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. 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 since the league became eligible to compete for the trophy. Many players have been drafted from WHL teams, and have found success at various levels of professional hockey, including the National Hockey League (NHL).
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo is a two-time NHL second team All-Star and a winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for backstopping his team to the lowest goals against average in the league. He was a finalist for several awards, including the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender, the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by his peers, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player (2007). Luongo is second all time in games played as an NHL goaltender (1,044) and fourth all time in wins (489). He employed the butterfly style of goaltending.
Anson Horace Carter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eight teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. He was last active as a player with HC Lugano in the Swiss Nationalliga A, and was an ice hockey analyst for NBC Sports and is now an analyst for NHL on TNT and MSG Network.
Alexander James Auld is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Auld played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens. He has also appeared internationally for Team Canada on three occasions: the 2001 World Junior Championships, the 2004 Spengler Cup, and the 2006 World Championships.
The 1989–90 NHL season was the 73rd season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Edmonton Oilers, who won the best of seven series 4–1 against the Boston Bruins. The championship was the Oilers' fifth Stanley Cup in the seven seasons from 1983-84 to 1989-90.
Antonio Jason LaBarbera is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Terrance James Ball is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Ball played in the National Hockey League, the World Hockey Association, the Finnish SM-Liiga, and several minor leagues in a career that spanned from 1964 until 1979.
Tyler Plante is an American-born Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who last played with the Lørenskog IK of the GET-ligaen. He is currently the goaltending coach for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL
Nathan McIver is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played major junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he was drafted 254th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. McIver played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Canucks and the Anaheim Ducks. He is known as an agitator and a fighter. He was an assistant coach for the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, and is now with Ottawa Senators, as assistant coach with Belleville Senators for the 2023-24 season..
The 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks season was the Canucks' 37th NHL season.
Aaron Rome is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently serving as a skills coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Rome was selected in the fourth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.
Tyler Ray Weiman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche.
The 2008–09 Vancouver Canucks season was the 39th season in the National Hockey League.
Ryan White is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center who last played for the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild. He is the current assistant coach of the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Zack Adam Kassian is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who is an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). During his junior career, he won a Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires in 2010. Selected 13th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he began his career within the Buffalo Sabres organization before being traded to the Canucks in 2012. He played parts of four seasons with the Canucks before they traded him to the Montreal Canadiens in 2015. Kassian never played for the Canadiens as he was suspended for substance abuse issues, and was traded to the Oilers a few months later.
Yann Michel Sauvé is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for Brûleurs de Loups of the Ligue Magnus. He was drafted by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vancouver Canucks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, selected in the second round, 41st overall. He played major junior hockey with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for four seasons before he joined the Canucks' minor league affiliates in 2010. He split the 2010–11 season between the Canucks and their two minor league teams, the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL and the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Canucks changed AHL affiliates twice, and Sauve joined the Chicago Wolves and Utica Comets as a result. Sauvé was born in Montreal, Quebec, but grew up in Rigaud, Quebec.
Micheal Ferland is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who is currently an Unrestricted free agent, and likely retired. Ferland has previously played for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Carolina Hurricanes. Ferland was drafted by the Flames in the fifth round, 133rd overall, at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
The 2011–12 Vancouver Canucks season was the 42nd season in the modern Canucks history. The Vancouver Canucks were the defending Western Conference champions and three time defending Northwest Division champions. The Canucks opened the regular season against the Pittsburgh Penguins at home on October 6. Their final regular season game was held at Rogers Arena against the Edmonton Oilers on April 7, 2012. The Canucks entered the season expected to again contend for their first ever Stanley Cup. The Canucks struggled out of the gate, hovering around .500 until roughly the 20 game mark due to weak defensive play and a slow start from Roberto Luongo. The Canucks then rebounded, playing their best hockey of the season from the end of November until the beginning of January. The team dominated much like they did the season prior during this stretch, as goals came in bunches and the offense was backed up by strong goaltending from the tandem of Luongo and Cory Schneider. The peak of the Canucks' season came on January 7, 2012, in a game against the Boston Bruins, a 2011 Stanley Cup Final rematch. The Canucks prevailed 4–3 in a hard-fought playoff atmosphere, and they seemed to state to the hockey world that they would be heard from again come playoff time. The winning ways continued for the rest of the season, but the team did not play with the same heart they played with that January afternoon again. The Canucks often played down to their competition, barely beating some of the weakest teams in the league as the offense seemed to disappear. The Canucks pulled a shocking deal at the trade deadline, trading blue-chip prospect Cody Hodgson to the Buffalo Sabres for a skilled, but unproven prospect Zack Kassian. While Kassian should eventually emerge as a solid NHLer, this deal was probably pulled too soon as the offensive mojo disappeared but the team was lucky to have outstanding goaltending that led them to their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy on the final day of the regular season when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers. Despite entering the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference, the Canucks were upset in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five games by the eight-seeded Los Angeles Kings. This was the third consecutive season the Canucks lost in the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion.
Kellan Lain is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who most recently played for the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.
Jayce Hawryluk is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
