47-570: The Brad Hornung Trophy is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player of the Western Hockey League . First presented in 1967, it was later renamed in honour of former Regina Pats player Brad Hornung who was paralyzed during a game on March 1, 1987. Previously, the Frank Boucher Memorial Trophy . Frank Boucher was Commissioner of the league for its first two seasons. Boucher spent 29 years with
94-527: A brief revival of the Oil Kings—the team would move again a year later and become the Great Falls Americans . The 1980s were marked by several brawls that involved police intervention, one of the most bizarre trades in hockey history, and the tragic deaths of four players in a bus crash. Early in the 1980–81 WHL season , Medicine Hat Tigers manager and coach Pat Ginnell traded blows with
141-604: A delay in replacing their home arena which had been damaged in a storm. Games played in Flin Flon were allotted 2.5 points each. Prince Albert played the season in Dauphin, Manitoba due to a fire at their arena. The Edmonton Oil Kings , a junior hockey team participating in the Central Alberta Hockey League for senior level teams, played an interlocking schedule of two games against each of
188-721: A disadvantage when competing nationally against larger leagues based in Ontario and Quebec. Desiring stronger competition, Hunter's Oil Kings were competing in both the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the senior Central Alberta Hockey League . During the 1966 Memorial Cup, Hunter made newspaper headlines when he outlined his vision for a nation-wide junior hockey league competing for the Memorial Cup . The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association's (CAHA) second vice-president Lloyd Pollock responded by saying that
235-666: A fan. LaForge was acquitted when the judge noted that it was hard to convict a man for assault when faced with "an obnoxious person trying to get into the coach's area." LaForge resigned following the season after serving three separate suspensions. On January 19, 1983, the Seattle Breakers dealt Tom Martin and $ 35,000 to the Victoria Cougars for the Cougars' team bus. The Breakers had been unable to sign Martin, who wanted to play in his home town of Victoria, and
282-617: A linesman during a bench clearing brawl against the Lethbridge Broncos . Ginnell was found guilty of assault, fined $ 360, and suspended for 36 games by the WHL. In March 1982, a violent brawl between the Regina Pats and Calgary Wranglers saw the two teams collectively fined $ 2,250 and players suspended for 73 combined games. Pats coach Bill LaForge would end up in a courtroom later that season when he got into an altercation with
329-1009: A new Western regional junior league. Five members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL)—the Bruins, Moose Jaw Canucks , Regina Pats , Saskatoon Blades , and Weyburn Red Wings —left the SJHL and joined the Oil Kings and the Calgary Buffaloes in forming the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL). Despite concerns that the CMJHL would mean the demise of the Alberta and Saskatchewan leagues—the SJHL did immediately fold—the governing bodies in both provinces sanctioned
376-677: A reality. Originally considered an "outlaw league" by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association , the western league was not sanctioned as a top junior league until 1970, when Canadian junior hockey was reorganized. Despite winning the 1966 Memorial Cup , Edmonton Oil Kings ' owner Bill Hunter was growing concerned about the state of junior hockey in Western Canada. Each of the West's four provinces had its own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at
423-836: A regular schedule for 2021–22, and the Oil Kings became the first team to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup since the Prince Albert Raiders in 2019. The WHL comprises 22 teams divided into two conferences, making it the largest league in the CHL—the Ontario Hockey League has 20 teams and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has 18. The WHL has member teams across four Canadian provinces and two American states. The Eastern Conference comprises teams from Manitoba , Saskatchewan , and Alberta . The Western Conference
470-467: A total value of CA$ 9 million by 2008. Teams maintain academic advisors, who monitor the academic progress of players along with the league's Director of Education Services. Canadian universities and colleges recruit extensively from the WHL, affording graduating players the opportunity to continue playing hockey in U Sports competition as they attend post-secondary institutions. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) considers graduates of
517-517: Is an annual event in which teams select players from bantam hockey league age groups, i.e. 14 or 15 years old. The order of selection depends on the league's standings. Players aged 15 to 20 are eligible to play in the WHL, with some restrictions. 15-year-olds are permitted to play only five games, unless their midget team's season has ended. Meanwhile, each team is allowed to have only three 20-year-olds on their rosters, except for expansion teams, for which five 20-year-olds are eligible to play. Each team
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#1732790273522564-636: Is composed of 22 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba , Saskatchewan , and Alberta , while the Western Conference comprises 11 teams from British Columbia , Washington , and Oregon . The league was founded in 1966 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL), with seven teams in Saskatchewan and Alberta. For its 1967 season,
611-545: Is made up of teams based in British Columbia , Washington , and Oregon . The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, with the division winners declared the top two seeds in the first round of the post-season. In the playoffs, the four remaining teams in each conference are reseeded by regular season points in the second round. Note: Current teams are shown in blue. Gold stars denote league championships. The WHL Bantam Draft
658-724: 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. The WHL
705-769: Is permitted to carry only two non-North American players, and teams have the opportunity to select such players through the CHL Import Draft . Each of the CHL's three member leagues are granted exclusive territorial rights to players from within North America. The WHL holds rights to players from the four western provinces, the American Pacific Northwest, all other American states west of the Mississippi River (except Missouri), and
752-722: The 2002 Memorial Cup —despite being in one of the smallest markets in the league. In the 2000s, the league expanded four more times. The Vancouver Giants joined in 2001, the Everett Silvertips in 2003, the Chilliwack Bruins in 2005—the team relocated in 2011 and became the Victoria Royals —and the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2007. The Kelowna Rockets established a run of dominance, winning three WHL titles in 2003, 2005, and 2009, and winning
799-666: The Portland Winter Hawks , marking the WCHL's first American club. With the addition of two more American teams in the Seattle Breakers and Billings Bighorns a year later, the WCHL shortened its name to the Western Hockey League. Despite the Flin Flon Bombers' early success, the remoteness and size of the community increasingly posed a challenge, and in 1978 the team relocated to Edmonton in
846-468: The Yukon , Northwest Territories , and Nunavut . With most players joining the league while still attending school, the WHL takes a role in its players educational needs. The league operates a scholarship program that offers one full year of tuition, textbooks, and compulsory fees for each season played in the WHL. Since this program was introduced in 1993, more than 3,000 scholarships had been handed out at
893-770: The CHA and re-sanctioning the WCHL, making it one of three top-flight major junior leagues, along with the Ontario Hockey Association —now the Ontario Hockey League —and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League—now the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League . Then, in 1972, the format of the Memorial Cup was changed to become a tournament between the champion of each major junior league. The league's first decade saw constant expansion and franchise movement as
940-725: The CHL to be professionals and thus ineligible to participate in college hockey programs in the United States. Players hoping to receive scholarships to, and play for, American universities must play Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League , one of the Canadian Junior Hockey League 's member organizations, or the United States Hockey League to retain their NCAA eligibility. WHL teams earn
987-547: The Cougars were unable to use the bus, which they had purchased from the folded Spokane Flyers , because they were unwilling to pay the taxes and duties required to register the vehicle in Canada. On December 30, 1986, tragedy struck the Swift Current Broncos when their bus slid off an icy highway and rolled on the way to Regina for a game. Scott Kruger, Trent Kresse, Brent Ruff, and Chris Mantyka were killed in
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#17327902735221034-660: The Memorial Cup as host in 2004. 2011 saw WHL teams participate in two outdoor games for the first time. The Spokane Chiefs hosted the Kootenay Ice on January 15, and on February 21, the Calgary Hitmen hosted the Regina Pats for a game in conjunction with the 2011 Heritage Classic . A third outdoor game was hosted by Regina as part of the 2019 Heritage Classic , featuring a rematch against the Hitmen. The league
1081-567: The Memorial Cup in 1957, as the national junior champion of Canada. Frank Boucher served as commissioner of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 1959 to 1966. He proposed to establish a junior hockey league of the best twelve teams in Canada sponsored by the National Hockey League (NHL), and to compete for a trophy at a higher tier than the Memorial Cup. CAHA president Art Potter and
1128-655: The Memorial Cup tournament. In May 1967, the CMJHL renamed itself to the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). The league also added four new teams, including the Swift Current Broncos and three teams based in Manitoba—the Brandon Wheat Kings , Flin Flon Bombers , and Winnipeg Jets . The new CAHA-NHL development agreement came into effect July 1, 1967. The new pact ended direct sponsorship of junior teams by
1175-635: The NHL, which shifted to paying development fees to CAHA, with junior players becoming eligible for the NHL entry draft at age 20. With the agreement settled, CAHA finally sanctioned the WCHL, which allowed for the league champion Estevan Bruins to compete for the 1968 Memorial Cup . However, in May 1968, Hunter announced that the league would use an age limit of 21 in spite of the CAHA-NHL agreement. The WCJHL claimed that
1222-949: The New York Rangers of the National Hockey League as a player, coach, and General Manager winning the Stanley Cup three times. He was awarded the NHL’s equivalent trophy the Lady Byng seven times in eight years and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League ( WHL ) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States . The WHL
1269-808: The North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for the 1948–49 season, and was formed in response to teams in South Saskatchewan and Alberta combining to establish the Western Canada Junior Hockey League . The North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League renamed itself to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for the 1950–51 season. The league operated under the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association , and its teams were eligible for
1316-815: The SJHL from the Memorial Cup playoffs, due to the "unfair domination of western junior hockey by the Edmonton Oil Kings", since they had the pick of all the players from Alberta and used loopholes in rules to import stronger players. After a playoffs game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Estevan Bruins in April 1963, Potter announced that broadcast rights for CAHA games by Ken Newmans of CHAB in Moose Jaw, and Linus Westerbeg of CKOS-TV in Yorkton, had been indefinitely suspended. Potter stated that
1363-635: The WCHL and the CHA. Concerns over the WCHL's relationship with CAHA and a desire to compete for the Memorial Cup led the Pats, Canucks, and Red Wings to withdraw before the 1968–69 season , and join a revived Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League instead. At the conclusion of the season, the CHA organized its own national championship, which pitted the WCHL-champion Flin Flon Bombers against the St. Thomas Barons from Ontario. The initiative
1410-573: The crash. The Broncos retired their numbers and introduced a commemorative patch in remembrance of the four players; in 2016, a memorial was unveiled at the crash site. The WHL later renamed its award for most valuable player as the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in their honour. In 1989, less than three years after the crash, the Broncos won the league title and the Memorial Cup. The 1990s saw another period of expansion and
1457-495: The expansion Victoria Cougars and Vancouver Nats . In the mid-1970s, the Bruins established the WCHL's first true dynasty, capturing four consecutive championships between 1975 and 1978. The Bruins also won back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 1977 and 1978. In 1976, the Oil Kings, facing pressure from the professional Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association , relocated to Oregon to become
Brad Hornung Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
1504-415: The idea was a pipe dream, and was not feasible while the CAHA was re-negotiating a development agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL). CAHA informed the Oil Kings that they were required to play full-time in a junior hockey league for the 1966–67 season or would be ineligible to compete for the Memorial Cup. This led Hunter to endorse the suggestion of Estevan Bruins owner Scotty Munro to create
1551-415: The imbalance in competition caused lack of spectator interest and less prestige for the event. At the next CAHA meeting in January 1955, the request for three additional players for the Abbott Cup representative was approved. Two teams from the SJHL won the Abbott Cup as the junior champions of Western Canada; which included the Flin Flon Bombers in 1957, and the Regina Pats in 1958. Flin Flon also won
1598-495: The jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association . Two of its teams won the Abbott Cup as the junior champions of Western Canada, and the Flin Flon Bombers won the Memorial Cup as the national junior champion of Canada in 1957. Frank Boucher served as commissioner of the league from 1959 to 1966. The league disbanded when five of its eight teams joined the newly formed Canadian Major Junior Hockey League . The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) began play as
1645-408: The league spread throughout the west. The Flin Flon Bombers, led by future NHL stars Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach , became the league's first powerhouse team, making three straight finals appearances and winning back-to-back championships in 1969 and 1970. The WCHL became a truly western league in 1971 when the Estevan Bruins moved to British Columbia to become the New Westminster Bruins , joined by
1692-496: The league was renamed the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). From 1968, the league was renamed the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and finally the Western Hockey League from 1978 after the admission of American-based teams to the league. The league was the brainchild of Bill Hunter , who desired to build a western league capable of competing with the top leagues in Ontario and Quebec . He partnered with Scotty Munro , Del Wilson, and Jim Piggott to make this vision
1739-414: The lower age limit decreased its talent pool and negatively impacted ticket sales. In response, CAHA again suspended the league and its players. In June 1968, the WCJHL changed its name to the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and announced that it was leaving CAHA to form the rival Canadian Hockey Association (CHA). Hunter became chairman of the board for the WCHL, and Ron Butlin became president of
1786-417: The national junior hockey playoffs as organized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The SJHL and other junior teams in Western Canada addressed the imbalance in Memorial Cup competition in a meeting with CAHA president W. B. George in August 1954. The teams sought permission for any league champion to add three players in the inter-provincial playoffs for the Memorial Cup, and contended that
1833-461: The new league. However, CAHA did not sanction it, declaring the CMJHL to be an "outlaw league" and suspending its teams and players from participation in CAHA events, including the Memorial Cup. The new league accused CAHA of overstepping its boundaries and, with the support of the players and their families, chose to play the season regardless. The CMJHL began legal action against the CAHA executive in March 1967, fighting to regain eligibility to enter
1880-452: The resolutions committee were against increasing NHL influence into amateur hockey in Canada and declined to present the proposal at the semi-annual meeting. Potter also wanted more study into programs to support continued junior hockey growth and the Memorial Cup. Boucher and team owners in Saskatchewan and Manitoba accused Potter and the CAHA of disregarding their concerns and favouring the Edmonton Oil Kings . Boucher threatened to withdraw
1927-437: The return of the league to Western Canada's major cities. In 1991, the Spokane Chiefs became the second American team to win the Memorial Cup. The Kamloops Blazers established themselves as the WHL's second dynasty when they won both the WHL Championship and Memorial Cup three times in four years between 1992 and 1995. In 1995, the Calgary Hitmen , founded by a group of investors including Bret "the Hitman" Hart , from whom
Brad Hornung Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
1974-454: The right to compete in the annual Memorial Cup tournament by winning the WHL playoff championship or, since 1983, by hosting the tournament. Altogether, the Memorial Cup has been won by WHL teams nineteen times since the league's founding. Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1948%E2%80%931966) The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey based in Saskatchewan and Manitoba from 1948 until 1966. It operated under
2021-466: The suspensions resulted from "continuously and severely criticizing officials, thereby giving an erroneous picture of the game as played". The SJHL disbanded following the 1965–66 season, when five of its eight teams joined the newly formed Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL). The two Manitoba-based teams joined the Manitoba Junior Hockey League , and the Melville Millionaires suspended operations. The Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League
2068-475: The team got its name, were granted an expansion franchise. Despite early fears that the WHL could not succeed in an NHL city, the Hitmen were a success, averaging as many as 10,000 fans per game by 2004–05 . The Hitmen were followed one year later by the Edmonton Ice , but that team failed after only two seasons because of conflicts with the Edmonton Oilers. The team became the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, British Columbia , and found better success—including winning
2115-548: Was established in 1968, and included teams which formerly played in the SJHL and the CMJHL. List of teams that played in the SJHL: Standings include one-point games between Humboldt and Prince Albert. The 1951–52 season scheduled included games against the Western Canada Junior Hockey League . Al Pickard was elected to be the league's governor. Al Pickard was re-elected to be the league's governor. Flin Flon won ten games valued at one point instead of two points. Moose Jaw played most of its games in Weyburn due to
2162-433: Was significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic , which emerged in North America in early 2020. The 2019–20 season was cut short and its playoffs ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic, while the 2020–21 season was played in a modified format, with teams playing 24-game in-division schedules with no playoffs. As such, neither the Ed Chynoweth Cup nor the Memorial Cup were awarded in 2020 or 2021. The league returned to
2209-428: Was undermined when the Barons withdrew from the best-of-seven series during the fourth game in protest of alleged violent play on the part of the Bombers. The Bombers, who were awarded the title, proceeded to challenge the Memorial Cup champion-Montreal Junior Canadiens to a championship showdown, but the Montreal team declined. After years of disputes, Canadian junior hockey was reorganized in 1970, with CAHA absorbing
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