10 WHL Things

By Glen Erickson

Nice to be back in the great, white, chilly north after a business and pleasure hiatus south of the 49^th parallel. Anything happen in the Western Hockey League? Seems there’s almost as much news away from the rinks as there is on the ice. Help yourselves to 10 WHL Things, and a little bonus at the end. Here we go!

1. The Memmer – It was announced by the CHL on Wednesday the city of Kelowna has been selected as the WHL’s host city for the 2026 Memorial Cup festivities. Spokane, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Brandon also bid to host. Kelowna last hosted in 2004…and won the tournament! I’m ecstatic for the Rockets ownership group! After the cancellation of the 2020 Memorial Cup in Kelowna, I think it would have been easy for the host committee to take the “you owe us one” approach during the bidding process. But I don’t believe that’s who they are. The people I know associated with the bid to host simply would have rolled up their sleeves and focused on nailing the process with an outstanding presentation. After all, they’ve done it successfully before, and not too long ago! Of course, as one pundit put it to me, “others involved might feel they owe Kelowna one”. Be that as it may, Kelowna will be a terrific host city! Also, I’m not sure how much this factored into things, but among the five bidding cities, Kelowna clearly has the most capable international airport.

2. Tale of the Tape – I’m not entirely in the loop, but here’s what we can surmise from the bidding process. Brandon hosted in 2010, but that was under a different ownership group, which at the time included current Vegas Golden Knights general manager, Kelly McCrimmon. The current Wheat Kings ownership group is said to be well-financed. For them, this was their first bid. Ditto for Medicine Hat, it was their first bid ever, so chances are it was in all likelihood a great learning experience. Now, that little tidbit of consolation won’t make Tigers fans happy in the least. Roster projections for the 2025-2026 season probably did favour Medicine Hat in all of this. In Spokane, general manager Matt Bardsley would have been an asset in the bidding process, as he had some involvement in the bids made by the Kamloops Blazers for the 2020 and 2023 tournaments. Bardsley announced his departure from the Blazers management team May 25, 2021, to be closer to his family living in the USA, then almost one year later to the day on May 27, 2022, Kamloops was awarded the 2023 tournament. As the Blazers general manager, Bardsley was an integral part in building highly competitive teams. He’s doing more of the same in Spokane, as the Chiefs also projected to have a very competitive team next season. The group I really feel for is in Lethbridge. They just keep on bidding, and one wonders how thin their patience has become? General manager Peter Anholt is eminently capable – he was an integral piece of the group that hosted the 1992 Memorial Cup in Seattle – which required some serious operational stickhandling for a host committee that included the likes of Jake Goertzen, Dennis Beyak and Bob Lowes, among so many others.

3. Much Ado About Everything – So much is made of projecting which host city will have the most competitive team come Memorial Cup time, but nowhere in hockey history have I seen the Amazing Kreskin play a starring role on a host committee. I remember the hue and cry from Kamloops media for precisely this reason back in 2019 after the Blazers were passed over in favour of Kelowna being awarded the 2020 tournament. (The tournament was eventually cancelled due to the pandemic overreaction, then landed in Kamloops in 2023.) The same vitriol is likely to come from Medicine Hat Tigers supporters, who seem to firmly believe that if a team has the projected first overall draft pick on its roster, that’s enough to secure host status. I also wonder if we will ever hear the “number”? As in, how much money did the host committee promise the CHL? It used to be openly referred to as a guaranteed profit. Along with all the other important considerations in the winning bid, the number does matter. On the ice, I find it interesting none of the teams that bid to host the 2026 Memorial Cup are lighting it up this season. In fact, they’re all clearly near the middle of the pack at this point. Alas, with Kelowna now confirmed as hosts, watch for some buzz at the January 2025 WHL trade deadline. And you can be guaranteed some serious business will take place at the 2025 WHL Bantam Draft in May.

4. Who Made the Call – According to the CHL, “The selection of Kelowna was rendered following formal bid presentations made by the five bidding WHL clubs – the Brandon Wheat Kings, Kelowna Rockets, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Spokane Chiefs – to the CHL’s selection committee. The committee was comprised of sports leaders from across the industry including Graeme Roustan (Chairman and Owner of the Hockey News), Colin Campbell (NHL Sr. Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operation), Aaron Fox (Chair of Defence Team for McDougall Gauley), Kalli Quinn (Event Specialist at KAQ Event Consulting), and Paul Graham (Executive Producer & VP at TSN). Each bid was evaluated based on four categories: business operations, local atmosphere/community engagement, event logistics, and hockey operations.”

5. Trade Winds – Tanner Howe, who celebrates his 19^th birthday this week, has been a member of the Calgary Hitmen for about a week now. Signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Howe was able to hitch a ride on the Connor Bedard Express as a member of the Regina Pats a couple seasons ago and during his WHL career, he’s produced at better than a point-per-game clip. It’s a significant deal, with Regina landing highly touted, draft-eligible defenceman Reece Hamilton, along with forward Keets Fawcett and a pair of future draft picks. It’s the seventh trade involving the Pats this season, involving 10 players and 11 draft picks. Regina begins its road trip through the B.C. Division Friday in Kamloops.

6. Let’s Make A Deal – I like the trade for both teams, particularly Calgary who at this juncture gets the best player. But I also like another move by the Hitmen, back on November 17 when they went shopping along the Trans Canada Highway. Calgary acquired 20-year-old defenceman Kalem Parker from the Moose Jaw Warriors for a package including a prospect and draft picks. Parker is a veteran of 260 WHL games and one of those sought after right-handed shooting rearguards. The move also relates to the release of 20-year-old goaltender, Ethan Buenaventura, as Calgary juggled its overage situation. Buenaventura appeared in 115 games for Calgary over parts of four seasons. Don’t sleep on this edition of the Hitmen, who play in the tough Central Division where it’s entirely possible all five teams will qualify for the post-season. Sometimes it’s not all about winning a league championship, as a team that feels confident it can win a playoff series or two stands a pretty good chance to generate important post-season revenue. Hey, like it or not, it’s a business.

7. It’s Cristall Clear – With 40 points in 15 games, Andrew Cristall of the Kelowna Rockets leads the entire league with 2.67 points per game. It’s not even close. WHL scoring leader Gavin McKenna, with 48 points in 25 games, sits next at 1.92 ppg. Carter Bear, second to McKenna with 41 points in 23 games, is next at 1.78 ppg. Cristall got a late start this season, as he stuck around with the Washington Capitals into its pre-season schedule. He missed the Rockets first six regular season games. Signed to an entry level contract by the Capitals, Cristall has been ultra-productive in Kelowna during his WHL career with 340 points in 226 games, including playoffs. He appears to be doing everything he can offensively to elevate Kelowna’s regular season success. Cristall has been a good – no great – soldier in Kelowna, but it’s hard to see him residing in the Okanagan Valley for the entirety of the current campaign. He’ll play pro hockey next season somewhere and won’t be around for the 2026 Memorial Cup in Kelowna. The Rockets aren’t winning the WHL title this season, so they need to build for next year. Stay tuned.

8. NCAA Musings – Interesting to see so many signings by colleges in the USA announced on the WHL website. I don’t recall the league making these “in-season” announcements over the years when players would commit to Canadian universities? Of course, maybe most guys opting for Canadian schools choose after the season is finished? The NCAA Division 1 programs now have access to a pool of about 1,500 elite junior hockey players in the CHL that they chose not to pursue in the past, but they’ll certainly be doing their homework now. None of this NCAA business bothers me in the least as I’m down with players having access to as many opportunities as they can muster. I Iike that families no longer have to make monumental hockey pathway decisions when their children are in their early teens. Perhaps the most emphatic explanation I’ve heard as to why this all came about just a few short weeks ago came from Sean Hogan, the executive director of College Hockey Inc. during an interview on The Rod Pedersen Show.  “What sped it up was litigation (involving the NCAA) in the U.S. court system”, Hogan said.

9. Rest In Peace – Last weekend, former National Hockey League and Western Hockey League referee Mike Hasenfratz passed away. The Regina, Saskatchewan native was an absolute character, much like many of those who have worn the stripes over the years. Hasenfratz was recognized as the WHL’s Official of the Year for the 1999-2000 season. The NHL provided some interesting insight on its website into Hasenfratz’s career. He officiated his first NHL game October 21, 2000, and his final game – number 705 – on March 14, 2014. No cause of death was provided. He was 58 years old.

10. Aortic Dissection – According to the NHL, during his career, Hasenfratz was diagnosed with a serious medical condition that sidelined him for two seasons: an aortic dissection. “It’s the same thing that killed [actor] John Ritter,” Hasenfratz explained back in 2009, adding that doctors told him, “We usually find out about it when we’re doing an autopsy.” Hasenfratz underwent open heart surgery, followed by a lengthy recovery. When he returned to the ice, he began wearing #2. Hasenfratz said it signified his second chance at “the second best job in the world, after playing.”

BONUS: Atta Boy, Stripes – Officials these days are much less flamboyant and demonstrative, bordering on robotic, IMO. In fairness, they do carry the anvil of working in an era wrought with self-righteous, social media second-guessers, along with super-duper, slow-motion, hi-definition video replays. So, yes, maybe there is some validity to keeping a low profile? For hockey fans of a certain vintage, it’s hard not to grin while reflecting on so many great referees over the years. Yes, GREAT! The likes of Ken Wheeler, Jules Swick, Mick McGeough, Kevin Muench, even a bull of a man I remember, Duane Heidt, who worked the lines back in the day in Saskatoon. These guys had the best seat in the house every night! I still giggle when I recall a chat many, many years ago in the lobby of the hotel I worked at in Saskatoon, with an official staying at our facility. He was one of the real characters in the WHL. “The Bombers never lose when I wear the bands up there. I need air in my tires to get out of Flin Flon, and I only have room for two spares!” If you’ve encountered any of junior hockey’s old guard over the years, you’ll know they’re great story tellers, even if they choose to embellish from time to time. I’m fine with it when they do. It’s their prerogative. They’ve damn well earned it!

(Glen Erickson is a hockey writer in Medicine Hat, AB)