The W-H-L announced late Wednesday, following the completion of the league’s annual general meeting in Calgary, that Ron Robison, its long-serving commissioner, will be leaving his position following the 2023-24 season.

The announcement came five days after the W-H-L announced that the Winnipeg Ice had been sold and have moved to Wenatchee, Washington. The 68-year-old Robison is entering the final season of a three-year contract extension and is preparing for his 24th season as the W-H-L’s C-E-O.

Meantime, the league announced that it will release its exhibition schedule and the home-opening date and opponent for each team on Monday and the regular-season scheduled on Tuesday. Swift Current will play in the six-team Central Division for the 2023-24 season and then return to the East Division. The Broncos moved to the Central Division when Kootenay moved to Winnipeg and were positioned in the East Division.

In its news release, the W-H-L stated that attendance levels had returned to pre-COVID levels. According to figures compiled by the league, based on announced attendances, the average for the 2022-23 regular season was 3,895, up 22 per cent from the average of 3,205 in 2021-22. The W-H-L added that playoff attendance was up 37 per cent at 4,689 for 75 games, compared to 3,575 for 72 games a year earlier. Following is the news release from the league…..

WHL CONCLUDES 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League concluded its Annual General Meeting Wednesday, highlighted by the announcement of the final season for WHL Commissioner Ron Robison, the welcoming of the Wenatchee Wild to the WHL’s U.S. Division, reflection upon a successful 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops, anticipation for the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft, and 30 years of success for the WHL Scholarship Program.

WHL Commissioner Ron Robison Enters Final Season

The 2023-24 WHL season will mark the 24th and final season for longtime WHL Commissioner Ron Robison.

Robison, who hails from Indian Head, Sask., joined the WHL as Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer prior to the start of the 2000-01 season after spending nearly 20 years as a senior executive with Hockey Canada.

Following 24 seasons at the helm of the WHL, Robison will go down as the longest-serving WHL Commissioner to date. Former WHL President Ed Chynoweth guided the WHL for 21 seasons (1973-79; 1980-95).

Under Robison’s leadership, the WHL experienced unprecedented growth and survived the challenges of a global pandemic, only to return as strong as ever. The WHL is the world’s largest major junior hockey league in the world with 22 member Clubs throughout Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The WHL continues to serve as a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League and Canada’s National Hockey Teams, and is also a leading supplier of hockey scholarships, with close to 400 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice.

WHL Celebrates Successful 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the 2023 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee and the Kamloops Blazers, the 2023 Memorial Cup was a resounding success. Over the course of 11 days of high-level competition, nearly 50,000 fans walked through the doors of the Sandman Centre to enjoy the Canadian Hockey League’s marquee event on the ice, while also attending numerous world-class community events throughout the city.

The successful execution of the 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops once again proves the Western Hockey League is a leader in delivering world-class hockey and entertainment.

The Memorial Cup is next scheduled to return to the WHL in 2026.

WHL Looks Ahead to Promising 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 NHL Draft, scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tenn., from June 28-29, is full of promise for the WHL. With consensus No. 1 selection Connor Bedard leading the charge, the WHL is excited to witness one of the most successful NHL Draft classes in WHL history.

A total of 54 WHL players have been identified by NHL Central Scouting in its Final Rankings ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft, including 12 among the top-32 North American skaters. Two WHL goaltenders are listed within NHL Central Scouting’s top-five rankings for North American goaltenders as well.

This class of players has been nothing short of impressive in the WHL, headlined by Bedard, Zach Benson, Nate Danielson, Samuel Honzek, Brayden Yager, Andrew Cristall, and Carson Bjarnason.

Wenatchee Wild Welcomed as WHL’s Sixth U.S. Division Club

Friday, June 16, the WHL announced the relocation of the Winnipeg ICE franchise under the new ownership of David White of the California-based Shoot the Puck Foundation.

During the WHL Annual General Meeting, the Wenatchee Wild were formally welcomed to the WHL as the sixth Club in the U.S. Division.

The Wild are set to play out of Town Toyota Center – a 4,300-seat multi-purpose arena that has served Wenatchee since 2008.

At the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers, the greater Wenatchee metropolitan area boasts a population of over 110,000 people with a robust economy driven by hydroelectric power, tree fruit agriculture, health care, technology, and tourism.

2023-24 WHL Schedule Releases

With an exhilarating 2022-23 WHL season in the books, fans can look forward to the unveiling of schedules for the 2023-24 WHL season, including:

• 2023 WHL Pre-Season Schedule Release – Monday, June 26
• 2023-24 WHL Home Openers Announcements – Monday, June 26
• 2023-24 WHL Regular Season Schedule Release – Tuesday, June 27

With the relocation of the Winnipeg ICE to Wenatchee, Wash., the Swift Current Broncos will remain in the WHL’s Central Division for the 2023-24 season before rejoining the WHL’s East Division for the 2024-25 season.

WHL Attendance Rebounds To Pre-COVID Levels

Thanks to an exciting season on the ice and a renewed approach by WHL member Clubs to engage with fans and the community, WHL attendance levels have returned to pre-COVID levels, confirming the WHL’s strong stance across Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Average attendance over the course of 748 WHL Regular Season games during the 2022-23 season was 3,895, up 22 per cent from the average mark of 3,205 in 2021-22.

The 2023 WHL Playoffs served up a 37-per-cent increase from the 2022 WHL Playoffs, with an average attendance of 4,689 over 75 games compared with an average attendance of 3,575 over 72 games the previous post-season.

WHL Vision and Cornerstones Confirmed

The WHL Vision remains to stand as the world’s premier major junior hockey league by continuing to provide the best player development and education opportunities while delivering a high level of entertainment value for fans.

The WHL Vision is guided by four WHL Cornerstones:

• Development – a world-class development experience for players, coaches, officials and staff
• Education – a guaranteed post-secondary academic scholarship for all players
• Respect – a comprehensive Respect in Hockey program promotes a safe and inclusive environment for all participants
• Community – a leading fan engagement experience delivering quality entertainment and support for the community

WHL Scholarship Celebrates 30 Years of Success

The 2022-23 WHL season served as the 30th year of the WHL Scholarship program. Established on a league-wide basis in 1993-94, over 7,500 WHL Scholarships have been accessed, representing an investment of over $33 million by WHL Clubs. This season, WHL Clubs will contribute in excess of $2.2 million to the 342 WHL graduates utilizing the WHL Scholarship across North America. In addition to the WHL Scholarship players receive upon graduation from the WHL, all current WHL players are encouraged to enroll in post-secondary courses and these courses are also fully funded by WHL Clubs.