WHL awards expansion franchise to Penticton Vees, looking for Chilliwack franchise in ’26-27

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 25, 2025.

sports@medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

The Western Hockey League will see a new team in the Western conference next season.

The league announced a new franchise has been awarded to the city of Penticton, B.C., and the Vees franchise, which will immediately join the B.C. division.

“We’re thrilled with the announcement that the Western Hockey League is bringing the top tier of junior hockey to Penticton,” said Julius Bloomfield, Mayor of the City of Penticton in a WHL release. “Our community has a long, proud hockey tradition and this represents the next chapter in our story. The WHL will bring excitement, excellence and economic activity to our town, and we can’t wait for the first training camp to open.”

When it comes to roster construction, the Vees will be bound by Hockey Canada’s existing player-transfer regulations, as well as WHL regulations. They will participate in the 2025 WHL expansion draft, scheduled for May 7. They will also make selections in the 2025 WHL prospects draft, 2025 WHL U.S. priority draft and 2025 CHL Import Draft.

The league says the Vees have begun recruiting a 15-player list, which will expand to the WHL standard 50-player list on May 7.

The WHL made the announcement Monday, in addition to initiating a franchise application process for Chilliwack, B.C., to begin play in the 2026-27 campaign. The WHL is set to launch a franchise application process where interested parties will be invited to present a plan, including a vision for hockey operations, community integration and business operations, all to be evaluated by the WHL commissioner and executive committee.

“Having the WHL select Chilliwack for expansion is exciting for our community,” said Jason Lum, acting mayor of the City of Chilliwack in a release. “The league has a strong track record of supporting youth programs and local charities while boosting the economy in its home cities. Along with the high calibre of play, the WHL also plays a crucial role in developing future NHL stars.”

The expansion increases the number of teams in the league to 24 by 2026-27, with 18 teams in western Canada and six in the United States.

“This is an exciting day, as the Western Hockey League takes its next step as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players,” WHL Commissioner Dan Near said in a release. “Communities within B.C. produce talented young players from thriving grassroots hockey programs and we’re pleased to deliver WHL franchises to two important centres in the province – Penticton and Chilliwack. In each market the WHL operates in, we aim to serve as role models within the local hockey community, business community, and beyond. We look forward to the opportunity to continue these efforts in Penticton and Chilliwack.”

Tigers head coach and general manage Willie Desjardins described the announcement as exciting for the WHL.

“The league studies all the impacts and this is the decision and we certainly support it, it’ll be exciting having a new group,” Desjardins said. “(The Vees) had good success where they’re at and they will be a really good franchise. They have good connections in the U.S. and that’s important right now. So they’ll have a strong franchise.”

With files from The Canadian Press and the Western Hockey League

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