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).
Olaf Kölzig is a South African-born German former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltender coach and player development coach for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). With the exception of eight games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14-year NHL career with the Capitals.
Stuart Douglas Barnes is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars. He currently has an arena named after him in the city of Spruce Grove, where he was born. Barnes was an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars. As of 2021, he is the head coach and co-owner of the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League.
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 Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner as well as 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 to represent Calgary, preceded by the Centennials and Wranglers.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team, currently members of the Eastern Conference of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team is based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and play their home games at the ENMAX Centre.
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.
The Chilliwack Bruins were a Major Junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. The 2006–07 season marked the Bruins' inaugural season in the WHL. The team played at Prospera Centre, which was expanded to 5,386 seats for the arrival of the team. The Bruins were sold after the 2010–11 season and subsequently relocated to Victoria to become the Victoria Royals.
The Spokane Chiefs is a major junior ice hockey team based in Spokane, Washington that plays in the Western Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena. As of 2010, Spokane ranked in the top 10 in the Canadian Hockey League in attendance. The Chiefs won the Memorial Cup in 1991 and 2008. They also hosted the first outdoor hockey game in WHL history on January 15, 2011, at Avista Stadium versus the Kootenay Ice.
The Kootenay Ice were a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and competed in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team played its home games at Western Financial Place. The franchise was owned by the Chynoweth family from 1995 until it was sold to Winnipeg-based company 50 Below Sports and Entertainment in 2017. The Ice moved to Winnipeg in 2019 where they played four seasons as the Winnipeg Ice. In 2023, the team was sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, where they will be known as the Wenatchee Wild.
The New Westminster Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name:
Byron Dafoe is a British-Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was born in Worthing, England, United Kingdom and moved to Comox, British Columbia with his mother at the age of two months. Between 1992 and 2004, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers.
The Calgary Centennials were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) from 1966–1977. They played in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Stampede Corral.
This is a timeline of events throughout the five decade-plus history of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
The Nanaimo Islanders were a junior ice hockey team based in Nanaimo, British Columbia that played one season in the Western Hockey League in 1982–83. They played at Frank Crane Arena. The team relocated to New Westminster, British Columbia before settling in Kennewick, Washington as the Tri-City Americans. The franchise was an original WCHL team, forming in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes, later the Centennials. It moved to Nanaimo in 1982 after spending five years as the Billings Bighorns.
Donald Kenneth Nachbaur is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is currently serving as an assistant coach for the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, and Philadelphia Flyers between 1980 and 1990. He would later spend four years in the Austrian Hockey League. After retiring from playing, Nachbaur turned to coaching, including serving as a head coach for over twenty seasons, primarily in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He has also spent time as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL.
The 2009–10 WHL season is 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 from November 25–26, 2009.
Brendan Shinnimin is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre playing for Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He has previously played for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Brandon Carlo is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bruins selected him in the second round, 37th overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The following is a chronicle of events during the year 2002 in ice hockey.
