2015-16 WHL season

This is the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season. This is the league's 50th season dating back to its' founding as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League in 1966 and subsequent renaming to the Western Canada Hockey League in 1968 and to the present name in 1978.

In marking the league's 50th season, the schedule started on September 24th with a match up between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Regina Pats which was done in honour of the league's first championship series in 1967. The league also had an online survey to choose the top 50 players in league history. The list was be released starting in January with a countdown format.

The league hosted two games of the Canada/Russia Challenge with games November 9th in Kelowna, BC and November 10th in Kamloops, BC. The league also hosted the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on January 28th in Vancouver, BC. Kamloops also hosted Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada on February 6th. The final event was be the 2016 Memorial Cup which wil be held in Red Deer, Alberta, returning to Alberta for the first time since the 1974 tournament.



The league announced rules changes similar to the National Hockey League for the 2015-16 season involving 3-on-3 overtime, the marking on on the ice (face off circle hash marks and increasing the area behind the net where goalies are allowed to play the puck) and the procedure for face-offs.

The season also marks the move of the Medicine Hat Tigers to the new Canalta Centre.

Membership changes

 * none

2016 Ed Chynoweth Cup Playoffs
The league is divided up into 2 conferences with 2 divisions each. The Eastern Conference is made up of the 6-team East Division and the 6-team Central Division while the Western Conference is made up of the 5-team BC and 5-team US Divisions. The league uses the same format as the NHL does with the top 3 teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs and the next two best records in the conference qualifying as the 7 and 8 seeds and joining the playoffs for the division they start the playoffs in.

The winner of the Chynoweth Cup advances to the 2016 Memorial Cup.

The 2016 Memorial Cup is scheduled to be held in Red Deer, Alberta and be hosted by the Red Deer Rebels. All of the games will be held at the ENMAX Centrium. This will be the 98th Memorial Cup championship and will determine the champion of the Canadian Hockey League. This marks the first time that the Memorial Cup has been held in the province of Alberta since 1974.

The tournament wll match up the champions of the three member leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the host Red Deer Rebels).

The tournament will take place from May 19-29, 2016.

Playoff for final Eastern Conference Playoff spot

 * Edmonton Oil Kings defeated Medicine Hat Tigers 6 to 4

East Divsion Semifinals

 * Brandon Wheat Kings defeated Edmonton Oil Kings
 * 4 games to 2 (2-4, 1-2, 3-1, 5-0, 5-2, 10-3)
 * Moose Jaw Warriors defeated Prince Albert Raiders 4 games to 1 (3-2, 4-2, 3-7, 7-0, 5-0)

Central Division Semifinals

 * Regina Pats defeated Lethbridge Hurricanes 4 games to 1 (3-6, 3-0, 3-2, 2-0, 7-2)
 * Red Deer Rebels defeated Calgary Hitmen 4 games to 1 (3-1, 2-5, 4-3, 2-0, 5-3)

B.C. Division Semifinals

 * Victoria Royals defeated Spokane Chiefs 4 games to 2 ( 5-3, 4-3, 2-5, 3-2 (ot), 1-4, 6-2)
 * Kelowna Rockets defeated Kamloops Blazers 4 games to 3 (3-2, 4-5, 1-0, 1-5, 4-0, 2-1 (ot)

U.S. Division Semifinals

 * Seattle Thunderbirds defeated Prince George Cougars 4 games to none (3-2 (ot), 4-1, 5-0, 4-3 (ot))
 * Everett Silvertips vs Portland Winterhawks 4 games to none (3-0, 3-1, 5-3, 4-2)

East Division Final

 * Brandon Wheat Kings defeated Moose Jaw Warriors 4 games to 1 (5-3, 5-2, 1-7, 6-2, 7-3)

Central Division Final

 * Red Deer Rebels defeated Regina Pats 4 games to 3 (3-2, 4-3, 3-6, 4-6, 5-1, 5-1, 2-1)

B.C. Division Final

 * Kelowna Rockets defeated Victoria Royals 4 games to 3 (1-2, 2-3, 3-2, 4-3, 4-1, 2-3, 3-2 (ot))

U.S. Division Final

 * Seattle Thunderbirds defeated Everett Silvertips 4 games to 1 (0-3, 3-1, 5-0, 2-1, 3-2)

Eastern Conference Final

 * Brandon Wheat Kings defeated Red Deer Rebels 4 games to 1 (4-3 (ot), 6-4, 2-6, 4-2, 5-2)

Western Confernce Final

 * Seattle Thunderbirds defeated Kelowna Rockets 4 games to none (2-1, 3-2, 3-1, 5-4 (2ot))

Ed Chynoweth Cup Final
The Ed Chynoweth Cup winner, Brandon Wheat Kings advance to the 2016 Memorial Cup.
 * Brandon Wheat Kings defeated Seattle Thunderbirds 4 games to 1 (3-2 (ot), 3-2, 3-2 (ot), 1-6, 8-4)