2025–26 WHL season
| 2025–26 WHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration |
|
| Teams | 23 |
| TV partner(s) | |
| Regular season | |
| Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy | Everett Silvertips (3) |
| Top scorer | Markus Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers) |
| playoffs | |
| 2025–26 CHL seasons | |
|---|---|
| League | Canadian Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | |
| Teams | 61 |
| TV partner(s) | |
| Memorial Cup | |
The 2025–26 WHL season is the 60th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 19, 2025. The Penticton Vees joined as the league's newest franchise, its 23rd, and were placed in the B.C. division of the Western Conference.[1]
The team that wins the championship will win the Ed Chynoweth Cup and represent the WHL at the 2026 Memorial Cup, hosted by the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. The tournament will be held at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia.[2]
Conference standings
Standings as of games through March 22, 2026.[3]
| Team | DIV | GP | W | L | OTL | SL | GF | GA | PTS | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everett Silvertips xyz | U.S. | 68 | 57 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 304 | 173 | 117 | 0.860 |
| Penticton Vees xy | B.C. | 68 | 44 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 268 | 188 | 98 | 0.721 |
| Prince George Cougars x | B.C. | 68 | 44 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 245 | 188 | 90 | 0.662 |
| Kelowna Rockets x | B.C. | 68 | 38 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 259 | 220 | 85 | 0.625 |
| Kamloops Blazers x | B.C. | 68 | 31 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 264 | 250 | 75 | 0.551 |
| Spokane Chiefs x | U.S. | 68 | 36 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 223 | 209 | 74 | 0.544 |
| Seattle Thunderbirds x | U.S. | 68 | 31 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 223 | 241 | 72 | 0.529 |
| Portland Winterhawks x | U.S. | 68 | 30 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 235 | 264 | 68 | 0.500 |
| Victoria Royals e | B.C. | 68 | 28 | 30 | 6 | 4 | 209 | 253 | 66 | 0.485 |
| Tri-City Americans e | U.S. | 68 | 26 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 181 | 252 | 58 | 0.426 |
| Wenatchee Wild e | U.S. | 68 | 25 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 190 | 242 | 55 | 0.404 |
| Vancouver Giants e | B.C. | 68 | 25 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 196 | 282 | 54 | 0.397 |
| Team | DIV | GP | W | L | OTL | SL | GF | GA | PTS | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Albert Raiders xy | East | 68 | 52 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 310 | 165 | 110 | 0.809 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers xy | Central | 68 | 50 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 348 | 208 | 108 | 0.794 |
| Edmonton Oil Kings x | Central | 68 | 45 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 287 | 205 | 95 | 0.699 |
| Calgary Hitmen x | Central | 68 | 38 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 248 | 221 | 85 | 0.625 |
| Brandon Wheat Kings x | East | 68 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 269 | 241 | 82 | 0.603 |
| Saskatoon Blades x | East | 68 | 34 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 220 | 224 | 75 | 0.551 |
| Regina Pats x | East | 68 | 25 | 34 | 7 | 2 | 234 | 289 | 59 | 0.434 |
| Red Deer Rebels x | Central | 68 | 26 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 198 | 266 | 58 | 0.426 |
| Moose Jaw Warriors e | East | 68 | 25 | 36 | 5 | 2 | 234 | 296 | 57 | 0.419 |
| Swift Current Broncos e | East | 68 | 15 | 44 | 4 | 5 | 179 | 326 | 39 | 0.287 |
| Lethbridge Hurricanes e | Central | 68 | 17 | 47 | 3 | 1 | 198 | 319 | 38 | 0.279 |
x – Clinched playoff spot y – Clinched division z – Clinched best regular season record
e – Eliminated from playoff contention
Statistical leaders
Scoring leaders
These are the top ten skaters based on points. If there is a tie in points, goals take precedence over assists; if there is a tie in goals, players with fewer games played take precedence over those with more. Updated following games played on March 22, 2026.[4]
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts. = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markus Ruck | Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 21 | 87 | 108 | 28 |
| Liam Ruck | Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 45 | 59 | 104 | 36 |
| Cameron Schmidt | Vancouver/Seattle | 72 | 51 | 49 | 100 | 58 |
| JP Hurlbert | Kamloops Blazers | 68 | 42 | 55 | 97 | 45 |
| Alex Weiermair | Portland Winterhawks | 66 | 37 | 56 | 93 | 28 |
| Tij Iginla | Kelowna Rockets | 48 | 41 | 49 | 90 | 29 |
| Luke Mistelbacher | Brandon Wheat Kings | 67 | 42 | 46 | 88 | 33 |
| Lukas Sawchyn | Edmonton Oil Kings | 68 | 27 | 61 | 88 | 42 |
| Matias Vanhanen | Everett Silvertips | 62 | 21 | 66 | 87 | 6 |
| Nathan Behm | Kamloops Blazers | 67 | 38 | 48 | 86 | 41 |
Leading goaltenders
These are the top five goaltenders is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average who have played more than 40% of their team's total minutes. Updated following games played on March 21, 2026.[5]
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage
| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | OTL | SOL | GA | SO | GAA | Sv% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michal Oršulák | Prince Albert Raiders | 36 | 2,139 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 79 | 4 | 2.22 | .907 |
| Anders Miller | Calgary/Everett | 36 | 2,086 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 4 | 2.30 | .914 |
| Andrew Reyelts | Penticton Vees | 43 | 2,520 | 29 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 103 | 3 | 2.45 | .906 |
| Joshua Ravensbergen | Prince George Cougars | 46 | 2,680 | 32 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 4 | 2.51 | .919 |
| Ethan McCallum | Saskatoon/Penticton | 34 | 1,781 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 78 | 4 | 2.63 | .907 |
2026 WHL playoffs
| Conference quarterfinals | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | WHL championship | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Prince Albert | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Red Deer | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Medicine Hat | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Regina | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Edmonton | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Saskatoon | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Calgary | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Brandon | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Note: Pairings are re-seeded after the first round. | |||||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Everett | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Portland | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Penticton | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Prince George | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Spokane | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Kelowna | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Kamloops | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern conference
(1) Prince Albert Raiders vs. (8) Red Deer Rebels
| March 27 | Red Deer Rebels | 7:00pm | Prince Albert Raiders | Art Hauser Centre | ||||
| March 28 | Red Deer Rebels | 7:00pm | Prince Albert Raiders | Art Hauser Centre | ||||
| March 31 | Prince Albert Raiders | 7:00pm | Red Deer Rebels | Marchant Crane Centrium | ||||
| April 1 | Prince Albert Raiders | 7:00pm | Red Deer Rebels | Marchant Crane Centrium | ||||
| April 3 | Red Deer Rebels | 7:00pm | Prince Albert Raiders | Art Hauser Centre | ||||
| April 5 | Prince Albert Raiders | 4:00pm | Red Deer Rebels | Marchant Crane Centrium | ||||
| April 7 | Red Deer Rebels | 7:00pm | Prince Albert Raiders | Art Hauser Centre | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
(2) Medicine Hat Tigers vs. (7) Regina Pats
| March 27 | Regina Pats | 7:00pm | Medicine Hat Tigers | Co-op Place | ||||
| March 28 | Regina Pats | 7:00pm | Medicine Hat Tigers | Co-op Place | ||||
| March 31 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 7:00pm | Regina Pats | Brandt Centre | ||||
| April 1 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 7:00pm | Regina Pats | Brandt Centre | ||||
| April 4 | Regina Pats | 7:00pm | Medicine Hat Tigers | Co-op Place | ||||
| April 5 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6:00pm | Regina Pats | Brandt Centre | ||||
| April 7 | Regina Pats | 7:00pm | Medicine Hat Tigers | Co-op Place | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
(3) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (6) Saskatoon Blades
| March 27 | Saskatoon Blades | 7:00pm | Edmonton Oil Kings | Rogers Place | ||||
| March 29 | Saskatoon Blades | 2:00pm | Edmonton Oil Kings | Rogers Place | ||||
| March 31 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 7:00pm | Saskatoon Blades | SaskTel Centre | ||||
| April 1 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 7:00pm | Saskatoon Blades | SaskTel Centre | ||||
| April 3 | Saskatoon Blades | 6:00pm | Edmonton Oil Kings | Rogers Place | ||||
| April 5 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 2:00pm | Saskatoon Blades | SaskTel Centre | ||||
| April 6 | Saskatoon Blades | 7:00pm | Edmonton Oil Kings | Rogers Place | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
(4) Calgary Hitmen vs. (5) Brandon Wheat Kings
| March 27 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 7:00pm | Calgary Hitmen | Scotiabank Saddledome | ||||
| March 29 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 7:00pm | Calgary Hitmen | Scotiabank Saddledome | ||||
| March 31 | Calgary Hitmen | 7:00pm | Brandon Wheat Kings | Tundra Oil & Gas Place | ||||
| April 2 | Calgary Hitmen | 7:00pm | Brandon Wheat Kings | Tundra Oil & Gas Place | ||||
| April 3 | Calgary Hitmen | 7:00pm | Brandon Wheat Kings | Tundra Oil & Gas Place | ||||
| April 5 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 5:00pm | Calgary Hitmen | Scotiabank Saddledome | ||||
| April 7 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 7:00pm | Calgary Hitmen | Scotiabank Saddledome | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
Western conference
(1) Everett Silvertips vs. (8) Portland Winterhawks
| March 27 | Portland Winterhawks | 7:05pm | Everett Silvertips | Angel of the Winds Arena | ||||
| March 28 | Portland Winterhawks | 6:05pm | Everett Silvertips | Angel of the Winds Arena | ||||
| March 31 | Everett Silvertips | 7:00pm | Portland Winterhawks | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | ||||
| April 1 | Everett Silvertips | 7:00pm | Portland Winterhawks | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | ||||
| April 3 | Portland Winterhawks | 7:05pm | Everett Silvertips | Angel of the Winds Arena | ||||
| April 4 | Everett Silvertips | 6:00pm | Portland Winterhawks | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | ||||
| April 7 | Portland Winterhawks | 7:05pm | Everett Silvertips | Angel of the Winds Arena | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
(2) Penticton Vees vs. (7) Seattle Thunderbirds
| March 27 | Seattle Thunderbirds | 7:05pm | Penticton Vees | South Okanagan Events Centre | ||||
| March 28 | Seattle Thunderbirds | 7:05pm | Penticton Vees | South Okanagan Events Centre | ||||
| March 31 | Penticton Vees | 7:05pm | Seattle Thunderbirds | accesso ShoWare Center | ||||
| April 1 | Penticton Vees | 7:05pm | Seattle Thunderbirds | accesso ShoWare Center | ||||
| April 3 | Seattle Thunderbirds | 7:05pm | Penticton Vees | South Okanagan Events Centre | ||||
| April 5 | Penticton Vees | 5:05pm | Seattle Thunderbirds | accesso ShoWare Center | ||||
| April 7 | Seattle Thunderbirds | 7:05pm | Penticton Vees | South Okanagan Events Centre | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
(3) Prince George Cougars vs. (6) Spokane Chiefs
| March 27 | Spokane Chiefs | 7:00pm | Prince George Cougars | CN Centre | ||||
| March 28 | Spokane Chiefs | 6:00pm | Prince George Cougars | CN Centre | ||||
| March 30 | Prince George Cougars | 7:00pm | Spokane Chiefs | Numerica Veterans Arena | ||||
| April 1 | Prince George Cougars | 7:00pm | Spokane Chiefs | Numerica Veterans Arena | ||||
| April 2 | Prince George Cougars | 6:05pm | Spokane Chiefs | Numerica Veterans Arena | ||||
| April 5 | Spokane Chiefs | 6:00pm | Prince George Cougars | CN Centre | ||||
| April 6 | Spokane Chiefs | 7:00pm | Prince George Cougars | CN Centre | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
(4) Kelowna Rockets vs. (5) Kamloops Blazers
| March 27 | Kamloops Blazers | 7:05pm | Kelowna Rockets | Prospera Place | ||||
| March 28 | Kamloops Blazers | 6:05pm | Kelowna Rockets | Prospera Place | ||||
| March 31 | Kelowna Rockets | 7:00pm | Kamloops Blazers | Sandman Centre | ||||
| April 1 | Kelowna Rockets | 7:00pm | Kamloops Blazers | Sandman Centre | ||||
| April 3 | Kamloops Blazers | 7:05pm | Kelowna Rockets | Prospera Place | ||||
| April 4 | Kelowna Rockets | 6:00pm | Kamloops Blazers | Sandman Centre | ||||
| April 7 | Kamloops Blazers | 7:05pm | Kelowna Rockets | Prospera Place | ||||
| Series tied 0-0 | |
WHL awards
| Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy | Regular season champions | Everett Silvertips |
| Four Broncos Memorial Trophy | Player of the Year | |
| Bob Clarke Trophy | Top Scorer | Markus Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers |
| Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy | Top Defenceman | |
| Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy | Rookie of the Year | |
| Del Wilson Trophy | Top Goaltender | |
| WHL Plus-Minus Award | Top Plus-Minus Rating | Tarin Smith, Everett Silvertips |
| Brad Hornung Trophy | Most Sportsmanlike Player | |
| Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy | Scholastic player of the Year | |
| Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy | Scholastic team of the Year | |
| Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy | Coach of the Year | |
| Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy | Executive of the Year | |
| Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy | Top Official | |
| St. Clair Group Trophy | Marketing/Public Relations Award | |
| Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy | Humanitarian of the Year | |
| WHL Playoff MVP | WHL Finals Most Valuable Player | |
| Professional Hockey Achievement Academic Recipient |
Alumni Achievement Awards |
Attendance
Regular season
| Home team | Home games | Average attendance | Total attendance[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oil Kings | 34 | 7,645 | 259,946 |
| Spokane Chiefs | 34 | 6,780 | 230,545 |
| Everett Silvertips | 34 | 6,567 | 223,278 |
| Portland Winterhawks | 34 | 5,160 | 175,466 |
| Kelowna Rockets | 34 | 4,664 | 158,582 |
| Calgary Hitmen | 34 | 4,492 | 152,746 |
| Saskatoon Blades | 34 | 4,464 | 151,797 |
| Seattle Thunderbirds | 34 | 4,458 | 151,592 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers | 34 | 4,125 | 140,277 |
| Prince George Cougars | 34 | 4,099 | 139,379 |
| Tri-City Americans | 34 | 3,923 | 133,398 |
| Red Deer Rebels | 34 | 3,851 | 130,945 |
| Victoria Royals | 34 | 3,805 | 129,374 |
| Kamloops Blazers | 34 | 3,764 | 127,993 |
| Vancouver Giants | 34 | 3,699 | 125,797 |
| Lethbridge Hurricanes | 34 | 3,552 | 120,800 |
| Regina Pats | 34 | 3,531 | 120,069 |
| Penticton Vees | 34 | 3,445 | 117,151 |
| Brandon Wheat Kings | 34 | 2,884 | 98,085 |
| Wenatchee Wild | 34 | 2,854 | 97,040 |
| Prince Albert Raiders | 34 | 2,668 | 90,734 |
| Moose Jaw Warriors | 34 | 2,667 | 90,690 |
| Swift Current Broncos | 34 | 2,207 | 75,040 |
| League | 782 | 4,144 | 3,240,724 |
Playoffs
| Home team | Home games | Average attendance | Total attendance [6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George Cougars | |||
| Medicine Hat Tigers | |||
| Spokane Chiefs | |||
| Everett Silvertips | |||
| Saskatoon Blades | |||
| Edmonton Oil Kings | |||
| Regina Pats | |||
| Red Deer Rebels | |||
| Portland Winterhawks | |||
| Calgary Hitmen | |||
| Seattle Thunderbirds | |||
| Prince Albert Raiders | |||
| Penticton Vees | |||
| Kelowna Rockets | |||
| Kamloops Blazers | |||
| Brandon Wheat Kings | |||
| League | 0 | 0 | 0 |
See also
References
- ^ Rocca, Taylor (June 4, 2025). "Western Hockey League announces home opening dates for 2025-26 WHL Regular Season". Western Hockey League. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ^ "Kelowna named 2026 Memorial Cup host city". City of Kelowna. November 27, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ^ "2025 - 26 Regular Season Conference Standings". CHL.ca. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ^ "WHL 2025-26 Regular Season Official Statistics - Player Statistics". CHL.ca. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "WHL 2025-26 Regular Season Official Statistics - Goalie Statistics". CHL.ca. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ a b "WHL Schedule". CHL.ca/WHL. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
Further reading
- Bergson, Perry (September 15, 2025). "WHL NOTEBOOK: WHL's 60th season set to begin". Brandon Sun. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
External links
- Official website of the Western Hockey League
- Official website of the Canadian Hockey League
- "EDITORIAL: Changes to NCAA, junior hockey will have lasting impact". Rocky Mountain Outlook. Great West Media. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.