Timeline of WHL history

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File:SpokaneChiefsOutdoorGame.JPG
The Spokane Chiefs hosted the Kootenay Ice in the WHL's first outdoor game in January 2011.

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.[1] 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.

Ironically, the earliest years of the league were marked by disputes with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, the national governing body for junior hockey, which led to teams in the fledgling league being barred from competing for the Memorial Cup for most years prior to 1971. At the outset of the 1970s, those disputes were resolved and junior hockey was reorganized, with the western league recognized as a top tier major junior league.[2]

1960s

1970s

  • 1970: The Regina Pats return to the league and the Medicine Hat Tigers are granted a new franchise. The league reaches a new agreement with CAHA and becomes fully recognized as a top-flight major junior league with the ability to compete for the Memorial Cup, beginning in 1971; the CHA merges with CAHA.
  • 1971: League expands into British Columbia to become a fully Western Canadian organization. The Estevan Bruins move and become the New Westminster Bruins, while the Victoria Cougars and Vancouver Nats are both granted franchises. Swift Current Broncos and Saskatoon Blades move to the Eastern Division to balance the league.
  • 1972: Memorial Cup format changes to a tournament between the champions of Canada's three major junior leagues—the WCHL, the Ontario Hockey Association, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.[5]
  • 1973: Vancouver Nats move and become the Kamloops Chiefs; Winnipeg Jets renamed the Winnipeg Clubs due to confusion with the World Hockey Association (WHA) Winnipeg Jets.
  • 1974: The Regina Pats win the first Memorial Cup title for a WCHL representative. Swift Current Broncos move and become the Lethbridge Broncos.
  • 1976: League expands into the United States as the Edmonton Oil Kings—facing pressure from the WHA Edmonton Oilers—move and become the Portland Winter Hawks. Winnipeg Clubs renamed the Winnipeg Monarchs. League divides into three divisions: East (Brandon, Saskatoon, Flin Flon, Regina); Central (Medicine Hat, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, Calgary); and West (New Westminster, Kamloops, Portland, Victoria).
  • 1977: The New Westminster Bruins win the first of two consecutive Memorial Cups. League expands into Montana and Washington. Calgary Centennials move and become the Billings Bighorns; Kamloops Chiefs move and become the Seattle Breakers. Winnipeg Monarchs move and become the Calgary Wranglers.
  • 1978: Following the addition of American teams, the WCHL is renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Flin Flon Bombers move and become a second incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
  • 1979: The Brandon Wheat Kings establish a league record with 125 points on the season; Brandon wins the league title, but loses in the Memorial Cup final.[6] After one season, the new Edmonton Oil Kings move again and become the Great Falls Americans, before the team ceases operations on December 16. The league pares back to two divisions: West (Portland, Victoria, Seattle, New Westminster) and East (Regina, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Billings, Brandon, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Great Falls).

1980s

  • 1980: Winnipeg Warriors granted a franchise. Great Falls franchise revived as the Spokane Flyers.
  • 1981: The Victoria Cougars establish a WHL and Canadian Hockey League record with 60 wins; the team goes on to win the league playoff title, but falls short at the Memorial Cup tournament.[7] New Westminster Bruins move and become the Kamloops Junior Oilers. Spokane Flyers fold on December 2.
  • 1982: Billings Bighorns move and become the Nanaimo Islanders. Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Wings are granted franchises.
  • 1983: Memorial Cup format changes again to include a host participant, bringing the total number of teams to four. Portland serves as the first host with this format, and the Winter Hawks become the first American club to win the Memorial Cup, defeating the OHL-champion Oshawa Generals in the final.[8] Nanaimo Islanders move and become a second incarnation of the New Westminster Bruins.
  • 1984: Ray Ferraro establishes a league record with a 108-goal season for the Wheat Kings; on January 5, Ferraro tied the record for goals in a single game, with 7.[9] Winnipeg Warriors move and become the Moose Jaw Warriors. Kamloops Junior Oilers renamed the Kamloops Blazers.
  • 1985: Prince Albert Raiders become the fourth WHL team to win the Memorial Cup.[10] Kelowna Wings move and become the Spokane Chiefs. Seattle Breakers renamed the Seattle Thunderbirds.[11]
  • 1986: Lethbridge Broncos return to Swift Current. The Broncos team bus crashes en route to a game in Regina, resulting in the deaths of four players—Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff.[12] Portland again hosts the Memorial Cup.
  • 1987: Regina Pats player Brad Hornung is paralyzed during a game on March 1, 1987. The incident leads to a rule change making body checking from behind illegal; the following season, the league also renames its award for sportsmanship the Brad Hornung Trophy.[13] Rob Brown establishes a league record with a 212-point season for the Blazers.[14] Medicine Hat Tigers win the first of two consecutive Memorial Cup titles. Calgary Wranglers move and become the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
  • 1988: New Westminster Bruins move and become the Tri-City Americans.
  • 1989: Saskatoon hosts the Memorial Cup, which features the first all-WHL—and all-Saskatchewan—final between the Blades and the WHL-champion Broncos, who prevail in overtime. The Broncos' victory comes just two and a half years after the team bus crash.[15]

1990s

  • 1991: WHL-champion Spokane Chiefs become the second American team to win the Memorial Cup.[16] Tacoma Rockets granted a franchise.
  • 1992: Seattle hosts the Memorial Cup tournament; the WHL-champion Kamloops Blazers win the title. Red Deer Rebels granted a franchise.
  • 1994: Kamloops Blazers win their second Memorial Cup in three seasons. Victoria Cougars move and become the Prince George Cougars.
  • 1995: Kamloops Blazers host the Memorial Cup and win an unprecedented third in a four-year span.[17] Because the Blazers were also WHL champions, the Brandon Wheat Kings were invited as WHL finalists.
  • 1995: Calgary Hitmen are granted a franchise. Tacoma Rockets move and become the Kelowna Rockets. WHL again divides into three divisions: West (Spokane, Tri-City, Kelowna, Seattle, Kamloops, Portland, Prince George), Central (Swift Current, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Calgary), and East (Brandon, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw).
  • 1996: Edmonton Ice are granted a franchise. Swift Current Broncos move to the East Division.
  • 1998: Portland Winter Hawks win their second Memorial Cup at the tournament hosted in Spokane. Edmonton Ice move and become the Kootenay Ice.

2000s

File:2007 Memorial Cup celebration.JPG
The Vancouver Giants celebrate their 2007 Memorial Cup victory on home ice.
  • 2001: Regina hosts the Memorial Cup, which is won by the WHL-champion Red Deer Rebels.[18]
  • 2001: Vancouver Giants granted a franchise. WHL divides into two conferences of two divisions each—Eastern Conference: East Division (Brandon, Regina, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Prince Albert); Central Division (Red Deer, Swift Current, Lethbridge, Calgary, Medicine Hat); Western Conference: British Columbia Division (Kamloops, Kootenay, Prince George, Kelowna, Vancouver); United States Division (Portland, Spokane, Tri-City, Seattle).
  • 2002: Kootenay Ice win the Memorial Cup.[19]
  • 2003: Everett Silvertips are granted a franchise.
  • 2004: Kelowna Rockets host and win the Memorial Cup tournament.[20]
  • 2005: Tri-City Americans' plan to move to Chilliwack is voted down by the league Board of Governors. League instead grants Chilliwack an expansion team named the Chilliwack Bruins, to being play in the 2006–07 WHL season. Tri-City Americans sold to new ownership led by former Tri-City and National Hockey League players Stu Barnes and Olaf Kolzig.[21]
  • 2005: League partners with Shaw TV to broadcast WHL games live across Western Canada.[22]
  • 2006: Edmonton Oil Kings—paying homage to the city's charter junior team—granted a franchise owned by the Edmonton Investors Group, then the owner of the Edmonton Oilers.[23]
  • 2007: Vancouver Giants host and win the Memorial Cup tournament.[24]
  • 2008: Spokane Chiefs win the Memorial Cup.[25]

2010s

File:Everett Silvertips vs. Portland at Angel of the Winds Arena, March 2023.jpg
The Everett Silvertips hosting the Portland Winterhawks in 2023.

2020s

  • 2020: Regular season cut short and playoffs ultimately cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[34]
  • 2020: Connor Bedard becomes the first player to be granted CHL exceptional status in WHL history.[35] Bedard is selected first overall by the Regina Pats in the 2020 draft.[36]
  • 2021: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the league institutes a modified 24-game season, with teams playing in-division only. B.C.-based teams played only in Kamloops and Kelowna, while East Division teams played in a bubble in Regina; no spectators are permitted.[37][38] Plans for a modified playoffs are ultimately abandoned, meaning there was no league champion for two straight years—the Memorial Cup tournament is also cancelled for a second straight year.[39]
  • 2022: The league returns to a full schedule and playoffs. The Edmonton Oil Kings win the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the first time it was awarded since the Prince Albert Raiders won in 2019.[40]

Franchise timeline

<timeline> DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1300 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:09/01/1966 till:2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Define $Right = anchor:till align:right Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-1) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:right shift:(3,1) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:left shift:(5,1) Colors = id:barcolor 

id:line        value:pink
id:bg          value:white
id:Former      value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a former league member
id:Current     value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member
id:lineColor   value:gray(0.5)

PlotData= 

width:20 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1   color:Former  from:09/01/1966 till:06/01/1977 text:Calgary Buffaloes / Centennials
bar:1   color:Former  from:09/01/1977 till:06/01/1982 $UpLeft text:Billings~Bighorns
bar:1   color:Former  from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/1983 $RightMargin text:Nanaimo
bar:1   color:Former  from:09/01/1983 till:06/01/1988 $UpRight text:New Westminster~Bruins
bar:1   color:Current from:09/01/1988 till:end        text:Tri-City Americans

bar:2   color:Former  from:09/01/1966 till:06/01/1976 text:Edmonton Oil Kings
bar:2   color:Current from:09/01/1976 till:end        text:Portland Winter Hawks / Winterhawks

bar:3   color:Former  from:09/01/1966 till:06/01/1971 $UpLeft text:Estevan Bruins
bar:3   color:Former  from:09/01/1971 till:06/01/1981 text:New Westminster Bruins
bar:3   color:Current from:09/01/1981 till:end        text:Kamloops Junior Oilers / Blazers

bar:4   color:Former  from:09/01/1966 till:06/01/1968 text:Moose Jaw Canucks

bar:5   color:Current from:09/01/1966 till:06/01/1968 text:Regina Pats
bar:5   color:Current from:09/01/1970 till:end        text:

bar:6   color:Current from:09/01/1966 till:end        text:Saskatoon Blades

bar:7   color:Former  from:09/01/1966 till:06/01/1968 text:Weyburn Red Wings

bar:8   color:Current from:09/01/1967 till:end        text:Brandon Wheat Kings

bar:9   color:Former  from:09/01/1967 till:06/01/1978 text:Flin Flon Bombers
bar:9   color:Former  from:09/01/1978 till:06/01/1979 $RightMargin text:Edm
bar:9   color:Former  from:09/01/1979 till:06/01/1980 $Right text:Great~Falls
bar:9   color:Former  from:09/01/1980 till:06/01/1982 text:Spokane Flyers

bar:10  color:Current from:09/01/1967 till:06/01/1974 $RightMargin text:Swift Current Broncos
bar:10  color:Former  from:09/01/1974 till:06/01/1986 text:Lethbridge Broncos
bar:10  color:Current from:09/01/1986 till:end        text:Swift Current Broncos

bar:11  color:Former  from:09/01/1967 till:06/01/1977 $RightMargin text:Winnipeg Jets / Clubs / Monarchs
bar:11  color:Former  from:09/01/1977 till:06/01/1987 text:Calgary Wranglers
bar:11  color:Current from:09/01/1987 till:end        text:Lethbridge Hurricanes

bar:12  color:Current from:09/01/1970 till:end        text:Medicine Hat Tigers

bar:13  color:Former  from:09/01/1971 till:06/01/1973 $RightMargin text:Vancouver Nats
bar:13  color:Former  from:09/01/1973 till:06/01/1977 $UpLeft text:Kamloops~Chiefs
bar:13  color:Current from:09/01/1977 till:end        text:Seattle Breakers / Thunderbirds

bar:14  color:Former  from:09/01/1971 till:06/01/1994 text:Victoria Cougars
bar:14  color:Current from:09/01/1994 till:end        text:Prince George Cougars

bar:15  color:Former  from:09/01/1980 till:06/01/1984 $RightMargin text:Winnipeg Warriors
bar:15  color:Current from:09/01/1984 till:end        text:Moose Jaw Warriors

bar:16  color:Former  from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/1985 $RightMargin text:Kelowna Wings
bar:16  color:Current from:09/01/1985 till:end        text:Spokane Chiefs

bar:17  color:Current from:09/01/1982 till:end        text:Prince Albert Raiders

bar:18  color:Former  from:09/01/1991 till:06/01/1995 $RightMargin text:Tacoma Rockets
bar:18  color:Current from:09/01/1995 till:end        text:Kelowna Rockets

bar:19  color:Current from:09/01/1992 till:end        text:Red Deer Rebels

bar:20  color:Current from:09/01/1995 till:end        text:Calgary Hitmen

bar:21  color:Former  from:09/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 $RightMargin text:Edmonton~Ice
bar:21  color:Former  from:09/01/1998 till:06/01/2019 text:Kootenay Ice
bar:21  color:Former from:09/01/2019 till:06/01/2023  $UpLeft  text:Winnipeg~Ice
bar:21 color:Current from:09/01/2023 till:end         text:Wenatchee~Wild

bar:22  color:Current from:09/01/2001 till:end        text:Vancouver Giants

bar:23  color:Current from:09/01/2003 till:end        text:Everett Silvertips

bar:24  color:Former  from:09/01/2006 till:06/01/2011 $RightMargin text:Chilliwack Bruins
bar:24  color:Current from:09/01/2011 till:end        text:Victoria Royals

bar:25  color:Current from:09/01/2007 till:end        text:Edmonton Oil Kings

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1968

LineData = 

at:07/15/1968 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66  #WCHL begins
at:07/15/1978 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66  #WHL begins

TextData = 

 pos:(35,125)
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 text:WCHL
 pos:(212,125)
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</timeline> Former member Current member

See also

References

Inline

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General

External links

Template:WHL Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:WHL Arenas

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