FAQs
The Seattle Thunderbirds have their redemption. The Thunderbirds made the most of their second consecutive trip to the WHL Championship, defeating the Winnipeg ICE to claim the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2023 after having fallen to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the spring of 2022.
What is the smallest city in the WHL? ›
Swift Current is the smallest city with a team in the WHL, and the second smallest across the entire Canadian Hockey League. The Broncos are three-time WHL playoff champions, and won the 1989 Memorial Cup.
Do WHL players get paid in Canada? ›
The WHL in an amateur league working in conjunction with the Canadian Hockey League and the Hockey Canada. Players do receive a very modest monthly stipend while playing in the WHL, which provides them with spending money that they cannot earn in part-time jobs due to the time commitments of school and hockey.
What is the format for the WHL playoffs? ›
2024 WHL Playoffs Format
The first-place teams in the two Divisions in each Conference will receive the top two playoff seeds based on Regular Season points. The next six Clubs in each Conference, based on Regular Season points, will receive the third to eighth playoff positions.
Who won the WHL Cup in 2024? ›
Moose Jaw, Sask. — For the first time in franchise history, the Moose Jaw Warriors are WHL Champions. The Warriors clinched the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a 4-2 win over the Western Conference Champion Portland Winterhawks in Game 4 of the 2024 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien.
Who won WHL this year? ›
By season
| Season | Winning team | Memorial Cup result |
|---|
| 2020–21 | WHL playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — Ed Chynoweth Cup not awarded |
| 2021–22 | Edmonton Oil Kings (3) | Edmonton finished fourth |
| 2022–23 | Seattle Thunderbirds (2) | Seattle lost final |
| 2023–24 | Moose Jaw Warriors (1) | Moose Jaw lost semifinal |
54 more rowsBased again on the 18-man roster, the WHL had the best showing with 31 of a possible 324 players, for an NHL production rate of 9.6 percent. The OHL had 31 of 360 for 8.6 percent and the QMJHL 16 of 270 for 5.9 percent.
Who has the biggest WHL arena? ›
Arenas by capacity
| Rank | Arena | Capacity (Seating capacity only) |
|---|
| 1 | SKA Arena | 21,542 |
| 2 | Bell Centre* | 21,105 |
| 3 | United Center* | 19,717 |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Center* | 19,537 |
45 more rowsWHL Eligibility Rules:
Each WHL team is permitted to place a maximum of 50 players between the ages of 15 and 20 on their list. A player may not be added to a WHL list until he has been eligible for the WHL Bantam Draft.
Can you play college hockey if you play in the WHL? ›
If a player suits up for even a single game in the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, or Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, he immediately forfeits his NCAA eligibility.
The Ontario Hockey League. With 35 players taken in the NHL draft, the OHL made a statement to the rest of Canada. They are the top league in Major Junior Hockey, and while the others are good, the OHL just does things a little better. The WHL lands at the number 3 position.
How much is a WHL player stipend? ›
The WHL doesn't publish how much money players get — “players do receive a very modest monthly stipend,” is what the league's website reads on the matter — and teams keep quiet about it but there have been published reports of up to $120 weekly. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat.
How many games can a 15 year old play in the WHL? ›
Player eligibility
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.
Can WHL games end in a tie? ›
Shoot Out - 3 players from each team will be designated to shoot. If the outcome is already determined after 2 shooters from each team, the 3rd shooter will not shoot. If still tied after 3 shooters, teams will continue to alternate shooters until the tie is broken (in a 'sudden death' format).
How many 20 year olds can play on a WHL team? ›
WHL Clubs are allowed a maximum of three 20 year old players on their roster. Clubs having more than three overage players to start the season may continue to rotate them in and out of the lineup until a date determined annually in mid-October at which time they must declare the three that will remain on their roster.
Who are the top 2023 WHL draft picks? ›
2023 WHL Bantam Draft
| Overall# | Team | Player |
|---|
| ROUND 1 |
| #1 | Prince Albert Raiders | Daxon Rudolph (D) |
| #2 | Prince Albert Raiders | Riley Boychuk (F) |
| #3 | Spokane Chiefs | Mathis Preston (F) |
69 more rowsThe Quebec Remparts defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds, for their third Memorial Cup title. Remparts forward James Malatesta was named the tournament's most valuable player, with five goals in four games.
What is the average attendance at the WHL 2023 2024? ›
Last week, the WHL issued a news release to say that in 2023-24, league-wide regular season attendance had surpassed 3,000,000 for the first time since 2018-19. League-wide, the average attendance at a regular season WHL game in 2023-24 was 4,114, up from 3,895 in 2022-23.
What WHL teams went to the NHL? ›
Facing financial difficulty and unable to meet payrolls, the WHA finally came to an agreement with the NHL in early 1979. Under the deal, four WHA clubs – the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers (renamed the Hartford Whalers), Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets – joined the NHL.
