WHL

WHL may refer to:

See also

Victoria Royals

The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team currently members of the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team began play during the 2011–12 season after the League announced the relocation of the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria. It marked the return of the WHL to Vancouver Island, 17 years after the departure of the Victoria Cougars. The Royals are based in Victoria, British Columbia, and play their home games at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

Relocation and inaugural season in Victoria

Victoria was left without a WHL team when the Cougars franchise relocated to Prince George in 1994. The city acquired a professional ECHL team in the Victoria Salmon Kings in 2004 when the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre was opened, but the city had made inquiries about returning the WHL to Vancouver Island in the past.

While two minority owners of the Chilliwack Bruins hoped to purchase the team and keep it in Chilliwack following the 2010–11 season, they were outvoted by the remaining partners who opted to sell the team to a group planning to relocate the franchise. On April 20, 2011, the WHL announced the approval of both the sale, and the relocation of the Bruins to Victoria.

Seattle Thunderbirds

The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in the city of Kent, a city south of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League. They play their games at home in ShoWare Center. The team is coached by Steve Konowalchuk and the general manager is Russ Farwell.

History

Canadian founding

The team was founded in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) but moved to Kamloops, British Columbia, to become the Kamloops Chiefs in 1973.

Seattle Breakers

In 1977 the team moved to Seattle and was renamed the Seattle Breakers. The Breakers played in the Seattle Center Coliseum, which had a seating capacity of 15,177 for ice hockey. Through eight seasons, the Breakers finished with a record of 225-319-32 and playoff record of 11-21, although they twice played in the West Division Finals.

The Modern Era

In 1982 the Breakers acquired future NHL great Ken Daneyko from Spokane. They made the playoffs and lost in the Divisional final.

Brandon Wheat Kings

The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the 1940s. They won 8 Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior Champions, 1939, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1960, 1962, 1963, & 1964 and appeared in the Memorial Cup five times: in 1949 (as an MJHL team), 1979, 1995, 1996 and 2010, losing each time. The team plays its home games in Westman Communications Group Place (Keystone Centre). They also played at Wheat City Arena until 1969, and the Manex Arena from 1969 to 1972. Starting in 1973, the Wheat Kings owned and operated a farm team in the MJHL, called the Travellers. The Wheat Kings are currently the only Western Hockey League franchise based in the province of Manitoba.

An earlier incarnation of the Wheat Kings played for the Stanley Cup in 1904, but lost to the Ottawa Senators.

Lethbridge Hurricanes

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team currently members of the Eastern Conference (Central Division) of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team is based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and play their home games at the ENMAX Centre.

History

When the Lethbridge Broncos returned to their original home in Swift Current following the 1985–86 season, hockey fans in Lethbridge did not have to wait long for a new team; after just one year out of the WHL, Lethbridge returned to the WHL in 1987–88 when the Calgary Wranglers moved south to become the Hurricanes.

The team's crowning achievement came in 1996–97, when the Hurricanes captured their first, and to date only, WHL Championship. The Hurricanes then finished as Memorial Cup runners-up when they lost the title game to the Hull Olympiques. That same year, they also won their division title (only done twice before, in 1989–90 and 1990–91) and the regular season title. In the 2007–08 season, the Hurricanes won the Eastern Conference Championship.