to play only five games unless their midget team's season has ended. Meanwhile, each team is allowed to have only three 20-year-olds on their rosters, except for expansion teams, for which five 20-year-olds are eligible to play. Each team is permitted to carry only two non-North American players.[16]
Each of the CHL's three member leagues are granted exclusive territorial rights to players from within North America. The WHL holds rights to players from the four western provinces, the American Pacific Northwest, all other American states west of the Mississippi River (except Missouri), and the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
Education[edit]
The WHL takes a role in its players educational needs. The league operates a scholarship program that offers one full year of tuition, textbooks, and compulsory fees for each season played in the WHL. Since this program was introduced in 1993, more than 3,000 scholarships had been handed out at a total value of CA$9 million by 2008.[17] teams maintain academic advisors, who monitors the academic progress of players along with the league's Director of Education Services.[18]
Canadian universities and colleges recruit extensively from the WHL, affording graduating players the opportunity to continue playing hockey as they attend post-secondary institutions. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) considers graduates of the CHL to be professionals and thus ineligible to participate in college hockey programs in the United States. Players hoping to receive scholarships to, and play for, American universities must play Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League, one of the Canadian Junior Hockey League's member organizations or the United States Hockey League to retain their NCAA eligibility.[19]
Champions and awards[edit]
Memorial Cup Champions[edit]
WHL teams earn the right to compete in the annual Memorial Cup tournament by winning the WHL playoff championship or, since 1983, by hosting the tournament. Altogether, the Memorial Cup has been won by WHL teams nineteen times since the league's founding.[20][21]
League records[edit]
| Statistic | Total | Team | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most points | 125 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 1978–79 |
| Most wins | 60 | Victoria Cougars | 1980–81 |
| Most wins, inaugural season | 35 | Everett Silvertips | 2003–04 |
| Most goals for | 496 | Kamloops Blazers | 1986–87 |
| Fewest goals against | 125 | Kelowna Rockets | 2003–04 |
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Ray Ferraro | 108 | 1983–84 |
| Most assists | Rob Brown | 136 | 1986–87 |
| Most points | Rob Brown | 212 | 1986–87 |
| Most points, rookie | Petr Nedved | 145 | 1989–90 |
| Most points, defenceman | Cam Plante | 140 | 1983–84 |
League awards[edit]
| Award | Purpose | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Ed Chynoweth Cup | Playoff champion | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| airBC Trophy | Playoff MVP | Thomas Millic (Seattle Thunderbirds) |
| Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy | Regular season champion | Saskatoon Blades |
| Four Broncos Memorial Trophy | Player of the year | Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors) |
| Doc Seaman Trophy | Scholastic player of the year | Noah Chadwick (Lethbridge Hurricanes) |
| Bob Clarke Trophy | Top scorer | Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors) |
| Brad Hornung Trophy | Most sportsmanlike | Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors) |
| Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy | Top defenceman | Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors) |
| Del Wilson Trophy | Top goaltender | Brett Mirwald (Vancouver Giants) |
| Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy | Top rookie | Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) |
| WHL Plus-Minus Award | Best +/- rating | Zac Funk (Prince George Cougars) |
| Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy | Top coach | Mark Lamb (Prince George Cougars) |
| Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy | Top executive | Mark Lamb (Prince George Cougars) |
| Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy | Top official | Jeff Ingram |
| Doug Wickenheiser | Humanitarian of the year | Ty Hurley (Kelowna Rockets) |
| St. Clair Group Trophy | Best public relations | Edmonton Oil Kings |
Commissioners[edit]
- Frank Boucher (Commissioner), 1966–1968
- Ron Butlin (President), 1968–1971
- Jim Piggott (President) & Tom Fisher (Executive Secretary), 1971–1972
- Del Wilson (President) & Tom Fisher (Executive Secretary), 1972–1973
- Ed Chynoweth (President), 1973–1979
- David Descent (President), 1979–1980
- Ed Chynoweth (President), 1980–1995
- Dev Dley (Commissioner), 1995–2000
- Ron Robison (Commissioner), 2000–present
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- General
- Flett, Corey; Watts, Jessie, eds. (2008). 2008–09 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League.
- "Western Hockey League seasons". hockeydb.org. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- Richard Lapp; Silas White. Local Heroes: A History of the Western Hockey League.
- Specific
- ^ "Sees All-Canada Junior League". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. May 14, 1966. p. 65.
- ^ a b c "WHL History". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ "Buffaloes continue program". Calgary Herald. October 4, 1966. p. 14.
- ^ "CMJHL may play without official sanction of CAHA". Calgary Herald. October 5, 1966. p. 55.
- ^ "Action Opened By Junior Loop". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. March 30, 1967. p. 11.
- ^ "CMJHL Now Becomes WCJHL". Brandon Sun. Brandon, Manitoba. May 27, 1967. p. 12.
- ^ "Sweeping Changes In Pro-Am Hockey Pact". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 19, 1966. p. 22.
- ^ "WCJHL Move Causes New Controversy". Brandon Sun. Brandon, Manitoba. May 29, 1968. p. 8.
- ^ Koroluk, Korry (June 10, 1968). "C.A.H.A. Has Challenge". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. p. 6.
- ^ Matheson, Jim (May 26, 1976). "Oil Kings get CAHA nod for move to Portland". Edmonton Journal. p. 67.
- ^ Naylor, David & Leriche, Timothy (December 31, 1986). "Tragedy hits hockey club". Calgary Sun. p. 5.
- ^ "Memorial unveiled on 30th anniversary of crash that killed 4 Swift Current hockey players". CBC News. December 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "Four Broncos Memorial Trophy". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ "WHL's Kootenay Ice to relocate to Winnipeg for 2019-20 season". Toronto Star. January 29, 2019.
- ^ "Winnipeg ICE relocated to Wenatchee, Washington ahead of 2023-24 season". Canadian Hockey League. June 16, 2023.
- ^ "WHL Frequently Asked Questions". Western Hockey League. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (December 2008). "School's in Session". Prospects Hockey: WHL9–WHL11.
- ^ Flett, Corey; Watts, Jessie, eds. (2008). 2008–09 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. p. 191.
- ^ Lamb, Kirk (2008). "Guide for College Bound Hockey Players". Alberta Junior Hockey League. p. 34.
- ^ "Memorial Cup History". Canadian Hockey League. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Cornett, Tim (May 14, 2019). "A look back at the history of the Memorial Cup". Hometown Hockey. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "WHL Official Guide". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
