The Western States Hockey League (WSHL) was a junior ice hockey league established in 1993. It was sanctioned by the United Hockey Union, the junior hockey branch of the Amateur Athletic Union. Previously, it was sanctioned by USA Hockey from 1994 to 2011. Teams played approximately 50 games in the regular season schedule, mimicking what players would experience at the collegiate level. As of January 2022, there are no active teams in the league following the creation of the Can-Am Junior Hockey League by former WSHL teams.
History
Year one consisted of six teams, spanning Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, with all member clubs playing a 30-game schedule and operating as Tier III Junior B teams. The league was founded by Dr. Don Thorne and the Thorne Cup championship trophy was named in his recognition. The Anaheim Jr. Ducks won the first Thorne Cup Championship that season and was the last franchise from the inaugural season still in existence as the Long Beach Bombers until 2019. The Long Beach franchise was sold and the Bombers brand was then used as an expansion team called the Barrhead Bombers.
Current commissioner Ron White took over operation of the WSHL in 1995 and continued to expand the league footprint. In 2007, the WSHL upgraded their league status from the Tier III Junior B level to Junior A to attract higher quality prospects.
In 2011, the league joined the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and dropped its USA Hockey sanctioning leading to the loss of its most successful franchise, the Phoenix Polar Bears, while adding many new teams. After the WSHL's success without USA Hockey, the United Hockey Union (UHU) was formed under the AAU sanctioning along with the Northern States Hockey League (NSHL) and the Midwest Junior Hockey League (MWJHL). The UHU leagues continued to operate with Tier III Junior A player requirements.
The WSHL has had numerous teams participate in and win the USA Hockey and UHU National Championship over the years. Most recently, the El Paso Rhinos were crowned the United Hockey Union National Champions in 2014. The WSHL has had great success in moving players on to the college hockey ranks through the "Western States Shootout", an annual all-league showcase held every December in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event averages in excess of 80 scouts in attendance, all of whom are looking to bolster their roster for the following season.
In 2015, the WSHL Board of Governors announced the approval of the league to start competing as a Tier II-level player league for a higher caliber of play beginning in the 2015–16 season. Prior to the announcement the only Tier II-level league in the United States was the North American Hockey League. However, unlike the USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II NAHL, the UHU-sanctioned WSHL operates similarly to the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Junior "A" status and continues to charge player tuition to help pay for team travel expenses. In the 2015–16 season, the WSHL grew to its largest membership with 29 teams across 14 states. In 2018, the league expanded into western Canada with a Provinces Division in the WSHL that had originally been announced to play as its own league called the Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA). After one season, the WSHL's association with the WPHA dissolved and removed the teams that had been directly operated by the owners of the WPHA. The WPHA then joined the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League, an independent junior league primarily based in Ontario.
In April 2020, the WSHL lost the Fresno Monsters, Las Vegas Thunderbirds, Northern Colorado Eagles, Ogden Mustangs, Ontario Avalanche, Pueblo Bulls, San Diego Sabers, Southern Oregon Spartans, and the Utah Outliers to the United States Premier Hockey League, another independent junior hockey organization. The Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers then left on May 19, 2020, to join to the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). On May 26, 2020, the WSHL announced it would be dormant for the 2020–21 season due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, stating the league was already they have begun preparing to return for the 2021–22 season. In June 2020, the El Paso Rhinos also left for the NA3HL for the 2020–21 season with the intention of joining the NAHL for the 2021–22 season.
In January 2021, the league stated that it still intended to return for a 2021–22 season. In August, the league gave an update with six new teams and five returning teams split into two divisions: Northwest and Provincial. The schedule was released in September and the league had lost the Vancouver Devils expansion team. The season started the last weekend of October and the expansion Utah Altitude folded after one game played. By November 5, the Northwest Division was announced as going dormant for the season with no games played by Bellingham, Rogue Valley, or Seattle. Bellingham and Vernal then joined the Provincial Division, but Bellingham withdrew after playing five games. By January 2022, the six remaining teams left the WSHL and started another league called the Can-Am Junior Hockey League (CAJHL) to finish the season independently.
Champions Season Thorne Cup champion Runner-up National Tournament result1994–95 Anaheim Jr. Ducks 1995–96 Anaheim Jr. Ducks 1996–97 Flagstaff Mountaineers 1997–981997–98 WSHL Standings Flagstaff Mountaineers 1998–99 Ventura Mariners 1999–00 Ventura Mariners Tier III Junior B National Champions2000–01 Ventura Mariners 2001–02 Phoenix Polar Bears Utah Valley Golden Eagles Tier III Junior B National runner-up2002–032002–03 WSHL Standings Phoenix Polar Bears Tier III Junior B National Champion2003–042003–04 WSHL Standings Phoenix Polar Bears 2004–052004–05 WSHL Standings Phoenix Polar Bears 2005–062005–06 WSHL Standings Fort Worth Texans Phoenix Polar Bears 2006–072006–07 WSHL Standings Phoenix Polar Bears El Paso Rhinos 2007–082007–08 WSHL Standings El Paso Rhinos Phoenix Polar Bears 2008–092008–09 WSHL Standings Phoenix Polar Bears El Paso Rhinos 2009–102009–10 WSHL Standings Phoenix Polar Bears Boulder Bison 2010–112010–11 WSHL Standings Idaho Jr. Steelheads El Paso Rhinos Tier III Junior A National runner-up (Rhinos)2011–122011–12 WSHL Standings Idaho Jr. Steelheads Dallas Ice Jets 2012–132012–13 WSHL Standings Idaho Jr. Steelheads Bay Area Seals UHU National Champion (Steelheads)2013–142013–14 WSHL Standings El Paso Rhinos Idaho Jr. Steelheads UHU National Champion (Rhinos)2014–152014–15 WSHL Standings Idaho Jr. Steelheads El Paso Rhinos No National Championship competed this year2015–16 Idaho Jr. Steelheads Colorado Jr. Eagles2016–17 Wichita Jr. Thunder Idaho Jr. Steelheads2017–18 El Paso Rhinos Ogden Mustangs2018–19 El Paso Rhinos Ogden Mustangs2019–20 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Team history Full list of teams that have played in the WSHL.
Anaheim Junior Ducks – (Anaheim, California) 1994–1996 → Southern California Jr. Bombers Arizona Bandits – (Phoenix, Arizona) 1994–1995 Las Vegas Junior Aces – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 1994–1995 → Las Vegas Jr. Thunder San Jose Junior Sharks – (San Jose, California) 1994–1996 Utah Lightning – (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1994–1996 → Utah Jr. Grizzlies Ventura Mariners – (Simi Valley, California) 1994–2001 Las Vegas Junior Thunder – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 1995–1996 Alaska Arctic Ice – (Anchorage, Alaska) 1996–1999 Flagstaff Mountaineers – (Flagstaff, Arizona) 1996–1999 New Mexico Ice Breakers – (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1996–2001 Southern California Junior Bombers – (Lakewood, California) 1996–2006 → Bay City Bombers Utah Junior Grizzlies – (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1996–2001 → Salt Lake Maple Leafs Colorado Cougars – (Denver, Colorado) 1997–1999 Fairbanks Ice Dogs – (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1997–1999 Las Vegas Bandits – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 1997–1998 Peninsula Hellfighters – (Kenai Peninsula, Alaska) 1997–1999 Sinbad Sailors – (Anchorage, Alaska) 1997–1999 Utah Valley Golden Eagles – (Provo, Utah) 1997–2002 Las Vegas Blackjacks – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 1998–1999 Nevada Gamblers – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 1998–2000 Yukon Claim Jumpers – (Whitehorse, Yukon) 1998–1999 Phoenix Polar Bears – (Phoenix, Arizona) 1999–2011 → Phoenix Knights Las Vegas Outlaws – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 2000–2001 Nevada Rattlers – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 2001–2003 Salt Lake Maple Leafs – (Salt Lake City, Utah) 2001–2002 → Salt Lake Jr. Grizzlies San Diego Surf – (San Diego, California) 2001–2008 → San Diego Gulls Valencia Flyers – (Valencia, California) 2001–2003 → Valencia Vipers – 2003–2009 → Valencia Flyers – 2009–2020 Capital Thunder – (Roseville, California) 2002–2004, 2005–2009 Salt Lake Junior Grizzlies – (Salt Lake City, Utah) 2002–04 Bazooka Blues – (Tulsa, Oklahoma) 2004–2006 → Tulsa Rampage Dallas Titans – (Dallas, Texas) 2004–2006 Idaho Rattlers – (Boise, Idaho) 2004–2006 Valencia Vipers – (Valencia, California) 2004–2009 → Valencia Flyers Cajun Catahoulas – (Lafayette, Louisiana) 2005–2008 → Texas Renegades Fort Worth Texans – (Fort Worth, Texas) 2005–2006 Peoria Coyotes – (Peoria, Arizona) 2005–2007 San Antonio Diablos – (San Antonio, Texas) 2005–2010 Bay City Bombers – (Lakewood, California) 2006–2010 → Long Beach Bombers Dallas Hawks – (Addison, Texas) 2006–2009 El Paso Rhinos – (El Paso, Texas) 2006–2020 Long Beach Bulldogs – (Lakewood, California) 2006–2007 Tucson Tilt – (Tucson, Arizona) 2006–2007 Tulsa Rampage – (Tulsa, Oklahoma) 2006–2011 → Cheyenne Stampede Colorado Outlaws – (Westminster, Colorado) 2007–2009 → Boulder Jr. Bison San Diego Gulls – (Escondido, California) 2008–2015 → San Diego Sabers Texas Renegades – (Dallas, Texas) 2008–2009 → New Mexico Renegades Arizona RedHawks – (Peoria, Arizona) 2009–2015 → Arizona Hawks Bakersfield Junior Condors – (Bakersfield, California) 2009–2011 → Ogden Mustangs Boulder Junior Bison – (Superior, Colorado) 2009–2014 → Colorado RoughRiders Fresno Monsters – (Fresno, California) 2009–2020 (joined USPHL) Idaho Junior Steelheads – (Boise/McCall, Idaho) 2009–2017 → Idaho IceCats New Mexico Renegades – (Rio Rancho, New Mexico) 2009–2014 → Springfield Express Long Beach Bombers – (Lakewood, California) 2010–2019 → Barrhead Bombers Texas Junior Brahmas – (North Richland Hills, Texas) 2010–2014 Cheyenne Stampede – (Cheyenne, Wyoming) 2011–2019 Dallas Ice Jets – (Grapevine, Texas) 2011–2014 Dallas Snipers – (Euless, Texas) 2011–2020 Park City Moose – (Park City, Utah) 2011–2012 → Salt Lake City Moose Phoenix Knights – (Gilbert, Arizona) 2011–2018 Ogden Mustangs – (Ogden, Utah) 2011–2020 (joined USPHL) Bay Area Seals – (Daly City, California) 2012–2013 → Lake Tahoe Blue Ontario Avalanche – (Ontario, California) 2012–2020 (joined USPHL as Anaheim Avalanche) Salt Lake City Moose – (Salt Lake City/West Valley City, Utah) 2012–2016 → Utah Outliers Seattle Totems – (Mountlake Terrace, Washington) 2012–2021 (joined USPHL) Southern Oregon Spartans – (Medford, Oregon) 2012–2020 (joined USPHL) Tulsa Junior Oilers – (Tulsa, Oklahoma) 2012–2017 Wichita Junior Thunder – (Wichita, Kansas) 2012–2020 Colorado Junior Eagles – (Fort Collins, Colorado) 2013–2018 → Northern Colorado Eagles Lake Tahoe Blue – (South Lake Tahoe, California) 2013–2015 → Tahoe Icemen Missoula Maulers – (Missoula, Montana) 2013–2016 Butte Cobras – (Butte, Montana) 2014–2017 Casper Coyotes – (Casper, Wyoming) 2014–2018 → Casper Bobcats Colorado Evolution – (Denver, Colorado) 2014–2016 Colorado RoughRiders – (Superior, Colorado) 2014–2015 → Superior RoughRiders Las Vegas Storm – (Las Vegas, Nevada) 2014–2017 Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers – (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) 2014–2020 (joined NA3HL) Springfield Express – (Springfield, Missouri) 2014–2018 Whitefish Wolverines – (Whitefish, Montana) 2014–2016 Arizona Hawks – (Peoria, Arizona) 2015–2017 San Diego Sabers – (Escondido, California) 2015–2020 (joined USPHL) Superior RoughRiders – (Superior, Colorado) 2015–2018 Tahoe Icemen – (South Lake Tahoe, California) 2015–2018