WHL State Of The League

Administered by the WHL Office, WHL Scholarships are solely funded by WHL member Clubs. Every player who plays in the WHL is eligible to receive the WHL Scholarship. 

For every season played in the WHL, players receive a guaranteed, full year of WHL Scholarship, including tuition, textbooks, and compulsory fees to a post-secondary institution of their choice. 

The WHL Scholarship is a full guaranteed academic scholarship with no requirement to play university hockey to qualify. 

NEW FOR 2026-27

One week extension of WHL Regular Season Schedule

Beginning with the 2026-27 WHL Regular Season, the WHL regular season schedule will extend by one week. 

The decompressed schedule will create additional rest and recovery for players, opportunity for additional strength and conditioning, and support the athletes’ educational priorities. 

The 2026-27 WHL Regular Season begins Friday, September 18, and will end one week later than has been historically scheduled. 

The final day of the 2026-27 WHL Regular Season will be contested Sunday, March 28, 2027.

The 2027 WHL Playoffs are scheduled to begin Wednesday, March 31. The WHL tiebreaker game will no longer be used to break a tie for the eighth seed in a conference.

The decision to decompress the WHL schedule was approved by the WHL Board of Governors and WHL General Managers in association with a variety of initiatives to continue to augment the WHL Player Experience, to enhance player development, and to adapt to the changing hockey landscape. 

Air Travel for Select Road Games

Beginning with the 2026-27 WHL Regular Season, WHL Clubs will be permitted to travel via air for one (1) set of road games to start and return home, under the following parameters:

• Trip by bus must be greater than 10 hours;
• Applies to out-of-conference travel only

The decision to allow WHL Clubs to fly for one (1) set of road games was approved by the WHL Board of Governors in association with a variety of initiatives to continue to augment the WHL Player Experience, to enhance player development, and to adapt to the changing hockey landscape.

‘No Return’ Three-on-Three Overtime Pilot

The 2026 WHL Preseason will feature a pilot project aimed at enhancing the fan experience of three-on-three overtime. 

Under the ‘No Return’ three-on-three overtime format, once a team has gained the blueline, a player cannot deliberately carry, pass, or shoot the puck outside the blueline. 

Should this occur, play will immediately be whistled down (unless the opposing team collects the puck first) and the resulting face-off will occur in the defensive zone of the offending team with no line change permitted. 

The team benefitting from the offensive zone faceoff will have the opportunity to select which circle the faceoff occurs in.

‘No Return’ three-on-three overtime has been contemplated in early anticipation of changing coaching strategies during three-on-three overtimes that are highly conservative and may potentially reduce the excitement of the extra period. 

Key measures for this pilot will include the number of shot attempts and scoring chances in overtime and the percentage of game outcomes determined by overtime prior to a shootout.

All 2026 WHL Preseason games, regardless of final score, will feature ‘No Return’ three-on-three overtime to allow all Clubs the opportunity to pilot the rule.

Following the 2026 WHL Preseason, WHL General Managers will vote on the implementation of ‘No Return’ Three-on-Three Overtime for the 2026-27 WHL Regular Season.

First Round of WHL Playoffs – Best-of-Five Series

Beginning in 2027, the first round of the WHL Playoffs will be contested as a best-of-five series.

To accommodate the extra week in the regular season, this change will allow the playoffs to be completed on its existing schedule for the WHL Champion to participate in the Memorial Cup.

The WHL Playoffs will begin Wednesday, March 31, 2027, and the first-round format will vary based on the geography of the competing teams, availability of facilities, and preferences of the higher-seeded Club. 

The following formats are currently approved, pending WHL approval of each instance:

• 1-2-1-1 (A-H-A-H)
• 2-3 (A-H) for longer distance series
• 2-2-1 (H-A-H)
• 1-1-1-1-1 (H-A-H-A-H) for close distance series only

H = Home

A = Away