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WHL Adopts New Playoff Format

June 20, 2007 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release

CALGARY, AB - The Western Hockey League, following the conclusion of its Annual General Meeting today in Calgary, announced it will adopt a new playoff format for the 2007-08 and the 2008-09 seasons.

The WHL's Eastern and Western Conferences will use a Conference playoff format in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. The Conference playoff format will be the same as the current playoff format used by the National Hockey League. For the past six seasons, the WHL has used a Divisional seeding format as opposed to a Conference format in the first round of the playoffs.

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 3rd - 8th playoff positions. The Clubs will be paired 1 - 8, 2 - 7, 3 - 6, and 4 - 5 in a best-of-seven series.

The first place Clubs in each Division will only be guaranteed the top two playoff seeds in the first round.

As in previous seasons, the format for the remaining three rounds of the WHL playoffs will remain the same.

The four Clubs winning first round series in each Conference will advance to the second round, where they will be ranked in order of regular season points. The Clubs will be paired 1 - 4, and 2 - 3 in best of seven series.

The two Clubs winning second round series in each Conference will advance to the third round (WHL Conference Championships), where they will be ranked in order of regular season points. The Clubs will be paired 1 - 2 in a best of seven series.

The Eastern and Western Conference Champions will advance to the best of seven WHL Championship Series, with the Club having the most regular season points receiving home ice advantage.

With the addition of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who begin play in the 2007-08 season, the WHL's Eastern Conference expands from 11 to 12 teams.

The Oil Kings will join the WHL Eastern Conference's Central Division, expanding the Division to six teams. The WHL Eastern Conference's East Division also features six teams, while the WHL Western Conference's B.C and U.S. Divisions each feature five teams apiece.

The WHL today also announced the 2007-08 Exhibition Schedule.

The 2007-08 WHL Exhibition season opens on Wednesday, August 29th with the Prince Albert Raiders hosting the Moose Jaw Warriors, and will feature three tournaments. The Everett Silvertips and the WHL's newest team, the Edmonton Oil Kings, will host pre-season tournaments on the September long weekend. The Tri-City Americans will also host a tournament the weekend of September 7 - 9.

The Everett Tournament begins on Friday, August 31st, and features seven teams including U.S. Division rivals Seattle, Portland, Spokane and Tri-Cities along with Chilliwack and the 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup Champion Vancouver Giants.

The Edmonton tournament begins on Saturday, September 1st, and features six teams including Kelowna, Regina, Swift Current, Prince George and Kamloops. The Oil Kings will take to the ice for their first pre-season game versus the Kelowna Rockets in the tournament's second contest on Saturday.

The Tri-Cities tournament features the host Americans and their four U.S. Division rivals Everett, Portland, Seattle and Spokane.

The 2007 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers begin their Exhibition season on Saturday, September 8th when they visit Central Division rivals the Kootenay Ice.

2007-08 WHL EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

Day, Date, Visitor, Home, Time, Location

Wednesday Aug. 29/07 Moose Jaw @ Prince Albert 7:30

Friday Aug. 31/07 Chilliwack vs. Seattle 11:30 Everett

Friday Aug. 31/07 Spokane vs. Portland 3:00 Everett

Friday Aug. 31/07 Vancouver vs. Everett 7:00 Everett

Friday Aug. 31/07 Prince Albert @ Moose Jaw 7:00

Saturday Sept. 1/07 Kamloops vs. Regina 11:00 Edmonton

Saturday Sept. 1/07 Kelowna vs. Edmonton 3:00 Edmonton

Saturday Sept. 1/07 Prince George vs. Swift Current 7:00 Edmonton

Saturday Sept. 1/07 Spokane vs. Tri-City 11:30 Everett

Saturday Sept. 1/07 Portland vs. Vancouver 3:00 Everett

Saturday Sept. 1/07 Seattle vs. Everett 7:00 Everett

Sunday Sept. 2/07 Kelowna vs. Swift Current 11:00 Edmonton

Sunday Sept. 2/07 Prince George vs. Regina 3:00 Edmonton

Sunday Sept. 2/07 Kamloops vs. Edmonton 7:00 Edmonton

Sunday Sept. 2/07 Tri-City vs. Vancouver 11:30 Everett

Sunday Sept. 2/07 Seattle vs. Spokane 3:00 Everett

Sunday Sept. 2/07 Chilliwack vs. Everett 7:00 Everett

Monday Sept. 3/07 Kelowna vs. Regina 11:00 Edmonton

Monday Sept. 3/07 Kamloops vs. Swift Current 3:00 Edmonton

Monday Sept. 3/07 Prince George vs. Edmonton 7:00 Edmonton

Tuesday Sept. 4/07 Red Deer vs. Calgary 7:00 Airdrie

Wednesday Sept. 5/07 Vancouver @ Chilliwack 7:00

Thursday Sept. 6/07 Lethbridge vs. Red Deer 7:30 Stettler

Friday Sept. 7/07 Kootenay @ Calgary 7:00 Centennial

Friday Sept. 7/07 Swift Current @ Moose Jaw 7:00

Friday Sept. 7/07 Saskatoon @ Prince Albert 7:30

Friday Sept. 7/07 Kamloops @ Prince George 7:00

Friday Sept. 7/07 Spokane vs. Portland 3:00 Tri-City

Friday Sept. 7/07 Seattle vs. Tri-City 7:00 Tri-City

Friday Sept. 7/07 Kelowna @ Vancouver 7:30 Ladner

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Swift Current @ Brandon 7:30

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Edmonton vs. Calgary 7:30 Okotoks

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Prince George @ Kamloops 7:00

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Vancouver @ Kelowna 7:00

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Medicine Hat @ Kootenay 7:00

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Red Deer @ Lethbridge 7:00

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Regina @ Saskatoon 7:05

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Everett vs. Portland 3:00 Tri-City

Saturday Sept. 8/07 Spokane vs. Tri-City 7:00 Tri-City

Sunday Sept. 9/07 Regina @ Medicine Hat 6:00

Sunday Sept. 9/07 Brandon @ Prince Albert 6:30

Sunday Sept. 9/07 Seattle vs. Portland 1:00 Tri-City

Sunday Sept. 9/07 Everett vs. Tri-City 5:00 Tri-City

Tuesday Sept. 11/07 Medicine Hat @ Calgary 7:00 Fa. David Bauer

Tuesday Sept. 11/07 Kamloops @ Chilliwack 7:00

Tuesday Sept. 11/07 Red Deer vs. Edmonton 7:00 Leduc

Tuesday Sept. 11/07 Moose Jaw @ Saskatoon 7:05

Wednesday Sept. 12/07 Kootenay @ Lethbridge 7:00

Thursday Sept. 13/07 Saskatoon @ Prince Albert 7:30

Friday Sept. 14/07 Moose Jaw @ Brandon 7:30

Friday Sept. 14/07 Kelowna @ Kamloops 7:00

Friday Sept. 14/07 Edmonton @ Kootenay 7:00

Friday Sept. 14/07 Calgary vs. Red Deer 7:30 Lacombe

Friday Sept. 14/07 Prince Albert vs. Saskatoon 7:00 Lloydminster

Friday Sept. 14/07 Regina vs. Swift Current 7:30 Kindersley

Friday Sept. 14/07 Tri-City @ Spokane 7:00 Eagles

Friday Sept. 14/07 Chilliwack @ Vancouver 7:30 Ladner

Saturday Sept. 15/07 Chilliwack @ Kelowna 7:00

Saturday Sept. 15/07 Edmonton @ Lethbridge 7:00

Saturday Sept. 15/07 Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer 7:30 Carstairs

Saturday Sept. 15/07 Brandon @ Moose Jaw 7:00

Saturday Sept. 15/07 Everett @ Seattle 7:05 Kent

Saturday Sept. 15/07 Portland @ Tri-City 7:05

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