Photo: Wikipedia
The WHL followed the rest of the junior leagues’ lead on Wednesday afternoon but made a modification: canceling the remainder of just the regular season.
The top 16 teams right now have clinched a playoff berth. The final standings can be seen below.
“The WHL takes the safety of our players, officials, staff, fans, and everyone associated with the WHL very seriously,” WHL Commissioner Ron Robison said in a statement. “Given the ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19, we deemed it necessary to cancel the remaining games on the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season Schedule.
Earlier on Wednesday, the USHL and NAHL canceled the rest of their respective seasons while the QMJHL announced that their draft will take place electronically.
The Centers for Disease Control recommended that no gatherings of at least 50 people be held for eight weeks, pushing back the original timeline on when the NHL hoped to resume its paused season. If that’s the case, the NHL wouldn’t likely resume until around May 10.
The players pitched a plan on Tuesday to finish the rest of the regular season in late July and the Stanley Cup Playoffs in September, which would push the start of the 2020-21 season back a month.
This means that the 2019-20 season ends for Washington Capitals prospects Aliaksei Protas, Eric Florchuk, and Alex Kannok-Leipert.
Calgary, Alta. – Western Hockey League Commissioner Ron Robison announced today the conclusion of the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season.
Following a meeting with the WHL Board of Governors and consultation with medical professionals it was determined that the remaining 54 games on the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season schedule will be cancelled and not played.
“The WHL takes the safety of our players, officials, staff, fans, and everyone associated with the WHL very seriously,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “Given the ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19, we deemed it necessary to cancel the remaining games on the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season Schedule.
“We will continue to monitor ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19. We will make every effort possible to conduct the 2020 WHL Playoffs at a later date. We thank WHL fans and partners for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.”
The final standings for the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season are determined by using win percentage for all Clubs.
2019-20 WHL Regular Season Standings – FINAL
| # | Playoffs | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | PTS | PCT |
| 1 | xyz | Portland Winterhawks | 63 | 45 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 97 | 0.770 |
| 2 | x | Everett Silvertips | 63 | 46 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 96 | 0.762 |
| 3 | xy | Edmonton Oil Kings | 64 | 42 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 94 | 0.734 |
| 4 | xy | Kamloops Blazers | 63 | 41 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 86 | 0.683 |
| 5 | x | Spokane Chiefs | 64 | 41 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 87 | 0.680 |
| 6 | x | Medicine Hat Tigers | 63 | 41 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 85 | 0.675 |
| 7 | x | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 63 | 37 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 81 | 0.643 |
| 8 | xy | Prince Albert Raiders | 64 | 36 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 82 | 0.641 |
| 9 | x | Winnipeg ICE | 63 | 38 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 0.611 |
| 10 | x | Brandon Wheat Kings | 63 | 35 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 76 | 0.603 |
| 11 | x | Calgary Hitmen | 64 | 35 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 75 | 0.586 |
| 12 | x | Saskatoon Blades | 63 | 34 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 73 | 0.579 |
| 13 | x | Vancouver Giants | 62 | 32 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 70 | 0.565 |
| 14 | x | Victoria Royals | 64 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 72 | 0.563 |
| 15 | x | Kelowna Rockets | 63 | 29 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 64 | 0.508 |
| 16 | x | Seattle Thunderbirds | 63 | 24 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 55 | 0.437 |
| 17 | Red Deer Rebels | 63 | 24 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 54 | 0.429 | |
| 18 | Regina Pats | 63 | 21 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 50 | 0.397 | |
| 19 | Prince George Cougars | 62 | 20 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 48 | 0.387 | |
| 20 | Tri-City Americans | 63 | 17 | 40 | 4 | 2 | 40 | 0.317 | |
| 21 | Moose Jaw Warriors | 62 | 14 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 0.258 | |
| 22 | Swift Current Broncos | 63 | 10 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 0.198 |
x = Clinched playoffs
y = Clinched division title
z = Clinched Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (WHL Regular Season Champion)
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 consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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 over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 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.
By Harrison Brown
