CHL Unveils 50th Anniversary Season for 2025-26
WHL Western Hockey League

CHL Unveils 50th Anniversary Season for 2025-26

Published on September 25, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


TORONTO, ON - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and Member Leagues - the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) - have officially opened the 2025-26 campaign, marking the 50th anniversary of the CHL. To celebrate this milestone, the league today unveiled a distinctive anniversary logo and announced a series of initiatives honouring its enduring impact on the game of hockey and on developing players from Canada, the United States, and around the world.

At the heart of this landmark season's identity is the CHL's 50th Anniversary logo, highlighted by a bold gold "50" symbolizing the League's golden anniversary. The emblem pays tribute to a legacy that began on May 8, 1975, when the WHL, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (later the OHL), and the QMJHL formalized their partnership by ratifying a constitution that created the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL) - renamed the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in 1987.

As part of the celebrations, the CHL will launch CHL Moments, a storytelling series that will spotlight the most iconic, historic, and defining milestones in league history. Running from the start of the season through December, the series will include editorial features, video highlights, alumni testimonials, and more. Fans will relive unforgettable records, legendary performances, and the evolution of the CHL from its modest beginnings to its role today as the world's most prolific NHL talent pipeline. Later this season, the league will unveil its list of the CHL's Top 50 Players from the past five decades, celebrating the alumni from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL, who have defined major junior hockey since the CHL's inaugural 1975-76 season. Fans can follow CHL 50th Anniversary content throughout the season at chl.ca/chl50.

"The CHL's 50th Anniversary season is a celebration of the history, the people, and the passion that have defined us," said Dan MacKenzie, CHL President. "From iconic teams and players to unforgettable championships, the CHL and Member Leagues have left an unmatched imprint on the game. Thanks to the dedication of our clubs, the talent of our players, and the support of our fans, the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL stand together as the world's premier junior hockey leagues. This season is both an opportunity to honour that legacy and a chance to continue building the future of the game for generations to come."

"For half a century, the Canadian Hockey League has represented the heartbeat of junior hockey in Canada, and since its inception, the Western Hockey League is proud to have served as a driving force, alongside our partners from the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League," commented WHL Commissioner Dan Near. "We are fiercely passionate about our communities, our fans, and most importantly, the players who grace us with their talent, year over year. From Bobby Clarke to Connor Bedard, everyone in between and those yet to come, the 50th anniversary of the CHL is a celebration of the players, our Clubs, our Champions, and the fans who have embraced them all over the years. Together with our friends from the OHL and QMJHL, we have built something greater than any one league could achieve on its own, and we look forward to continuing this journey for another 50 years."

"The Canadian Hockey League continues to lead the way as the number one supplier of players, coaches and officials to the National Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League is very proud to have been a part of that tremendous legacy for the past 50 years," said OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford. "From coast to coast, the CHL has brought communities together in support of our great game as players chase their professional and academic dreams, making lifelong memories along the way. Together with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, the OHL celebrates the past and looks ahead with excitement to the future, continuing to partner in developing the next generation of hockey stars and community leaders."

"Fifty years is always an impressive number. There have been many memorable moments in the CHL over the past 50 years, and many elite players have passed through its ranks, whether in the WHL, OHL or QMJHL," added Mario Cecchini, Commissioner of the QMJHL. "The celebrations surrounding this 50th anniversary will be exciting to watch throughout the season. Congratulations to the CHL!''

The imprint of the CHL and the leagues it unites on the game is unmatched. Following Matthew Schaefer's first-overall selection in 2025, 42 players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL have now gone No. 1 in the 57 NHL Drafts since 1969 - nearly 75% of all top picks in that span. The CHL Member Leagues have also produced at least 10 first-round selections in every draft since 1969, an unprecedented streak that now stretches 56 consecutive years. No other league has ever matched the CHL's dominance on draft day: in NHL Draft history, only one league has generated 20 or more first-rounders in a single year, and it has done so nine times - every instance belonging to the CHL, including 2025 when 21 players were selected in the opening round. In total, 6,117 CHL players have been drafted since 1969, representing nearly half of all NHL draftees during that period.

That influence extends far beyond the draft. Of the more than 1,000 players who appeared in an NHL game during the 2024-25 season, more than 415 developed in the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL - the highest total of any league in the world. Over the past 50 years, the CHL and the leagues it brings together have helped shape the careers of legends such as Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, and Connor Bedard, along with thousands of others who have left their mark on the game. The history, the numbers, and the names all highlight the CHL's enduring place as hockey's premier development pathway.

The CHL 50th Anniversary season is not only a moment to honour the past - it is also an opportunity to look ahead. With the support of players, fans, and partners, the CHL will continue to develop the next generation of hockey excellence for decades to come. Fans and media can follow 50th Anniversary content all season long at chl.ca/chl50, on the CHL App, and using the hashtags #CHL50 and #LCH50 across CHL/LCH social media channels, including Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter).

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