WHL history
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Don’t confuse the current WHL with the professional league that operated in the early and mid-1900s and used the Western Hockey League name.
The current WHL evolved out of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League that started up in 1966. That circuit covered Saskatchewan and Alberta and included seven teams playing a 56-game schedule: the Edmonton Oil Kings, Estevan Bruins, Regina Pats, Moose Jaw Canucks, Saskatoon Blades, Weyburn Red Wings and Calgary Buffaloes.
Edmonton won the league title and Saskatoon’s Gerry Pinder won the scoring title in the inaugural season.
In 1967, the CMJHL became the Western Canada Hockey League and grew to 11 teams in four western Provinces.
It became the Western Hockey League in 1978 when U.S. teams from the Pacific Northwest were added. Currently, the WHL has teams in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia as well as Washington and Oregon.
The Canadian Hockey League is the governing body that coordinates the efforts of the three Major Junior leagues: the WHL, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
