The Western Hockey League (WHL) is one of the three main junior hockey leagues that form the Canadian Hockey League . The winner of the league is awarded the Ed Chinovet Cup and gets the right to fight for the Memorial Cup with the winners.
| Western Hockey League | |
|---|---|
| Western Hockey League | |
 | |
| Based | 1966 |
| A country |  Canada USA |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| Current winner | Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Most Titles | Kamloops Blazers (6) |
| Official site | whl.ca |
WHL was founded in 1966 by hockey functionary Bill Hunter . At first, the league was not recognized by the Canadian Hockey Association , however, already in 1970 officially entered the top three leagues of the highest level of junior hockey, and in 1972 for the first time the WHL champion fought for the Memorial Cup.
Today, 22 teams play in the WHL, divided into two conferences, each of which consists of two divisions. The Eastern Conference includes 12 teams from the Canadian provinces of Manitoba , Saskatchewan , Alberta and British Columbia . The Western Conference lists 10 clubs from British Columbia and the US states of Washington and Oregon .
Content
History
It was founded in 1966 by seven teams from Saskatchewan and Alberta: Calgary Buffalos, Edmonton Oil Kings , Estevan Bruins, Mus Joe Canucks, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades and Weyburn Red Wings. The founder of the league was Bill Hunter . The first decade of the league was constantly expanding. In 1967-1978, the club played the Flynn-Flon Bombers club, led by future NHL star Bobby Clark . In the 1980s there were several scandals involving league clubs.
Members
In the 2014/2015 season, the same 22 teams will take part as in the previous season.
| Division | Team | City | Arena (capacity) | Based | in whl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | |||||
| Oriental | Brandon Wheat Kings | Brandon | Keystone Center (5 102) | 1936 | 1967 |
| Mus Joe Warriors | Mus Joe | Mosaic Place ( 4,414 ) | 1984 | ||
| Prince Albert Raiders | Prince albert | Art Houser Center (3,366) | 1971 | 1982 | |
| Regina Pats | Regina | Brandt Center (6,200) | 1917 | 1966 | |
| Saskatoon Blades | Saskatoon | SaskTel Center (15 195) | 1964 | 1966 | |
| Swift-Carrent Broncos | Swift Carrent | Credit Union iPlex (3,239) | 1967 | ||
| Central | Calgary hitman | Calgary | Skoshabank Saddledom (19,289) | 1995 | |
| Kutenay Ice | Cranbrook | Western Financial Place (4,654) | 1998 | ||
| Lethbridge Hurricanes | Lethbridge | ENMAX Center (5,470) | 1987 | ||
| Medicine Hat Tigers | Medicine Hat | Canalta Center (6 016) | 1970 | ||
| Red Deer Rebels | Red deer | ENMAX Centrium (6,000) | 1992 | ||
| Edmonton Oil Kings | Edmonton | Rexal Place (16,839) | 2006 | ||
| Western conference | |||||
| British columbia | Vancouver Giants | Vancouver | Pacific Coliseum (16,281) | 2001 | |
| Victoria Royals | Victoria | Save on Foods Memorial Center (7,006) | 2011 | ||
| Kamloops Blazers | Kamloops | Sandman Center ( 5,464 ) | 1981 | ||
| Kelowna Rockets | Kelowna | Prosper Place (6,286) | 1991 | ||
| Prince George Cougars | Prince George | CN Center (5 971) | 1994 | ||
| U.S.A | Portland Winterhawks | Portland | Coliseum Memorial (10 407) Fashion Center (18,280) | 1976 | |
| Seattle thunderbirds | Seattle | ShowWare Center (6,500) | 1977 | ||
| Spokane Chiefs | Spokane | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (10 7596) | 1985 | ||
| Triple City Americans | Kennevik | Toyota Center (6,000) | 1988 | ||
| Everett Silverthips | Everett | Ixfiniti Arena (8,149) | 2003 | ||
Playoffs and Memorial Cup
The winner of the playoffs of the Western Hockey League receives the Ed Chinovet Cup , the agent of the league from 1972 to 1995 . There are 16 teams in the playoffs, 8 from each conference, who play a series of up to four victories. Then the WHL winner, together with the OHL and QMJHL champions, as well as the tournament owner, competes for the Memorial Cup - the main trophy of junior hockey in North America. One of the teams of each league becomes the owner of the Cup in turn.
Holders of the Memorial Cup
The WHL teams won the Memorial Cup nineteen times:
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League records
- Customized
- Most goals of the season: 108 - Ray Ferraro (1983/84)
- Most shows of the season: 136 - Rob Brown (1986/87)
- Most points of the season: 212 - Rob Brown (1986/87)
- Most penalties of the season: 511 - Brent Gogol (1977/78)
- Most points for newcomers of the season: 145 - Peter Nedved (1989/90)
- Most points won among defenders of the season: 140 - Cam Plant (1983/84)
- Team
- Most wins of the season: 60 - Victoria Cougars (1980/81)
- Most points of the season: 125 - Brandon Wheat Kings (1978/79)
- Most goals of the season: 496 - Kamloops Blazers (1986/87)
- Fewest goals conceded in a season: 125 - Kelowna Rockets (2003/04)
- Most goals in the majority of the season: 180 - Swift-Carrent Broncos (1988/89)
Trophies and awards
| Reward | Description | First presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Team | ||
| Ed Chinovet Cup | Champion WHL | 1966/67 |
| Scotty Munroe Trophy Memorial | Regular season winner | 1966/67 |
| St. Clair Group Trophy | For the best relationship between club marketing and fans | 1989/90 |
| Personal | ||
| Four Broncos Trophy Memorial | Best player | 1966/67 |
| Bob Clark Trophy | Top scorer | 1966/67 |
| Brad Hornang Trophy | For nobleness and decency on ice | 1966/67 |
| Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy | Best defender | 1966/67 |
| Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy | Best newbie | 1966/67 |
| Del Wilson Trophy | Best goalkeeper | 1966/67 |
| Dunk McCallum Memorial Trophy | Best trainer | 1968/69 |
| Daryl Kay (Doc) Seaman Trophy | For the best combination of high performance on ice and in school | 1983/84 |
| WHL plus / minus Eward | For the best plus / minus indicator | 1986/87 |
| WHL playoff MVP | Best playoff player | 1986/87 |
| Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy | Best leader | 1987/88 |
| Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy | For social and charitable activities | 1992/93 |
| Allen Paradise Trophy Memorial | Best judge | 1994/95 |
See also
- Memorial Cup
- Ed Chinovet Cup
Links
- Official WHL website . whl.ca.
- Official site of CHL (English) . chl.ca.
- Information about the league . Hockey Database.com.