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).
Steven Reed Konowalchuk is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and the Colorado Avalanche. Most recently he was the head coach of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels. Konowalchuk is the first player born and raised in Utah to make it to the NHL level.
Brian Louis Allen Sutter is a Canadian former ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers and the oldest of the six that played in the NHL. He is also the only one to have his number retired by an NHL team.
Brent Colin Sutter is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player and former head coach of the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. Regarded as one of the best face-off specialists of his generation, Sutter won the Stanley Cup twice with the Islanders and was an All-Star. He represented Canada on numerous occasions, winning the Canada Cup three times.
Dion Phaneuf is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted ninth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by Calgary and made his NHL debut in 2005 after a four-year junior career with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL), in which he was twice named the Defenceman of the Year.
The Red Deer Rebels are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The Rebels are members of the Western Hockey League and play home games at the Peavey Mart Centrium. The Rebels won the President's Cup and the Memorial Cup during the 2000–01 season.
The Sutter family, originally from Viking, Alberta, Canada, are one of the most famous families in the National Hockey League (NHL). Six brothers: Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron, reached the NHL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Four brothers, Brian, Duane, Darryl and Brent, have gone on to become coaches and general managers as well, with Brian, Darryl, and Brent each having a stint as head coach of the Calgary Flames. All brothers played for either the Chicago Blackhawks or the St. Louis Blues at one point or another. A seventh brother named Gary is said by his brothers to have been the best hockey player of all seven boys. Rather than making his living as a hockey player, Gary stayed home to work on the family farm, as Rich remarked on an episode of the Canadian sports show Off the Record.
Ryan Huska is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). Huska was drafted in the third round, 76th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. In 1997–98, he played his only NHL game with the Blackhawks against the Calgary Flames. He played 5:51 in eight shifts. As a junior player with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he won three Memorial Cups in 1992, 1994, and 1995.
Ronald T. Sutter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is currently the Player Development coach for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the brother of Brian, Brent, Darryl, Duane and Rich Sutter, all of whom played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the twin brother of Rich and was the last Sutter brother to retire from the NHL.
Derek Terrence Morris is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played over 1,100 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He was originally drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Brandon Sutter is an American-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks.
David Struch is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and the current interim head coach of the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. As a player, he played for the Calgary Flames in the NHL, as well as in the minor leagues, and across Europe.
Brett Darryl Sutter is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently serving as the captain of the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL). Sutter was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut for the Flames during the 2008–09 season, scoring a goal in his first game. He is the son of former Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter, and one of nine members of the famous Sutter family to play in the NHL.
J. D. Watt is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He was originally drafted by the Flames in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Beginning with the 2012–13 season, Watt has been playing with the SAIT Trojans of the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC). Watt was born and raised in Cremona, Alberta.
Mathew Dumba is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dumba was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, with whom he spent his first 10 seasons. Dumba previously played junior with the Red Deer Rebels and briefly for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Morgan Klimchuk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played with the Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League (NHL). Klimchuk was selected in the first round, 28th overall, at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Flames.
Curtis Lazar is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Joshua Mahura is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Brandon Hagel is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). After making his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 11, 2020, the NHL season was postponed due to COVID-19.
Jake Leschyshyn is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Leschyshyn played junior hockey for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League, serving as captain of the latter in 2018–19, and previously played in the NHL for the Vegas Golden Knights. He also played in the AHL for the Chicago Wolves and Henderson Silver Knights.
