With the season winding down and championships currently underway for some leagues locally we are watching the Mowat Cup Championship played between the Ridge Meadows Flames and the Grand Fork Border Bruins who hold a 2-0 series lead at press time.
The remainder three games of the series (should it go three) will be played in Grand Forks who finished with 71 points through 44 games while the Flames finished with 86 points through 48 games.
Several players in various leagues will attend training camps with the expectation of advancing to the next level of the game while others will be demoralized which is more like a work in progress.
Now we are hearing that the WHL 2025 expansion draft will be held May 7th and act as a key roster-building tool for the expansion Penticton Vees, ahead of the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season.
The following rules have been approved for the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft:
Protected Lists
On Tuesday, May 6, WHL Clubs will be permitted to protect either:
- 16 players aged 17 to 20 years old (born in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005) appearing on their 50-player, Injured, Suspended, Graduate, Special Import, and 20-year-old Lists, plus an additional six (6) players appearing on their College List.
OR
- 14 players aged 17 to 19 years old (born in 2008, 2007, 2006) and three (3) 20-year-old players (born in 2005) appearing on their 50-player, Injured, Suspended, Graduate, Special Import, and 20-year-old Lists, plus an additional six (6) players on their College List.
Exemptions
Players aged 16 (born in 2009) are exempt from the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft for all WHL Clubs.
The two WHL players appearing on the Pro Hockey List (Connor Bedard, Zach Benson), which is only for underage players in the NHL this season, are also exempt.
The two WHL Clubs advancing to the WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien will receive an accommodation as follows:
- The Club that loses the WHL Championship Series must submit their protected lists to the WHL Office by 12 p.m. MT on the second day after elimination, which is Wednesday, May 21, at the latest. Penticton will have 24 hours from receipt of the protected lists to notify the WHL Office and Club of the player selected.
- The WHL Champion must submit their protected lists to the WHL Office by 12 p.m. MT on the second day after elimination from the Memorial Cup, which is Tuesday, June 3, at the latest. Penticton will have 24 hours from the receipt of the protected lists to notify the WHL Office and Club of the player selected.
Should the WHL Conference Championships extend to a Game 7 with the deciding game on Tuesday, May 6, the losing Club(s) will submit their protected lists to the WHL Office by 12 p.m. MT on the same date as the team that loses the WHL Championship Series.
Regulations Relating to Expansion Franchise
- Penticton can select one (1) player from each WHL Club for a total of 22 players.
- Penticton will be permitted to dress four (4) 20-year-old players in all pre-season, regular season, and playoff games during the 2025-26 WHL season only. Should Penticton win the WHL Championship, they will only be permitted to dress three (3) 20-year-old players in the 2026 Memorial Cup.
- Trades between Penticton and WHL Clubs for a player(s) and / or a draft pick(s) will be permitted in place of the expansion pick.
2025 WHL Draft Lotteries
The Penticton Vees were awarded the fourth pick overall in the first round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and the 2025 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, and the fourth WHL pick in the first round of the 2025 CHL Import Draft.
Alignment
The Penticton Vees will play in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in 2025-26. There will be no other changes to WHL alignment.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta.
The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants.
A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years.
The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice.
Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
