WHL — WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Western Canada and US Pacific Northwest. 22 teams. Major CHL league and NHL draft pipeline.
Western Hockey League — Major Junior
22 TEAMS • BC, ALBERTA, SASK, MAN, WA
Founded 1966 • Part of Canadian Hockey League (CHL)
Teams
22
Age Range
16-20
Founded
1966
CHL Member
Yes
ABOUT THE WHL
The Western Hockey League is one of three Major Junior leagues in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). With 22 teams across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the U.S. state of Washington, the WHL covers a vast geographic footprint. It is a premier development league for hockey players aiming for NCAA hockey and the NHL. Notable alumni include many Hall of Famers and current NHL stars. The WHL season runs from September through March, ending with the WHL Championship and Memorial Cup.
Teams in WHL
See all →23 tracked teams in the WHL.
WHL HISTORY
The Western Hockey League was founded in 1966 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League's western counterpart. The WHL began with seven teams in western Canada and has since grown to 22 teams across four divisions: the B.C. Division, the U.S. Division (Spokane Chiefs, Tri-City Americans, Wenatchee Wild, Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds), the Central Division, and the East Division.
The WHL operates as the western leg of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), alongside the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The three leagues share the Memorial Cup, awarded annually to the CHL champion. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 17 times, most recently the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2022. The Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kamloops Blazers, Spokane Chiefs, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Seattle Thunderbirds are also past Memorial Cup winners.
The WHL's NHL alumni list is unmatched in major junior hockey. WHL graduates have won 11 of the last 20 NHL Rookie of the Year Awards, including most recent winners Connor Bedard (Everett Silvertips, 2023), Mason McTavish (Hamilton Bulldogs → OHL, 2022), Kirill Kaprizov (Krasnoyarsk → Russia, 2021), and Cale Makar (Brooks Bandits, 2020). Other notable WHL alumni include Jarome Iginla, Mark Messier, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, and more than 200 current NHL players.
MEMORIAL CUP FORMAT
The WHL regular season runs from late September through late March. Each team plays 68 games, with the top 8 teams in each conference qualifying for the WHL Playoffs. The first two rounds of the WHL Playoffs are played within each conference; the conference champions then meet in the WHL Championship Series, a best-of-seven.
The WHL Champion advances to the Memorial Cup, the four-team tournament that concludes the CHL season each May. The Memorial Cup is a round-robin among the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL champions plus a host team, with the top four teams advancing to a single-elimination semifinal and final. The Memorial Cup is widely considered the most prestigious trophy in Canadian junior hockey.