The 2023–24 WHL season was the 58th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season started on September 22, 2023, and ended on March 24, 2024, with the playoffs beginning on March 28 and ending on May 15. The Moose Jaw Warriors won their first Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history, defeating the Portland Winterhawks in the championship series, and earned a spot in the 2024 Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup tournament was hosted by the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit at Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.
Prior to the season, the 2022–23 finalist Winnipeg Ice were sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, and became the Wenatchee Wild, making 2023–24 their inaugural season. Female referees made their league debut in February 2023, when Alex Clarke and Cianna Lieffers officiated. The Saskatoon Blades topped the regular season standings for the fifth time in franchise history, before losing the Eastern Conference final against Moose Jaw in a seven-game series that saw a league-record six overtime games.
Standings Conference standings
Statistical leaders Scoring leaders Players are listed by points, then goals.
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts. = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Moose Jaw Warriors 63 61 65 126 30 Prince George Cougars 68 67 56 123 63 Prince George Cougars 66 37 80 117 42 Spokane Chiefs 68 54 62 116 41 Kelowna Rockets 62 40 71 111 46 Spokane Chiefs 68 45 63 108 40 Portland Winterhawks 67 35 71 106 28 Prince George Cougars 68 43 62 105 41 Portland Winterhawks 67 50 51 101 51 Saskatoon Blades 68 15 86 101 39
Leading goaltenders These are the goaltenders that lead the league in GAA that played at least 420 minutes.WHL Regular season: Goaltending leaders. Retrieved on September 29, 2023.
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage
Player Team GP Mins W L OTL SOL SO GAA Sv% Saskatoon Blades 30 1,665 21 5 0 2 4 1.91 .927 Portland Winterhawks 35 2,009 25 6 2 1 2 2.12 .913 Saskatoon Blades 43 2,437 29 8 2 1 4 2.39 .904 Prince George Cougars 38 2,072 26 4 1 1 6 2.46 .907 Everett Silvertips 46 2,615 30 9 2 3 1 2.57 .907
2024 WHL Playoffs
Conference quarterfinals Eastern Conference
(E1) Saskatoon Blades vs. (E8) Prince Albert Raiders
(E2) Swift Current Broncos vs. (E7) Lethbridge Hurricanes
(E3) Moose Jaw Warriors vs. (E6) Brandon Wheat Kings
(E4) Medicine Hat Tigers vs. (E5) Red Deer Rebels
Western Conference
(W1) Prince George Cougars vs. (W8) Spokane Chiefs
(W2) Portland Winterhawks vs. (W7) Victoria Royals
(W3) Everett Silvertips vs. (W6) Vancouver Giants
(W4) Wenatchee Wild vs. (W5) Kelowna Rockets
Conference semifinals Eastern Conference
(E1) Saskatoon Blades vs. (E5) Red Deer Rebels
(E2) Swift Current Broncos vs. (E3) Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference
(W1) Prince George Cougars vs. (W5) Kelowna Rockets
(W2) Portland Winterhawks vs. (W3) Everett Silvertips
Conference finals
Eastern Conference (E1) Saskatoon Blades vs. (E3) Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference (W1) Prince George Cougars vs. (W2) Portland Winterhawks
WHL Championship (W2) Portland Winterhawks vs. (E3) Moose Jaw Warriors
Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMJagger Firkus Moose Jaw Warriors 2014183215Denton Mateychuk Moose Jaw Warriors 201119302Brayden Yager Moose Jaw Warriors 2011162712Matthew Savoie Moose Jaw Warriors 1910142410Nate Danielson Portland Winterhawks 187172416Egor Sidorov Saskatoon Blades 161582312Atley Calvert Moose Jaw Warriors 20812208Trevor Wong Saskatoon Blades 16416202Ondřej Becher Prince George Cougars 155141914Riley Heidt Prince George Cougars 153161918
Playoff leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team GP Mins W L GA SO Sv% GAA Joshua Ravensbergen Prince George Cougars 12 694 9 3 23 3 .931 1.99 Evan Gardner Saskatoon Blades 15 901 10 4 35 1 .910 2.33 Chase Wutzke Red Deer Rebels 7 461 4 3 19 0 .924 2.48 Ty Young Prince George Cougars 4 229 1 2 10 0 .917 2.62 Jan Špunar Portland Winterhawks 18 1120 12 6 49 1 .914 2.63
WHL awards
Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy Regular season champions Saskatoon Blades Four Broncos Memorial Trophy Player of the Year Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors Bob Clarke Trophy Top Scorer Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy Top Defenceman Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw Warriors Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers Del Wilson Trophy Top Goaltender Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants WHL Plus-Minus Award Top Plus-Minus Rating Zac Funk, Prince George Cougars Brad Hornung Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player Brayden Yager, Moose Jaw Warriors Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy Scholastic player of the Year Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge Hurricanes Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy Scholastic team of the Year Red Deer Rebels Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy Coach of the Year Mark Lamb, Prince George Cougars Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy Executive of the Year Mark Lamb, Prince George Cougars Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy Top Official Jeff Ingram St. Clair Group Trophy Marketing/Public Relations Award Edmonton Oil Kings Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy Humanitarian of the Year Ty Hurley, Kelowna Rockets WHL Playoff MVP WHL Finals Most Valuable Player Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw Warriors Professional Hockey AchievementAcademic Recipient Alumni Achievement Awards Connor Ingram
All-Star teams Eastern Conference Central Division First TeamWHL names 2023-24 Central Division First All-Star Team Pos. Second TeamWHL names 2023-24 Central Division Second All-Star Team Player Team Player Team Harrison Meneghin Lethbridge Hurricanes G Reid Dyck Swift Current Broncos Carter Yakemchuk Calgary Hitmen D Noah Chadwick Lethbridge Hurricanes Owen Pickering Swift Current Broncos D Marc Lajoie Edmonton Oil Kings Conor Geekie Swift Current Broncos F Oliver Tulk Calgary Hitmen Gavin McKenna Medicine Hat Tigers F Oazis Wiesblatt Medicine Hat Tigers Kai Uchacz Red Deer Rebels F Andrew Basha Medicine Hat Tigers
East Division First TeamWHL Names 2023-24 East Division First All-Star Team Pos. Second TeamWHL Names 2023-24 East Division Second All-Star Team Player Team Player Team Jackson Unger Moose Jaw Warriors G Carson Bjarnason Brandon Wheat Kings Tanner Molendyk Saskatoon Blades D Charlie Wright Saskatoon Blades Denton Mateychuk Moose Jaw Warriors D Justice Christensen Prince Albert Raiders Trevor Wong Saskatoon Blades F Atley Calvert Moose Jaw Warriors Jagger Firkus Moose Jaw Warriors F Sloan Stanick Prince Albert Raiders Egor Sidorov Saskatoon Blades F Brayden Yager Moose Jaw Warriors
Western Conference B.C. Division First TeamWHL names 2023-24 B.C. Division First All-Star Team Pos. Second TeamWHL names 2023-24 B.C. Division Second All-Star Team Player Team Player Team Brett Mirwald Vancouver Giants G Joshua Ravensbergen Prince George Cougars Hudson Thornton Prince George Cougars D Caden Price Kelowna Rockets Justin Kipkie Victoria Royals D Viliam Kmec Prince George Cougars Zac Funk Prince George Cougars F Terik Parascak Prince George Cougars Riley Heidt Prince George Cougars F Andrew Cristall Kelowna Rockets Tij Iginla Kelowna Rockets F Jaden Lipinski Kamloops Blazers
U.S. Division First TeamWHL names 2023-24 U.S. Division First All-Star Team Pos. Second TeamWHL names 2023-24 U.S. Division Second All-Star Team Player Team Player Team Jan Spunar Portland Winterhawks G Scott Ratzlaff Seattle Thunderbirds Graham Sward Wenatchee Wild D Jeremy Hanzel Seattle Thunderbirds Luca Cagnoni Portland Winterhawks D Sawyer Mynio Seattle Thunderbirds Berkly Catton Spokane Chiefs F James Stefan Portland Winterhawks Gabe Klassen Portland Winterhawks F Ben Hemmerling Everett Silvertips Kenta Isogai Wenatchee Wild F Conner Roulette Spokane Chiefs
Attendance Regular season + Home team Home games Average attendance Total attendanceEdmonton Oil Kings 34 7,403 251,728Everett Silvertips 34 6,069 206,358Spokane Chiefs 34 6,044 205,500Saskatoon Blades 34 5,165 175,642Portland Winterhawks 34 4,855 165,098Seattle Thunderbirds 34 4,653 158,228Calgary Hitmen 34 4,529 153,994Kamloops Blazers 34 4,400 149,617Kelowna Rockets 34 4,355 148,081Red Deer Rebels 34 4,277 145,439Tri-City Americans 34 3,998 135,935Victoria Royals 34 3,824 130,018Lethbridge Hurricanes 34 3,729 126,786Vancouver Giants 34 3,672 124,877Prince George Cougars 34 3,519 119,655Medicine Hat Tigers 34 3,304 112,346Regina Pats 34 3,219 109,447Moose Jaw Warriors 34 3,149 107,092Wenatchee Wild 34 3,032 103,120Brandon Wheat Kings 34 2,818 95,814Prince Albert Raiders 34 2,385 81,116Swift Current Broncos 34 2,169 73,775League7484,1073,072,600
Playoffs + Home team Home games Average attendance Total attendance Saskatoon Blades 9 9,332 83,988Portland Winterhawks 9 5,974 53,772Prince George Cougars 8 5,894 47,152Medicine Hat Tigers 3 4,653 13,960Everett Silvertips 5 4,649 23,246Moose Jaw Warriors 10 4,408 44,083Red Deer Rebels 4 4,308 17,233Kelowna Rockets 5 3,829 19,149Spokane Chiefs 2 3,520 7,040Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 3,516 7,033Victoria Royals 2 3,112 6,224Prince Albert Raiders 2 2,928 5,856Swift Current Broncos 4 2,890 11,560Vancouver Giants 2 2,877 5,754Wenatchee Wild 3 2,344 7,033Brandon Wheat Kings 2 2,056 4,113League724,961357,196
See also List of WHL seasons 2023–24 OHL season 2023–24 QMJHL season
References
External links Official website of the Western Hockey League Official website of the Canadian Hockey League