WHL unveils rules for 2025 expansion draft

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on April 25, 2025.

sports@medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

The Western Hockey League has announced the rules and regulations for the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft.

The league released the draft rules for the Penticton Vees and the 22 clubs who will submit rosters for the WHL’s newest club to choose from on May 7.

On the day before the expansion draft, teams will be permitted to follow one of two protection plans.

Plan A would see a team protect 16 players aged 17 to 20 years old (born in 2008, 2007, 2006 or 2005) appearing on their 50-player, injured, suspended, graduate, special import and 20-year-old lists, plus an additional six players appearing on their college list.

Plan B has teams protecting 14 players aged 17 to 19 years old (born in 2008, 2007, 2006) and three 20-year-old players (born in 2005) appearing on their 50-player, injured, suspended, graduate, special import and 20-year-old lists, plus an additional six players appearing on their college list.

The players exempt from selection in the expansion draft include those aged 16 (born in 2009). Regina Pats graduate Connor Bedard and Wenatchee Wild alum Zach Benson are also exempt as underage players in the National Hockey League.

From those lists, Penticton will select one player from each club for a total of 22 players. In their inaugural season, they will be permitted to dress four 20-year-old overage players in all preseason, regular season and playoff games. Trades between the Vees and WHL clubs for players and/or draft picks will fill the position of an expansion pick.

With the expansion draft taking place during the WHL Playoffs, the two teams in the WHL Finals will follow unique rules. The team who loses the finals must submit their protected lists to the WHL Office by noon on the second day after their elimination, which is Wednesday, May 21, at the latest.

The WHL champion will not have to submit their protected lists to the WHL until noon of the second day after they have been eliminated from the Memorial Cup, which could be Tuesday, June 3 at the latest.

Penticton will have 24 hours from receipt of those protected lists to notify the WHL and the respective club of the player selected.

Should the WHL’s Conference Finals extend to a Game 7, both games scheduled for May 6, the losing clubs will submit their protected lists to the WHL by noon the same date as the team that loses in the WHL Finals.

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