The full W-H-L regular-season schedule for the 2025-26 season has been released.
As previously announced, the Saskatoon Blades will open with a home-and-home series on September 19 in Prince Albert and September 20 at SaskTel Centre against the Raiders. The same teams will finish up against one another on March 20 in P-A and March 21 at SaskTel Centre. The Bridge City Bunch will play their first-ever game against the expansion Penticton Vees on Wednesday, February 25, with the Prince Albert Raiders to take on the new Okanagan squad two nights later. The Blue and Gold will visit the six U-S Division teams in nine days between October 24 and November 1 while P-A crosses the border for six games between November 7 and 15. A deeper dive into the Blades’ schedule shows they play each of the Raiders, Brandon and Swift Current eight times, while only facing Regina and Moose Jaw six times each. In addition, the Blades will play 13 home games on a Friday, eight on Saturday, four Sundays, seven on Wednesday and two Tuesdays. Following are news releases from the Blades and the W-H-L…..
Blades unveil schedule for 2025-26 regular season
Saskatoon, SK — The Saskatoon Blades are excited to announce the highly-awaited schedule for the 2025-26 Western Hockey League (WHL) regular season.
Fans will get their fix of the best rivalry in the WHL sooner this time as the Blades’ season kicks off with a home-and-home weekend series against the Prince Albert Raiders. The Blades visit their Highway 11 rival to begin their season on Friday, Sept. 19th. Tensions will boil over after the two square-off four times in the 2025 preseason. Unlike last season when their first regular meeting came after the Christmas break, there’s no waiting for these two East Division heavyweights to start exchanging blows.
After qualifying for the 2025 WHL Playoffs with the fourth-youngest roster in the league, Saskatoon’s hungry to build off a successful 2024-25 campaign. 2008-born centre Cooper Williams was named a finalist for WHL Rookie of the Year after 58 points (21G, 37A) in 68 games as a 16-year-old. It was the third-most points by a Blades rookie in the last 25 seasons and led all 2008-born WHL players. Back-to-back WHL Humanitarian of the Year finalist Evan Gardner signed his entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets in March after an impressive sophomore campaign. The Fort St. John, BC native was named the team’s MVP after going 23-13-4-1 with a .911 save percentage (SV%), 2.82 goals against average (GAA), and three shutouts. Calgary Flames draft pick Hunter Laing, forwards Hayden Harsanyi and Kazden Mathies, and defenceman Jack Kachkowski have a chance for a full season with the Blue and Gold after being acquired near last season’s trade deadline. Players such as forwards Zach Olsen and David Lewandowski, along with defencemen Brayden Klimpke, Jordan Martin, and Isaac Poll, have the opportunity to build off impressive rookie seasons. The three 20-year-old forwards in alternate captains Rowan Calvert and Tyler Parr, along with recently acquired winger Dominik Petr, bring skill and leadership to a young and promising season in Saskatoon.
The day-by-day breakdown for matchups is as follows: Monday (1), Tuesday (6), Wednesday (10), Thursday (1), Friday (22), Saturday (20), Sunday (8). The Blades have two three games in three nights scenarios, both in the first half of the season.
The day-by-day breakdown for home games at SaskTel Centre is as follows: Tuesday (2), Wednesday (7), Friday (13), Saturday (8), Sunday (4). Saskatoon’s longest home stretch of the season is four games between Saturday, Jan. 3 – Friday, Jan. 16.
Home games Tuesday – Saturday begin at 7:00pm, with doors to SaskTel Centre opening one hour prior to puck drop. Sunday home games start at 4:00pm.
The Blades play the East Division’s Raiders, Brandon Wheat Kings, and Swift Current Broncos eight times and face the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors six times. Mark Friday, Dec. 27 on your calendar because the Blades host the Pats for their annual Teddy Bear Toss game in their first taste of action after the Christmas Break!
‘Toon Town’s first game against the 2025 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers is on the road Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:00pm. Fans can witness the defending champions in Saskatoon on Friday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Jan. 23 at 7:00pm. The Blades face each Central Division club (Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Tigers, Red Deer Rebels) four times.
It’s the B.C. Division’s turn to visit the prairies, each club (Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Penticton Vees, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants, Victoria Royals) rolling through once during the regular season. The Blades welcome the league’s newest expansion franchise, the Penticton Vees, to SaskTel Centre for their first meeting in history on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 7:00pm.
The Blue and Gold make their trek south of the border at the end of October, playing each U.S. Division squad (Everett Silvertips, Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs, Tri-City Americans, Wenatchee Wild) once this season.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 2025-26 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2025
All 23 WHL Clubs will compete in a 68-game regular season, beginning Friday, September 19, 2025, and concluding Sunday, March 22, 2026.
The opening night of the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season will feature eight games, including the WHL debut for the expansion Penticton Vees as they visit the defending B.C. Division champion Victoria Royals at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
The 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets will open the season at home, hosting the defending Western Conference champion Spokane Chiefs on Friday, September 19, at Prospera Place.
The defending Ed Chynoweth Cup champion Medicine Hat Tigers begin their title defense Saturday, September 20, when the Regina Pats visit Co-op Place.
A total of 617 of the 782 games on the WHL Regular Season schedule – nearly 80 per cent – will be played on weekends or holidays. By focusing the schedule on weekends and holidays, WHL Clubs can further enhance the WHL player experience by allowing additional time for training and skill development, as well as academic enrichment.
The 782-game WHL Regular Season schedule concludes Sunday, March 22, with two games.
Tuesday, March 24, represents WHL Tiebreaker Day, should a tiebreaker game(s) be required to settle the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season standings.
The 2026 WHL Playoffs and the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup will begin Friday, March 27, 2026, culminating with the 2026 WHL Championship Series from Friday, May 8, through Monday, May 18.
The 2026 Memorial Cup will be hosted in Kelowna, B.C., by the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets from Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 31, 2026.
CLICK HERE to view the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season schedule in its entirety. Games, dates, locations, and times are all subject to change.
Day – No. of Games (Percentage)
Monday: 19 (2.4%)
Tuesday: 69 (8.8%)
Wednesday: 100 (12.8%)
Thursday: 8 (1.0%)
Friday: 240 (30.7%)
Saturday: 263 (33.6%)
Sunday: 83 (10.6%)
Notes:
- Monday games – 16/19 are scheduled on Thanksgiving Monday, during Christmas break, or on Family Day.
- Halloween (Friday, October 31) features four (4) games – Regina at Moose Jaw, Prince George at Portland, Calgary at Prince Albert, Saskatoon at Seattle.
- Remembrance Day (Tuesday, November 11) features six (6) games, including four (4) afternoon contests – Red Deer at Brandon, Edmonton at Kamloops, Victoria at Prince George, Saskatoon at Swift Current.
- WHL Christmas Break – Saturday, December 20, through Friday, December 26, with 11 games on the schedule on Saturday, December 27.
- New Year’s Eve (Wednesday, December 31) features four (4) games – Everett at Portland, Moose Jaw at Regina, Spokane at Tri-City, Seattle at Wenatchee.
- New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1) features four (4) game – Saskatoon at Brandon, Red Deer at Edmonton, Prince George at Penticton, Calgary at Victoria.
- WHL Trade Deadline – Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 6 p.m. MT
- Family Day (Monday, February 16) features 10 games – Saskatoon at Brandon, Everett at Calgary, Lethbridge at Edmonton, Victoria at Kamloops, Tri-City at Kelowna, Red Deer at Medicine Hat, Prince George at Penticton, Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, Swift Current at Regina, Seattle at Vancouver.
