NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
WHL commissioner Dan Near applauds during a ceremony ahead of a 7-3 win Saturday at Co-op Place over the Red Deer Rebels. Near was in attendance for the pre-game ceremony honouring Medicine Hat Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins' 500th WHL win.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Dan Near is getting close to checking all 22 WHL buildings off his to-do list.
The Western Hockey League’s 10th commissioner was in Medicine Hat on Saturday, presenting a plaque to Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins to celebrate his 500th win in the league, the 12th most wins ever among WHL coaches.
Near spoke with the News ahead of the ceremony and the Tigers’ 7-3 win over the Red Deer Rebels. He says Medicine Hat’s Co-op Place was one of the last rinks he had not yet been to in his first year at the helm of the WHL, with Seattle, Tri-City and Wenatchee still on the list to see.
The 44-year-old took over the position on Feb. 15, 2024, succeeding Ron Robison who retired after 24 years as commissioner. In his first full cycle of a WHL season, he’s been impressed with the dedication around the league, from those involved with teams to the fans in the stands every night.
“I had expectations about junior hockey as far as the role that teams play in the communities, but as I’ve gotten out to see it, even as we’ve had tough situations that we’ve dealt with, there really are a lot of passionate people,” Near said. “We’ve got an anonymous email that comes into the office, whether it’s an offside call or a suspension or a scheduling matter or a playoff decision, we always hear from the fans and that’s my favourite part. Even though sometimes I can’t make everybody happy.”
Near was quick to make mention of Desjardins as one of those passionate people in the league, calling the Tigers’ winningest head coach a source of council for others around the league. He says one of the first conversations the two shared was about education, not Gavin McKenna or NCAA rules, but education of players.
“A small percentage of players from the Western Hockey League graduate to play in the National Hockey League, most of them go on to be dads who join the workforce and do all the things that you have to be prepared for, and Willie does that,” Near said. “As you think about the on-ice product and the calibre of team that you’ve had here over the years, Willie’s history in the National Hockey League, the Western league is very, very fortunate to have a guy like him who people look to for council, who they look to see, ‘How does he react to a situation?’ He’s a guy that’s emotional but level-headed at the same time, and does a lot of great things for the league.”
Near’s trip to Medicine Hat comes a little over four months after CHL players were granted eligibility to play at the NCAA D1 level, shaking up the junior hockey landscape. Dozens of WHLers have committed to play NCAA hockey next season, including Tigers’ overage forward Mat Ward.
Near says the WHL is in a good position to be the best development position for the majority of players who still have the college route available, following their overage season.
“Anybody thinking about leaving early and then not knowing, ‘Is my scholarship guaranteed as a Canadian, am I able to really earn NIL money on a student VISA, am I guaranteed to be on special teams or what’s going to happen with the transfer portal if my school recruits some other player after my first year,” Near said.
“It’s really hard to predict all those things and we don’t know how it’s going to shake out.”
Moving through his first season, Near says they’ve made it a focus to ensure diehard and prospective WHL fans get as much access as possible to the game and its biggest stars. Whether that be through easier to access highlights or different streaming options.
“When you watch Gavin McKenna, you watch (Oasiz Wiesblatt) or Andrew Basha play, I really do think more people are going to want to follow our league, follow our game, because it’s well known that we’re the best development league in the world,” Near said. “But people who live it day to day want to spread the word, they want to be supporters of what we do and that access is the No. 1 thing.”
Near wouldn’t tip his hand about future access options for fans, citing this season’s Wednesday Night in the Dub promotion as a success while also acknowledging as a league, they want to ensure younger audiences have more options to see the product.
“I need to be able to show you a highlight of Gavin McKenna’s goal less than 10 minutes after he scores in it, so we need to do some things to be more in tune with the way that young people are consuming games,” Near said. “Whether we like it or not, there’s two or three screens going on at any time.”
Near was in Moose Jaw last season, handing Warriors’ captain Denton Mateychuk the Ed Chynoweth Cup after they captured the franchise’s first championship. He’s looking forward to a second playoffs ahead as well as the Yukon Showcase in the fall featuring the Tigers and Kelowna Rockets facing off in preseason action in Whitehorse, Yuk.
He’ll also get his first Memorial Cup in the WHL next season as Kelowna hosts the CHL’s top tournament. Near attended the tournament in Saginaw last year and looks forward to Rimouski, Que. this year before getting to show off his league in 2026. He also acknowledged the disappointment shared locally and in Brandon, Spokane and Lethbridge.
“I know it’s been hard on the people here in Medicine Hat to not be awarded the event, I’m not sure when the last time the CHL had five applicants, five bona fide, serious, good bids come to the table,” Near said. “We learned a lot from that and that’s awesome, except we’ve got four incredibly disappointed (groups).”
With all the changes in the junior hockey landscape, whether it be the NCAA or changes with Hockey Canada and other junior hockey leagues, the future of the league is in his hands and Near says his main focus is to ensure the WHL remains at the top of the pyramid when it comes to developing players as well as entertainment value.
“As we look into the next year, we want to maintain our status,” Near said. “We want to continue to recruit the best players, and most importantly, deliver the best experience for players and their families. It’s a very serious privilege to be involved with this league and I’m confident we’ll continue to deliver that experience.”
