The Western Hockey League: Ten things to know

I sometimes enjoy going to big-league ballparks and arenas for sporting events. I do this not only because of my love of sports but also because, in today’s tumultuous world, I find it comforting to know that I can sit in a stadium with 50,000 other people, all with different backgrounds, politics, and religions, and all of us have the singular common goal of hoping that “our” team performs well.

As I get older, I am starting to find a similar comfort but greater satisfaction in attending what I call “pre-professional” sports. Watching young people play for the love of the game, the pure joy in winning a contest, and the hard work required even to finish a game, let alone win, inspires me. The stadiums are smaller and more intimate. You get to know your neighbors sitting around you and meet the players from time to time.

I have season tickets for the Tri-City Americans hockey games, a team affiliated with the Western Hockey League. The Toyota Center in Kennewick is about an hour away, seats about 7,000 people, and hosts about 35 games between October and March. I plan to make it to nearly every game. Not only to enjoy the camaraderie of my hockey family (the surrounding season ticket holders) but to support the players as they play their hearts out, hoping to win and possibly make it to the next level, professional hockey. It also helps reduce my stress levels to yell and cheer at a sporting event, considering that I have a rather stressful day job where, although I may want to, I cannot reasonably raise my voice at people who make mistakes.

I will follow up more with the Tri-City Americans in a future article, but here are ten facts about the Western Hockey League that you may find interesting:

There are three major junior ice hockey leagues in North America: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League. The winner of each league plays in an end-of-season tournament known as the Memorial Cup for the North American Championship.

Making up the WHL are five teams, one each from the US, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and two from Manitoba. The team farthest north is in Prince George, BC, and south is a team in Portland, Ore. Farthest west is a team from Victoria, BC., and to the east is a team in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The shortest distance for a road trip is from Seattle to Everett at 29 miles, but the longest is from Victoria to Winnipeg at 1485 miles.

Players range from 15-20 years old. There can be no more than three 20-year-olds on a team.

A draft is held every year, and WHL teams choose players from the four western Canadian provinces, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, and U.S. states west of the Mississippi River (except Missouri). The other leagues draw from the remaining U.S. States and Canadian provinces.

Because these are North American developmental leagues, each team may have no more than two European players.

Players live in the homes of volunteer families, known as billets. Those who offer billets receive a small stipend to house, feed, and chaperone the players under their care.

Players typically attend local high schools to complete their education while playing.

While they often get a stipend for living expenses, players are not paid to play.

The league operates a scholarship program that offers one year of tuition, textbooks, and fees for each season they play in the WHL.

The hockey season begins in October. I will post regular updates on the Tri-City Americans and provide some insights into how you might be able to go and enjoy some of this world-class entertainment as well.