2017-18 WHL Season

This is the 2017-18 Western Hockey League season.  This is the league's 52nd 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.
==Membership changes==
*none
==Teams==
=== Eastern Conference ===
Division	Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity
Central 	Calgary Hitmen 	Calgary, Alberta, Canada 	Scotiabank Saddledome
Stampede Corral (some playoff games)	19,289
6,450
Central 	Edmonton Oil Kings 	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 	Rogers Place 	18,641
Central 	Kootenay Ice 	Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada	Western Financial Place 	4,654
Central 	Lethbridge Hurricanes	Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada 	ENMAX Centre 	5,479
Central 	Medicine Hat Tigers 	Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada 	Canalta Centre 	5,500 (expandable to 6,500)
Central 	Red Deer Rebels 	Red Deer, Alberta, Canada 	ENMAX Centrium 	6,000
East 	Brandon Wheat Kings 	Brandon, Manitoba, Canada 	Westman Communications Group Place	5,102
East 	Moose Jaw Warriors 	Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada 	Mosaic Place 	4,714
East 	Prince Albert Raiders	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada	Art Hauser Centre 	3,366
East 	Regina Pats 	Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 	Brandt Centre 	6,200
East 	Saskatoon Blades 	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada 	SaskTel Centre 	15,195
East 	Swift Current Broncos	Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada	Credit Union iPlex 	3,239
=== Western Conference ===
Division	Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity
B.C. 	Kamloops Blazers 	Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada 	Sandman Centre 	5,464
B.C. 	Kelowna Rockets 	Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada 	Prospera Place 	6,286
B.C. 	Prince George Cougars	Prince George, British Columbia, Canada	CN Centre 	5,971
B.C. 	Vancouver Giants 	Langley, British Columbia,  Canada 	Langley Event Center 	5,276
B.C. 	Victoria Royals 	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 	Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre 	7,006
U.S. 	Everett Silvertips 	Everett, Washington, United States 	Xfinity Arena at Everett (-Dec 2017) Angel of the Winds Arena (Dec 2017- )	8,149
U.S. 	Portland Winterhawks 	Portland, Oregon, United States 	Memorial ColiseumModa Center 	10,40718,280
U.S. 	Seattle Thunderbirds 	Kent, Washington, United States 	ShoWare Center 	6,500
U.S. 	Spokane Chiefs 	Spokane, Washington, United States 	Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena 	10,759
U.S. 	Tri-City Americans 	Kennewick, Washington, United States 	Toyota Center 	6,000
==Standings==
===Eastern Conference===
====Eastern Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Moose Jaw Warriors 	72	52	15	2 	3 	326	216	109
Swift Current Broncos	72	48	17	5 	2 	284	213	103
Regina Pats 	72	40	25	6 	1 	245	235	87
====Central Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Medicine Hat Tigers 	72	36	28	8 	0 	260	252	80
Lethbridge Hurricanes	72	33	33	6 	0 	244	260	72
Red Deer Rebels 	72	27	32	10	3 	209	250	67
====Eastern Conference Wild Card====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Brandon Wheat Kings 	72	40	27	3 	1 	272	255	85
Prince Albert Raiders	72	32	27	9 	4 	245	250	77
Saskatoon Blades 	72	35	33	3 	1 	237	276	74
Kootenay Ice 	72	27	38	5 	2 	215	275	61
Calgary Hitmen 	72	24	37	9 	2 	226	276	59
Edmonton Oil Kings 	72	22	42	6 	2 	204	315	52
===Western Conference===
====BC Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Kelowna Rockets 	72	43	22	5 	2 	280	249	93
Victoria Royals 	72	39	27	4 	2 	287	264	84
Vancouver Giants	72	36	27	6 	3 	233	257	81
====US Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Everett Silvertips 	72	47	20	2 	3 	246	167	99
Portland Winterhawks	72	44	22	1 	5 	274	214	94
Spokane Chiefs 	72	41	25	3 	3 	282	240	88
====Western Conference Wild Card====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Tri-City Americans 	72	38	25	8 	1 	255	249	85
Seattle Thunderbirds 	72	34	28	8 	2 	250	259	78
Kamloops Blazers 	72	30	37	1 	4 	212	237	65
Prince George Cougars	72	24	38	5 	5 	217	295	58
==2018 Ed Chynoweth Cup Playoffs==
===Format===
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 presently 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 2018 Memorial Cup, which is being held at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan and hosted by the Regina Pats.
===Eastern Division Semifinals===
*Moose Jaw Warriors defeated Prince Albert Raiders 4 games to 3
*Swift Current Broncos defeated Regina Pats 4 games to 3
===Central Division Semifinals===
*Brandon Wheat Kings defeated Medicine Hat Tigers 4 games to 2
*Lethbridge Hurricanes defeated Red Deer Rebels 4 games to 1
===BC Division Semifinals===
*Tri-City Americans defeated Kelowna Rockets 4 games to none
*Victoria Royals defeated Vancouver Giants 4 games to 3
===US Division Semifinals===
*Everett Silvertips defeated Seattle Thunderbirds 4 games to 1
*Portland Winterhawks defeated Spokane Chiefs 4 games to 3
===Eastern Division Final===
*Swift Current Broncos defeated Moose Jaw Warriors 4 games to 3
===Central Division Final===
*Lethbridge Hurricanes defeated Brandon Wheat Kings 4 games to 1
===BC Division Final===
*Tri-City Americans defeated Victoria Royals 4 games to none
===US Division Final===
*Everett Silvertips defeated Portland Winterhawks 4 games to 1
===Eastern Conference Final===
*Swift Current Broncos defeated Lethbridge Hurricanes 4 games to 2
===Western Conference Final===
*Everett Silvertips defeated Tri-City Americans 4 games to 2
===Ed Chynoweth Cup Final===
*Swift Current Broncos defeated Everett Silvertips 4 games to 2
The Swift Current Broncos advance to the 2018 Memorial Cup.  Broncos forward and captain Glenn Gawdin was named Chynoweth Cup Most Valuable Player with 14 goals and 18 assists in 24 playoff games.  Swift Current won its first WHL championship in 25 years.
Category:2018 in hockey
Category:Western Hockey League seasons