The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a 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 11 teams from British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in the city of Kent, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League. Founded in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats, the team arrived in Seattle in 1977 and played as the Breakers until 1985, when they adopted the Thunderbirds name. The team played in Seattle for three decades before moving to the accesso ShoWare Center in nearby Kent in 2008. The Thunderbirds are two-time WHL champions, with their most recent title coming in 2023.
The 2004 Memorial Cup occurred May 15–23 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia. It was the 86th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). It featured the host team, the Kelowna Rockets as well as the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League which were the Guelph Storm, Gatineau Olympiques and the Medicine Hat Tigers respectively. The Kelowna Rockets would be the eventual winners, and would become only the fourth host team to win without winning their league as well. Kelowna defeated the Olympiques who made their second straight Memorial Cup final, but as with 2003, the 'Piques came up short. Kelowna also participated in the 2003 tournament as WHL champions but did not advance to the final, and would participate as WHL champions in the 2005 Memorial Cup as well.
The Kelowna Rockets are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The team plays in the B.C Division of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference, playing their home games at Prospera Place. The Rockets are the most successful WHL team in the twenty-first century, winning three regular season titles and four playoff championships. The team has also played in the Memorial Cup finals three times, winning once, in 2004, when Kelowna hosted the tournament.
The Portland Winterhawks are a junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1950 as the Edmonton Oil Kings, the team relocated to Portland in 1976 and was known as the Winter Hawks until 2009. The team plays in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL), one of three constituent leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The Winterhawks have made a record thirteen appearances in the WHL championship series—including a record-tying four straight from 2011 to 2014—winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup three times and capturing two Memorial Cup titles. They were the first American-based team to participate in and win either championship. The team plays its home games at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Calgary Hitmen are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL), hosting their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "Hitman" Hart, a professional wrestler and Calgary native, was a founding owner and the inspiration for the team's name. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team based in Calgary, after the Centennials and Wranglers.
The Spokane Chiefs are an American major junior ice hockey team based in Spokane, Washington. The Chiefs play in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference, playing home games at Spokane Arena. The Chiefs are two-time Memorial Cup champions—the second American team to win the title—winning in 1991 and 2008. Spokane hosted the first outdoor game in WHL history on January 15, 2011, at Avista Stadium.
The 2004–05 WHL season was the 39th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Twenty teams completed a 72-game schedule. The Kootenay Ice won their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for posting the league's best regular season record. The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings in the championship series of the playoffs to win their second President's Cup in three seasons and advance to the 2005 Memorial Cup tournament.
The 2006–07 WHL season was the 41st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Twenty-one teams completed a 72-game season, with the Chilliwack Bruins competing in their inaugural season. The Everett Silvertips won their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup, defeating the Vancouver Giants in seven games. However, the Giants captured the 2007 Memorial Cup as tournament hosts, defeating the Tigers in the championship game.
The 2003–04 WHL season was the 38th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Twenty teams completed a 72-game season. The defending champion Kelowna Rockets won their second consecutive Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record; however, they failed to defend their playoff title as the Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup, their fourth in team history, defeating the expansion Everett Silvertips in the championship series. This gave Medicine Hat a berth in the 2004 Memorial Cup tournament, which, because it was hosted by Kelowna, also featured the Rockets, who went on to win the tournament.
The 2002–03 WHL season was the 37th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Nineteen teams completed a 72-game season. The Kelowna Rockets won both the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the league's best regular season team and the President's Cup as playoff champion, both for the first time. The Rockets thus earned a berth in the 2003 Memorial Cup tournament.
This is a timeline of events throughout the history of the Western Hockey League (WHL), which dates back to its founding in 1966. The league was founded by a group of team owners and managers in Saskatchewan and Alberta, including Bill Hunter, Scotty Munro, Del Wilson, and Jim Piggott, who thought a larger western league would help western teams compete for the Memorial Cup against teams from the larger associations in Ontario and Quebec. Since the league's founding, it has expanded to include 22 teams across the four Western Canadian provinces along with the Northwest United States, and it has produced 19 Memorial Cup championship teams.
The Ed Chynoweth Cup is an ice hockey club championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Originally called the President's Cup when the league was founded in 1966, the trophy was renamed in 2007 to honour Ed Chynoweth's long service to junior ice hockey in Canada. The WHL champion earns a berth into the Memorial Cup tournament, Canada's major junior hockey championship. The Kamloops Blazers have won the most WHL championships with six, followed by the Medicine Hat Tigers with five. The Spokane Chiefs were the first team to win the renamed trophy in the 2007–08 WHL season. The current (2023–24) holders of the Ed Chynoweth Cup are the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The 1987–88 WHL season was the 22nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), featuring fourteen teams and a 72-game season. The Saskatoon Blades won their third Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for best regular season record. In the playoffs, the Medicine Hat Tigers won their second consecutive President's Cup, defeating the Kamloops Blazers in the championship series. The Tigers advanced to the 1988 Memorial Cup tournament, where they won their second straight Memorial Cup title.
The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The Tri-City Americans won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record. The playoffs began on March 21, and ended on May 7, with the Spokane Chiefs defeating the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the championship series to claim their second Ed Chynoweth Cup and a berth at the 2008 Memorial Cup tournament, which Spokane would go on to win.
The 2008–09 WHL season was the 43rd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 18, 2008, and ended on March 15, 2009. The 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge series, featuring Team WHL versus the Russian Selects, took place mid-season from November 26 to 27, 2008. The Calgary Hitmen won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy with the best regular season record. The playoffs commenced on March 20, and concluded on May 9. The Kelowna Rockets won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, defeating the Hitmen in the championship series and earning a berth at the 2009 Memorial Cup tournament.
The 2010 Memorial Cup was a four-team round-robin format tournament played during May 14–23, 2010 in Brandon, Manitoba. It was the 92nd annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The Western Hockey League (WHL) announced on October 15, 2008, that the Brandon Wheat Kings were chosen to host the event at the Keystone Centre. Other tournament participants included the Windsor Spitfires, champions of the OHL, the Moncton Wildcats, champions of the QMJHL and the Calgary Hitmen, champions of the WHL. The Spitfires went 4–0 in the tournament, defeating Brandon 9–1 in the championship to claim their second straight Memorial Cup title.
The 2009–10 WHL season was the 44th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 17, 2009, and ended on March 14, 2010. The 2009 Subway Super Series, featuring Team WHL versus Team Russia, took place mid-season from November 25 to 26, 2009. The Calgary Hitmen won their second consecutive and fourth overall Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for best regular season record. The playoffs took place from March 18 to May 7. The Hitmen followed up their regular season title by defeating the Tri-City Americans in the championship series to claim their second Ed Chynoweth Cup, and a berth in the 2010 Memorial Cup tournament.
The 2014–15 WHL season was the 49th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 19, 2014, and ended on March 22, 2015. The Brandon Wheat Kings won their fifth Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for best regular season record. The playoffs began on March 26, 2015, and ended on May 13, 2015. The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Wheat Kings in the final to win their fourth Ed Chynoweth Cup and a berth in the 2015 Memorial Cup tournament, which was held at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec. The Rockets lost the Memorial Cup final to the Oshawa Generals, 2–1 in overtime.
