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. Many players have been drafted from WHL teams, and have found success at various levels of professional hockey, including the National Hockey League (NHL).
Nolan Baumgartner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was formerly an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Baumgartner was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1st round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played parts of ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for six different teams between 1995 and 2010. Baumgartner played only one full season in the NHL, 2005–06 with the Vancouver Canucks, and spent most of his playing career in the AHL.
The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007. Their home rink was the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, an arena previously used by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vancouver Canucks. Effective with the 2016–17 season, the team relocated to the Langley Events Centre in the Township of Langley, in the eastern part of Metro Vancouver.
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the GFL Memorial Gardens. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey teams based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, since 1919.
The Detroit Junior Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League for three seasons from 1992 to 1995. The Jr. Red Wings were based in Detroit, Michigan.
The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is an independent Canadian Junior ice hockey league with 22 teams in British Columbia and Alberta. It was classified as a Junior 'A' league within the Hockey Canada framework until it became independent in 2023. Since becoming independent, the league characterizes itself simply as a Junior ice hockey league.
Peter Schaefer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. During his playing career, he was best known as a two-way forward. After his playing career, Schaefer most recently served as head coach, general manager and president of the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).
Scott Upshall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He was selected in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators in the first round, sixth overall.
Bradley J. Lukowich is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and former assistant coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League. He has won the Stanley Cup twice in his career, with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He was on the roster of the Stars when they won the cup in 1998–99, but did not play enough games to get his name on the Cup. He is the currently coaching hockey.
The Merritt Centennials are a junior "A" ice hockey team based in Merritt, British Columbia. They are members of the Interior Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). The franchise was established in Kamloops in 1961 and moved to White Rock in 1973 when the WCHL's Vancouver Nats moved to Kamloops and became the Chiefs. The Centennials settled in Merritt midway through the 1973–74 season. They play their home games at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.
The 1977–78 WCHL season was the 12th season for the Western Canada Hockey League. Twelve teams completed a 72-game season. The New Westminster Bruins won their fourth consecutive President's Cup and second consecutive Memorial Cup.
Michael W. Brown is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. In his seven-year career, he played for the Vancouver Canucks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Robb Gordon is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey centre who played briefly in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks. Selected by the Canucks in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, he played four games for the team in the 1998–99 season, spending the rest of his career in the minor leagues before retiring in 2000. Internationally Gordon played for the Canadian national junior team at the 1996 World Junior Championships, winning a gold medal.
The 1994 Memorial Cup was held May 14–22 at the Colisée de Laval in Laval, Quebec. It was the 76th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the host Laval Titan from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as well as the winners of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League, which were the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, North Bay Centennials and Kamloops Blazers. Kamloops won their second Memorial Cup, defeating Laval in the final game.
The 1988 Memorial Cup occurred May 7–14 at the Centre Georges-Vézina in Chicoutimi, Quebec. It was the 70th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Hull Olympiques, the QMJHL runner-up, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, as well as the winners of the Western Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League which were the Medicine Hat Tigers and Windsor Spitfires. The original host team, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, did not participate as they did not make it far enough in the QMJHL playoffs. Although the Spitfires entered the Cup final having won 39 of the previous 40 games they had played, Medicine Hat won their second Memorial Cup in a row, defeating Windsor in the final game.
The 1986 Memorial Cup occurred May 10–17 at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. It was the 68th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Hosting rights were originally awarded to the Queen's Park Arena and the New Westminster Bruins, but staging the tournament alongside Expo '86 in Vancouver proved logistically impossible and so the tournament was moved to Portland for the second time in three years. Participating teams were the host team Portland Winter Hawks, as well as the winners of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League which were the Kamloops Blazers, Guelph Platers and Hull Olympiques. The Platers won their first Memorial Cup, and the city's second Memorial Cup, defeating Hull in the final game.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 80th overall, out of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Playing major junior with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he set franchise single-season records in 2008–09 with 79 assists and 115 points, en route to a Bob Clarke Trophy as the league's leading scorer.
Mike Craig is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.
The 2011–12 BCHL season marked the 50th anniversary of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). The sixteen teams from the Coastal and Interior Conferences played 60 game schedules.
Nathan Gaucher is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 22nd overall by the Ducks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.