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Western Hockey League to Open 2021-22 Season Tonight

October 1, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Calgary, Alta. - Western Hockey League Commissioner Ron Robison officially launched the 2021-22 WHL Regular Season on Friday. The WHL enters its 56th season as all 22 WHL member Clubs across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest open their quest to become WHL Champions.

"After delivering a development season for our players in 2020-21, the WHL is excited to welcome fans back to the arena for the 2021-22 WHL Regular Season," commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. "As the world's top producer of NHL talent in the 2021 NHL Draft, the WHL and our member Clubs take great pride in not only providing the highest level of competition in the system, but also the most comprehensive education and scholarship program. We cannot wait for the greatest fans in hockey to return to our rinks and cheer on incredible WHL talent across the region. The 2021-22 WHL Regular Season will deliver an electricity not felt in years, thanks to the energy of our fans."

WHL Clubs to Recognize National Day for Truth & Reconciliation During WHL Opening Week

WHL Clubs in all 17 Canadian markets will recognize National Day for Truth & Reconciliation during WHL Opening Week from October 1-10. Throughout Opening Week of the 2021-22 WHL Regular Season, WHL coaches, training staff, officials, and players will sport orange ribbons and orange "Every Child Matters" helmet decals in honour of those impacted by residential schools. A moment of silence will be held during each WHL home-opening game in Canada, giving pause for reflection on the legacy of the residential school system in Canada. The "Every Child Matters" logo will be visible throughout all 17 WHL venues in Western Canada.

2021-22 WHL Commissioner's Season Opening Address

On Wednesday, September 29, WHL Commissioner Ron Robison met with members of the media to open the 2021-22 WHL Regular Season - WATCH HERE.

Regina Pats & Prince Albert Raiders Featured on First Ever CHL on CBC Broadcast

On Saturday October 2 (1 p.m. MT) the Regina Pats will play host to the Prince Albert Raiders, representing the first game featured on the CHL's new multi-year broadcast partnership with TSN and CBC. The CBC national broadcast schedule will feature six CHL games from October through November, including the Calgary Hitmen at Red Deer Rebels on Saturday, October 16 (1 p.m. MT). The complete TSN national broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

Return of the 68-Game WHL Regular Season

Following a 24-game development season without fans in 2020-21, the WHL returns to a standard 68-game regular season format, with Clubs set to compete exclusively within their own conference and fans being welcomed back into WHL arenas. The 2021-22 WHL Regular Season will conclude on Sunday, April 3.

WHL Serves as Leading Supplier of Talent in 2021 NHL Draft

A total 33 WHL players were selected in the 2021 NHL Draft in July, vaulting the WHL to the top of the charts as the top supplier of talent among all development leagues around the world. The WHL saw five players selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, including Dylan Guenther (Edmonton Oil Kings / Arizona Coyotes), Cole Sillinger (Medicine Hat Tigers / Columbus Blue Jackets), Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton Oil Kings / Detroit Red Wings), Carson Lambos (Winnipeg ICE / Minnesota Wild), and Nolan Allan (Prince Albert Raiders / Chicago Blackhawks).

2022 WHL Playoffs

The 2022 WHL Playoffs are scheduled to begin Friday, April 8, 2022, with the re-introduction of the Conference Playoff format.

The first-place teams in the two Divisions in each Conference will receive the top two playoff seeds based on Regular Season points. The next six Clubs in each Conference, based on Regular Season points, will receive the third to eighth playoff positions.

Clubs advancing to the second round and Conference Championships will be re-seeded each round based on Regular Season points. The two Conference Champions will advance to the WHL Championship Series, with the Club possessing the most Regular Season points receiving home-ice advantage.

All series throughout the 2022 WHL Playoffs will follow a best-of-seven format.

The 2022 WHL Championship Series is scheduled to be played from Friday, May 20 to Monday, May 30, 2022, with the WHL Champion advancing to the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia in Saint John, N.B.

The Conference Playoff format was last used during the 2014 WHL Playoffs, with the Division Playoff format in place since the 2015 WHL Playoffs.

WHL Live on CHL TV Arrives on New Devices for 2021-22

New for the 2021-22 WHL Regular Season, WHL Live on CHL TV is now available on Apple TV and Amazon Fire, which join a number of existing applications where you can watch your favourite WHL Club, including Roku, iOS, Android, and various web browsers. For the low price of $109.99 (plus fees and taxes) you can subscribe to WHL Live All-Access at watch.chl.ca.

Return of WHL Cup to Red Deer

For the first time since 2011, the WHL Cup will be hosted outside of Calgary as the 2021 tournament heads north to the Peavey Mart Centrium - home of the Red Deer Rebels. Scheduled for October 20-24, the 2021 WHL Cup will feature the top 2006-born players from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, each of whom is eligible for the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. Catch tomorrow's WHL stars as they represent their provinces in Red Deer this October.

WHL Scholarship Continues to Deliver Success

The 2021-22 WHL season marks the 28th anniversary of the WHL Scholarship. With nearly 7,000 WHL Scholarships having been accessed by WHL graduate players since 1993, WHL Clubs have made an investment of nearly $30 million over the history of the WHL Scholarship program.

Every player who plays in the WHL is eligible to receive the WHL Scholarship. For every season a player plays in the WHL, they receive a guaranteed, full-year WHL Scholarship, including tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees to a post-secondary institution of their choice. WHL players can also access financial assistance for post-secondary courses while playing in the League prior to accessing their WHL Scholarship. The WHL and Athabasca University have partnered to offer, through online and other distance education vehicles, fully-accredited university courses to any WHL player or WHL Graduate interested in further pursuing post-secondary studies while playing in the WHL or after they graduate from the League.

What We Stand For: The WHL Player Experience

The WHL is fully committed to providing our players with a world-class hockey experience. We believe our WHL Member Clubs offer our players the highest quality of hockey experience available in the world today and this can be best described by our three key cornerstones: Development, Education and the Environment.

Development:

We provide the highest level of competition for junior age players in North America. The quality of our coaching, facilities and professional support services offers the ideal setting for players to develop their skills.

Education:

The WHL offers the most comprehensive education program in North America. WHL Clubs are governed by League-wide education standards to ensure players not only achieve their high school academic goals, but also qualify for post-secondary studies. While playing in the WHL, players receive financial assistance for post-secondary course. The WHL also offers a full guaranteed scholarship to all our players, which can be applied to any post-secondary institution of choice.

Environment:

The WHL is committed to offering the best possible experience we can for our players, including a mandatory series of national health and wellness programs, such as the CHL Drug Education and Anti-Doping program, the Respect in Hockey program and Canadian Mental Health initiatives, among others. When combined with our WHL Seven Point Plan player safety initiative, these programs provide our players with a safe and healthy environment in which to develop.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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