2008–09 WHL season

Infobox sports season
title = 2008–09 WHL season
color = #E03A3E
color text = #FFFFFF
league = Western Hockey League
sport =

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pixels = 125px
caption = 2008–09 WHL season
duration = Preseason
2008-08-29 – 2008-09-13
Regular season
2008-09-18 – 2009-03-15
Playoffs
2009-03-20 – TBD
no_of_teams = 22
attendance =
TV =
season =
season_champs =
season_champ_name =
league_champs =
league_champ_name =
second_place =
MVP =
MVP_link =
top_scorer =
top_scorer_link =
promote =
promoted_from =
relegate =
relegate_to =
playoffs =
playoffs_link =
conf1 =
conf1_link =
conf1_champ =
conf1-runner-up =
conf2 =
conf2_link =
conf2_champ =
conf2-runner-up =
playoffs_MVP =
playoffs_MVP_link =
finals =
finals_link =
finals_champ =
finals-runner-up =
finals_MVP =
finals_MVP_link =
seasonslist = List of WHL seasons
seasonslistnames = WHL
prevseason_link =
prevseason_year = 2007–08
nextseason_link =
nextseason_year = 2009–10Infobox sports season
title = 2008–09 CHL season
color = #4B489D
color text = #FFFFFF
league = Canadian Hockey League
sport = Hockey

pixels = 150px
caption = 2008–09 CHL season
duration = OHL
2008-09-17 – 2009-03-15
QMJHL
2008-09-11 – 2009-03-15
WHL
2008-09-18 – 2009-03-15
no_of_teams = 60
attendance =
TV =
season =
season_champs =
season_champ_name =
league_champs =
league_champ_name =
second_place =
MVP =
MVP_link =
top_scorer =
top_scorer_link =
promote =
promoted_from =
relegate =
relegate_to =
playoffs = 2009 Memorial Cup
playoffs_link =
conf1 =
conf1_link =
conf1_champ =
conf1-runner-up =
conf2 =
conf2_link =
conf2_champ =
conf2-runner-up =
playoffs_MVP =
playoffs_MVP_link =
finals =
finals_link =
finals_champ =
finals-runner-up =
finals_MVP =
finals_MVP_link = The 2008–09 WHL season is the 43rd season of the Western Hockey League. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=10027|title=WHL Commissioner Ron Robison Launches 2008–09 WHL Regular Season|accessdate=2008-10-03|date=2008-09-19|publisher=WHL] The regular season began on September 18, 2008, and will end on March 15, 2009. The WHL Playoffs will commence on March 20, 2009, and the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge Series, featuring "Team WHL" versus the "Russian Selects", will take place on November 26, 2008.

WHL Commissioner, Ron Robison, dedicated the 2008–09 season to Ed Chynoweth.Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=10028|title=WHL Dedicates 43rd Regular Season to Ed Chynoweth|accessdate=2008-10-03|date=2008-09-19|publisher=WHL]

2008–09: Ed Chynoweth's season

The Commissioner of the Western Hockey League, Ron Robison, dedicated the 2008–09 season to Ed Chynoweth, who passed away on April 22, 2008. His death occurred just over a year after the WHL Championship trophy was changed in his name. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=7030|title=WHL Renames Championship Trophy – the Ed Chynoweth Cup|accessdate=2008-10-03|date=2007-05-20|publisher=WHL] Ed Chynoweth was the principle builder of major junior hockey in Canada as President of the WHL and CHL over the past four decades. Throughout the entire 08–09 season, the helmets of all the players and officials will display an "EC" decal, representing Ed’s initials.

Notable dates

* June 17, 2008 – former WHL Commissioner, Ed Chynoweth, is elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=9635|title=Ed Chynoweth Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame|accessdate=2008-10-07|date=2008-06-17|publisher=WHL]
* June 20-21, 2008 – 37 WHL players were selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=9647|title=37 WHL Players Selected in 2008 NHL Entry Draft|accessdate=2008-10-06|date=2008-06-23|publisher=WHL]
* June 24, 2008 – 16 WHL players were invited to the National Men's Under-18 Selection Camp. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=9687|title=16 WHL Players Invited to Hockey Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Selection Camp|accessdate=2008-10-07|date=2008-06-24|publisher=WHL]
* September 18, 2008 – a special tribute involving members of the Chynoweth family took place prior to the season opener between Spokane and Kootenay. [Cite web|url=http://www.kootenayice.net/?pID=2&nID=1172#1172|title=Ice Beat Spokane 4–2 in Home Opener|author=The Canadian Press|accessdate=2008-10-03|date=2008-09-19|publisher=Kootenay Ice]
* September 18, 2008 – Spokane Chiefs are ranked as the top team in the league, according to the annual preseason rankings. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=10030|title=Spokane Tops WHL Preseason Poll According to Writers Association|author=WMJHWA|accessdate=2008-10-04|date=2008-09-18|publisher=WHL]
* September 19, 2008 – Commissioner of the Western Hockey League, Ron Robison, dedicated the 2008–09 season to Ed Chynoweth, who passed away on April 22, 2008.
* January 14, 2009 – the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game will be held in Oshawa, Ontario. [Cite web|url=http://www.homehardwaretopprospectsgame.com/news.php?n=769|title=Oshawa Generals to Host 2009 Home Hardware CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game|accessdate=2008-10-07|date=2008-10-02|publisher=CHL]

Regular season

The Western Hockey League opened its 43rd regular season on September 18, 2008 in Cranbrook, British Columbia between defending Memorial Cup Champions, Spokane Chiefs and the Kootenay Ice. This season, the WHL is planning to have 30 of it's regular season games broadcasted on Shaw TV this season, as well as complete coverage of the 2009 WHL Playoffs. The broadcast schedule begun on September 18 with a special half-hour "preview show" followed by the 2008–09 WHL season opener.

The 2008–09 WHL season will also be highlighted with the Canada Russia Challenge, an annual CHL showcase event. The 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge, featuring "Team WHL" versus the "Russian Selects", will take place on November 26 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan and November 27 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Standings

"Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x - denotes clinched playoff berth; y - denotes clinched conference title"

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Conference standings

Scoring leaders

"Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes"

Contracts and scholarships

* June 6, 2008 – Brett Martyniuk signs a WHL "Players Contract" with the Tri-City Americans. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=9606|title=Brett Martyniuk Commits to the Tri-City Americans|accessdate=2008-10-06|date=2008-06-06|publisher=WHL]
* June 9, 2008 – Bretton Stamler agrees to play for the UNB Varsity Reds hockey club. [Cite web|url=http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=9608|title=Bretton Stamler Commits to the University of New Brunswick|accessdate=2008-10-06|date=2008-06-09|publisher=WHL]

Trades

Memorial Cup

The 91st MasterCard Memorial Cup will be held in Rimouski, Quebec.Cite web|url=http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/lang_en/index.php?page=232&id_nouvelle=1753|title=Rimouski Wins 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup Bid|author=Karl Jahnke|date=2008-04-03|accessdate=2008-04-03|publisher=QMJHL]

WHL awards

See also

* 2009 Memorial Cup
* 2008–09 OHL season
* 2008–09 QMJHL season
* 2008 NHL Entry Draft
* 2008 in ice hockey
* 2009 in ice hockey

Notes

References

* " [http://whl.ca/hm/WHL_brochure.php WHL Education Brochure] " (2007). WHL. Retrieved on 2008-10-06.

External links

* [http://www.whl.ca/hm Official website of the Western Hockey League]
* [http://www.mastercardmemorialcup.com/ Official website of the MasterCard Memorial Cup]
* [http://www.homehardwaretopprospectsgame.com/ Official website of the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game]
* [http://www.adtcanadarussiachallenge.com/ Official website of the ADT Canada Russia Challenge]

Succession box
before = 2007–08 WHL season
after = 2009–10 WHL season
title = WHL seasons
years =