Medicine Hat Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt gets in front of a one-time blast from Calgary Hitmen defenceman Carter Yakemchuk during an early-January game at Co-op Place. Hockey Canada says its Western Canadian Development Model involving all its member leagues in the region was a success and the pilot will be continued and expanded.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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Hockey Canada announced an extension and expansion of the Western Canadian Development Model pilot project for next season.
Announced in July 2024, the pilot project was a joint initiative between Hockey Canada’s four Western members, the respective Junior A hockey leagues and the Western Hockey League, with a prioritization on athlete development on and off the ice through four key pillars – standard of play and rules, alignment and messaging, player advancement and roster composition.
The initial season introduced eight changes to junior hockey in Western Canada, such as more flexibility in the development pathway for 15- and 16-year-olds, players choice to wear half-face protection for those 18 years of age or older and streamlined playing rules between Junior A leagues and the WHL.
There will be five changes made for the 2025-26 season, with an emphasis on roster composition.
Western Junior A teams, such as the Calgary Canucks and those in the AJHL, will be permitted to register up to five U.S.-born players at one time on their active roster, a decrease from the previous six. As well, U.S. born 16- and 17-year-olds, who have been drafted, listed or signed by a WHL team, will be eligible to be rostered by any Western Junior A team.
Each West Junior A team will be eligible to roster one 16- or 17-year-old player whose parent(s) reside outside their province or region, if the player has been drafted, listed or signed by a WHL team, up to a maximum of 23 such players across all Western Junior A teams, or one player from each WHL team.
Out-of-province players who participate in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League will be eligible to affiliate with Western Junior A teams in the school’s respective province or region.
No more than eight players born in a province not participating in the WCDM may be registered on the active roster of a Western Junior A team.
“Throughout the WCDM pilot project, the four Western Members and six junior leagues have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to bringing forward innovative and creative solutions to enhance the delivery of hockey in Western Canada for players and their families,” Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada said in a release. “The expansion of the pilot will ensure that our system continues to evolve to meet the needs of our participants, prioritizes their safety on and off the ice and produces high-quality junior hockey throughout Western Canada for years to come.”
