-Scores: chl.ca. -en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Memorial_Cup#Schedule

2019 CHL Memorial Cup tournament (in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada from May 17 to 26). The 4 teams: the Halifax Mooseheads, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, the Guelph Storm, the Prince Albert Raiders.

Halifax Mooseheads (host team) (Halifax, Nova Scotia).
(It is the 25th anniversary of the Halifax Mooseheads (est. 1994-95). It is also the 50th anniversary of the QMJHL (est. 1969-70).) 2019 CHL Memorial Cup. May 17-26, 2019 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a metro-area population of around 403,000, is the 13th-largest city in Canada, and is the largest city in the Maritime provinces. In 2018-19, the Halifax Mooseheads drew 3rd-best in the CHL, at 8,149 per game in the 10.5-K-capacity Scotiabank Centre.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above -
2018-19 Mooseheads jersey, from mooseshop.ca. Halifax, NS, aerial photo from wolterland.com. Scotiabank Centre, exterior shot, photo by Tony Webster at flickr.com. Scotiabank Centre, front entrance, photo by Greg Johnston at stadiumjourney.com. Samuel Asselin, photo from halifaxmooseheads.ca. Antoine Morand, photo from halifaxmooseheads.ca. Jared McIsaac, photo unattributed at signalhfx.ca. Alexis Gravel, photo from halifaxmooseheads.ca.

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Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec).
Rouyn-Noranda is located 632 km (393 mi) NW of Montreal (by road). Rouyn-Noranda became populated after copper was discovered there in 1917. For forty years (1926-66), the area was completely governed by the Noranda mining company. Eight mines and the copper smelter are still in operation. The Horne smelter in Noranda is the largest smelter of precious metals in the world. Rouyn-Noranda sits among a string of mining towns (the Abitibi gold belt) in northeast Ontario/northwest Quebec that includes Timmins, ON, Kirkland Lake, ON, and Val d’Or, QC.

In 1996, the QMJHL team from Sainte-Hyacinthe (50 km/30 mi E of Montreal) moved to Rouyn-Noranda. The franchise moved up north to Rouyn-Noranda because it knew it would find solid support there, as well as a built-in local rivalry with the nearby QMJHL team the Val d’Or Foreurs (who are located 105 km (65 mi) E of Rouyn-Noranda). Rouyn-Noranda play in a tiny arena, Aréna Iamgold (aka Aréna Dave-Keon), which has just 2,150 seats, but they fill it up to standing-room-only on a regular basis.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were the #1-ranked team in the QMJHL going into the playoffs. And the Huskies beat Halifax 4 games to 2 to win the 2019 President’s Cup (QMJHL title). Rouyn-Noranda have now won 2 QMJHL titles in 4 years.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above -
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies jersey (3rd/alt), photo from huskies-de-rouyn-noranda.monpanierdachat.com. Aerial shot of Rouyn-Noranda, photo by Point du Jour Avaiation, here via gigi461.canalblog.com. Shot of Rouyn-Noranda, photo by Mathieu Dupuis at ville.rouyn-noranda.qc.ca. Shot of Northern Lights above Rouyn-Noranda, photo by Charles Schiele Photography at coolnaturephotos.com/aurora-borealis-at-rouyn-noranda-qc-canada-by-charles-schiele-photography. Shot of exterior of Iamgold Arena, photo by Benjamin Mougin at flickr.com. Shot of interior of Aréna Iamgold, photo by François Fortin at . Huskies jersey, photo from collectosports.com. Peter Abbandonato, photo from chl.ca/article/huskies-peter-abbandonato-named-chl-player-of-the-week. Raphael Harvey-Pinard, photo from rds.ca/hockey/lhjmq. Noah Dobson, photo unattributed at chl.ca. Joël Teasdale, photo from rds.ca/hockey. Huskies celebrate winning the QMJHL title (2019 Presidents Cup), photo from twitter.com/[@Huskies_Rn].

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Guelph Storm (Guelph, Ontario).
The Guelph Storm sit amidst the most concentrated area of major junior teams in Canada, with the Kitchener Rangers only about 28 km (17 mi) to the west of Guelph, and with the Mississauga Steelheads and the Hamilton Bulldogs both within 55 km (34 mi) of Guelph. The original OHL franchise from Guelph, ON was the Guelph Platers (7 seasons in OHL, from 1982-89, winning 1 OHL title in 1986). In 1989 the Guelph Platers moved to Owen Sound, ON, as the Owen Sound Platers (2000: name changed to Owen Sound Attack).

In 1991, two years after losing their OHL team, the city of Guelph was able to lure another OHL franchise, and the Guelph Storm were established in 1991-92. The franchise the city of Guelph lured began as the storied Toronto Marlboros (1904-1989), who won 5 Memorial Cup titles (1955, 1956, 1964, 1967, 1973). The Toronto Marlboros (1904-89) were a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs for 40 years (to 1967); and were in the OHA/OHL (from 1937-89). The Marlboros franchise had moved to Hamilton, ON in 1989, as the Dukes of Hamilton, but that did not work out. Two years later in 1991, the franchise moved to Guelph, filling the void left there by the Platers’ move.

The Guelph Storm won an OHL title in their 6th season (1997). In 2000, in their 9th season, the Guelph Storm moved into the new Sleeman Centre, built on the site of a former Eatons department store, in a shopping mall, in downtown Guelph. The Sleeman Centre has a seated capacity of 4.8 K, and has a nice set-up that boasts steeply raked seating and a concourse above the seating bowl that allows a view of the ice (and ample standing-room space). The Guelph Storm usually draw around 4 K per game; in 2018-19, en route to a 2nd-place finish, Guelph drew 4,146 per game (which was a solid 91.5 percent-capacity).

In the 2019 OHL playoffs, the Guelph Storm were comeback-kings. In the 1st round, Guelph swept the Kitchener Rangers. Then in the next three rounds Guelph came back from multiple-game deficits. In the 2nd round, Guelph came back from 3 games down, to upset the London Knights. Then in the 3rd round/Western final, Guelph fell behind the Saginaw Spirit 3-1, before winning three straight. And then in the OHL Championship Series, Guelph lost the first two against the Ottawa 67′s, but then won four straight, to win the OHL title (2019 J. Ross Robertson Cup). Guelph Storm have now won 4 OHL titles (1997, 2004, 2014, 2019). Four OHL titles in 28 seasons is a pretty decent run.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above – Guelph Storm jersey front, paste-up including illustrations from sportslogos.net. Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate church, photo from guelphtoday.com. Exterior shot of Sleeman Centre, photo by Tabercil at File:Sleeman Centre in Guelph ON 3.jpg (commons.wikimedia.org). Nate Schnarr, photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images via guelphmercury.com. Nick Suzuki, photo by Tony Saxon/Guelph Today at guelphtoday.com. Isaac Ratcliffe, photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images via guelphmercury.com. Dmitri Samorukov, photo by Tony Saxon/Guelph Today at guelphtoday.com. Storm players including Suzuki, Ratcliffe, Samorukov, celebrate, photo from twitter.com/[@Sportsnet].

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Prince Albert Raiders (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan).
Prince Albert, SK is known as the “Gateway to the North”…it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan. Prince Albert (with a metro-area population of 42,600), has supplanted Moose Jaw as the 3rd-largest city in Saskatchewan. The Prince Albert Raiders play at the 2.5-K-capacity Art Hauser Centre. Prince Albert fills their small arena the best of all the 60 teams in the 3 leagues of the CHL, at 101.35 percent-capacity in 2018-19.

The Raiders were established in 1971 as a junior hockey team, in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Raiders junior team won 4 titles in 6 seasons (from 1977 to 1982). This was good enough to get the attention of the WHL. And so in 1982, the city of Prince Albert was granted an expansion franchise in the WHL. Three years later, the Prince Albert Raiders were WHL champions, and then the Raiders won the 1985 Memorial Cup (beating Shawingun 6-1 in the final).

The 2018-19 Prince Albert Raiders were the #1-ranked team going into the WHL playoffs. They came through in the end, but almost stumbled in the Championship series, losing a 3-games-to-1 lead to the Vancouver Giants. In the 7th game, up in Prince Albert, it went to overtime, with the winning goal scored 18 minutes into OT, by Dante Hannoun {see screenshots below}. So the Prince Albert Raiders won their first WHL title in 34 years.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above – Raiders jersey illustration from sportslogos.net. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan skyline and the North Saskatchewan River, photos uploaded by Rhino at skyscrapercity.com/[thread: Prince Albert Saskatchewan. Exterior shot of Art Hauser Centre unattributed at stadiumjourney.com. Dante Hannoun scoring & celebration, 1st screenshot from globalnews.ca; 2nd screenshot from twitter.com/[@TheWHL] via bardown.com/prince-albert-raiders-win-whl-championship…. Dante Hannoun, photo from whl.ca. Brett Leason, photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. Noah Gregor, photo unattributed at bladesofteal.com. Ian Scott, photo by Lucas Chudleigh/Apollo Multimedia via raiderhockey.com/article.

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Thanks to the contributors at 2019 Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to QMJHL, OHL, WHL.

By Bill Turianski on 4 May 2019; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Links…
-ontariohockeyleague.com.
-theqmjhl.ca. lhjmq.qc.ca (Fr).
-whl.ca.
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Memorial_Cup.

Canadian Hockey League (CHL): the umbrella-organization for the 3 leagues of Major Junior Hockey in Canada. 60 teams. Est. 1975. For players aged 16-20. The 3 leagues are: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL/ LMJHQ in French).

The winners of the 3 leagues each season contest the Memorial Cup Tournament (est. 1919), which is played in the month of May. The Memorial Cup is a 4-team round-robin competition, which comprises the WHL champion, the OHL champion, the QMJHL champion, plus the host team. This year, the host team is the Halifax Mooseheads, of the QMJHL. (The Halifax Mooseheads are celebrating their 25th season; and the QMJHL is celebrating its 50th anniversary.) The reigning champions are the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, a QMJHL team from the small New Brunswick town of Bathurst [which has a metro-area population of only around 30,000]. Acadie-Bathurst Titan beat the Regina Pats 3-0, in Regina, Saskatchewan, to win the 2018 Memorial Cup.

Currently [4 May 2019], the 3 leagues’ playoff Finals are being played (each in a best of 7 series)…
WHL…the Vancouver Giants v Prince Albert [Saskatchewan] Raiders.
OHL…the Ottawa 67s v the Guelph [Ontario] Storm.
QMJHL…the Rouyn-Noranda [Quebec] Huskies v the Halifax Mooseheads.
(Note: since Halifax is host-team, both these QMJHL teams have already qualified for the tournament.)

Next post will be on May 15th or 16th…illustrations for each of the 4 teams that end up qualifying for the 2019 CHL Memorial Cup Tournament {like I did with this post from 2018}.
___
Thanks to all at the following links -
-Blank map of North America by Lokal_profil at File:BlankMap-USA-states-Canada-provinces, HI closer.svg.
-Canadian Hockey League (en.wikipedia.org).
-sportslogos.net.
-hockeydb.com.
Attendance figures…
-hockeydb.com/[2018-19 QMJHL attendance].
-hockeydb.com/[2018-19 OHL attendance].
-hockeydb.com/[2018-19 WHL attendance].

Links…
-2018 CHL Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-CHL official site: chl.ca.
-Preview…Why watch the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup: Top prospects, great storylines (by Rory Boylen at sportsnet.ca/hockey).

Host team: Regina Pats.

Photo and Image credits above – Regina Pats’ jersey illustration and shoulder-patch logo: from sportslogos.net/[Regina Pats]. View of Regina’s skyline, photo by 28thegreat at File:Regina Skyline.png. Brandt Centre, photo by Neil Cochrane/CBC at cbc.ca. PPCLI badge from army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/ppcli/1st-battalion.page. Regina Pats 100th anniversary jersey (a re-working of the team’s first jersey worn in 1917), from patsstore.ca. Sam Steel, photo by Keith Hershmller via chl.ca. Libor Hájek, photo by Keith Hershmiller via rodpedersen.com. Cameron Hebig, photo by Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats via cjme.com. Cale Fleury, photo unattributed at twitter.com/WHLPats.

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2018 QMJHL champions: Acadie–Bathurst Titan.

Photo and Image credits above – Acadie-Bathurst Titan jersey, illustration from sportslogos.net/[Acadie Bathurst Titan]. Aerial shot of Bathurst, New Brunswick, photo from facebook.com/destimationbathurstNB. View of Bathurst from harbour bridge, photo from iccimmigration.in/immigration/new-brunswick. K.C. Irving Regional Centre, photo by Kevin Jordan at qmjhlarenaguide.com. Olivier Galipeau, photo unattributed at telegraphjournal.com. Jeffrey Truchon-Viel, photo by Emmanuelle Parent via acadienouvelle.com. Evan Fitzpatrick, photo by Vincent L. Rousseau via letitan.com. Antoine Morand, photo by RDS via canucksarmy.com.

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2018 OHL champions: Hamilton Bulldogs.

Photo and Image credits above – Hamilton Bulldogs jersey illustration and shoulder-patch logo from sportslogos.net/[Hamiton Bulldogs]. Skyline of Hamilton from top of the Mountain (Niagara Escarpment), photo by Lucasmascotto at File:Collage of Tourist Spots in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.jpg. Exterior of FirstOntario Centre, photo from 900/CHML via globalnews.ca/news. Brandon Saigeon, photo by Aaron Bell via niagarathisweek.com/sports. Robert Thomas, photo by John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator at thespec.com. Kaden Fulcher, photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images North America via zimbio.com. Ryan Moore, photo by Getty Images at gettyimages.ae.

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2018 WHL champions: Swift Current Broncos.
-From the Everett (Washington) Herald, here is an article about the town of Swift Current and its hockey team, subtitled…’Home of the Broncos, Saskatchewan’s seventh-biggest city is a hard-core hockey town on the prairie‘ (by Ben Watanabe on May 4 2018 at heraldnet.com).
-reddit.com/r/hockey/[1986 Swift Current bus tragedy].

Photo and Image credits above – Swift Current Broncos jersey illustration and shoulder-patch logos from sportslogos.net. Aerial shot of Swift Current, SK, photo by City of Swift Current via heraldnet.com/news/silvertips-fans-meet-the-enemy-stronghold-of-swift-current. Photo of road leading to Swift Current, photo by CanadaGood G Melle at flickr.com; flickr.com/photos/canadagood. Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, photo from tourismswiftcurrent.ca. Swift Current Broncos (I) logo (1973-74) from hockeydb.com/[swift-current-broncos]. Lethbridge Broncos logo from sportslogos.ne/[Lethbridge Broncos]. Swift Current Broncos (II) logos from sportslogos.net/[Swift Current Broncos (II)]. Swift Current Broncos bus crash [December 28 1986] memorial, photo from leaderpost.com/sporst. 1989 Swift Current Broncos players celebrate winning the 1989 Memorial Cup 4-3 in OT over Saskatoon [May 13 1989], photo unattributed at reddit.com/[thread: Swift Current Broncos bus crash, December 30 1986]. Aleksi Heponiemi, photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images via habseyesontheprize.com. Glenn Gawdin, photo unattributed at nhl.com/flames. Stuart Skinner, photo by Keith Hershmiller via leaderpost.com. Tyler Steenburgen, photo unattributed at reddeerexpress.com.

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Thanks to the contributors at the following links…
- Western Hockey League;
-Ontario Hockey League;
-Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
-Thanks to the fine site known as Elite Prospects.com (Hockey Prospects), for player info…eliteprospects.com.

Links for 2016-17 attendances (home regular season) (from HockeyDatabase.com)…
-Ontario Hockey League 2016-17 Attendance Graph.
-Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 2016-17 Attendance Graph.
-Western Hockey League 2016-17 Attendance Graph.

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Best percent-capacity figures in the CHL in 2016-17…
Below are the 12 teams in the CHL that were best at filling their arena, in 2016-17. (Best Percent-Capacity, or: Average Attendance divided-by Seated Capacity.) 7 of these teams are in the OHL. 3 of these teams are in the WHL. 2 of these teams are in the QMJHL. The top 2 played to SRO (standing-room-only)…the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, and the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
#1). Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL): 103.6 percent-capacity (2,228 per game in their 2,150-capacity arena [ie, 78-standing-room-only-customers-per-game]).
#2). Oshawa Generals (OHL): 100.5 percent-capacity (5,209 per game in their 5,180-capacity arena [ie, 29-standing-room-only-customers-per-game]).
#3). London Knights (OHL): 99.5 percent-capacity (9,003 per game in their 9,046-capacity arena).
#4). Kitchener Rangers (OHL): 98.3 percent-capacity (7,015 per game in their 7,131-capacity arena).
#5). Kelowna Rockets (WHL): 93.7 percent-capacity (5,162 per game in their 5,507-capacity arena).
#6). Niagara IceDogs (OHL): 90.6 percent-capacity (4,804 per game in their 5,300-capacity arena).
#7). Barrie Colts (OHL): 88.4 percent-capacity (3,709 per game in their 4,195-capacity arena).
#8). Guelph Storm (OHL): 86.1 percent-capacity (4,063 per game in their 4,715-capacity arena).
#9). Shawingan Cataractes (QMJHL): 85.9 percent-capacity (3,545 per game in their 4,125-capacity arena).
#10). Regina Pats (WHL): 84.1 percent-capacity (5,456 per game in their 6,484-capacity arena).
#11). Owen Sound Attack (OHL): 82.8 percent-capacity (2,898 per game in their 3,500-capacity arena).
#12). Prince Albert Raiders (WHL): 82.6 percent-capacity (2,133 per game in their 2,580-capacity arena).
___
Thanks to all at the following links…
-List of Memorial Cup champions/Tournament appearances by current CHL teams.
-WHL/ Ed Chynoweth Cup.
-OHL/ J. Ross Robertson Cup.
-QMJHL/ President’s Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-Hockey Data Base.com.

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Western Hockey League (WHL): location-map with: 2015-16 attendance data, WHL titles & CHL/Memorial Cup titles listed
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By Bill Turianski on 13 April 2016; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-Teams, etc…Western Hockey League (en.wikipedia.org).
-Official site…whl.ca.
-2016 CHL Memorial Cup tournament… 2016 Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).

50th Anniversary Official All-time Greatest WHL players (voted on by fans, at official WHL site)…WHL Top 50 Players of All-Time Countdown Concludes
#1, Joe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos, 1986-88). #2: Bobby Clarke (Flin Flon Bombers, 1967-69). #3, Carey Price (Tri-City Americans, 2003-07).

-2015-16 WHL attendances… Western Hockey League 2015-16 Attendance Graph (hockeydb.com).

-My recently-posted map-and-post on the Ontario Hockey League…Ontario Hockey League (OHL): location-map with: 2015-16 attendance data, OHL titles & CHL/Memorial Cup titles listed/+ illustrations for the 6 OHL teams with the best-percent-capacity figures in 2015-16 (Oshawa Generals, London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, Barrie Colts, Guelph Storm, Niagara IceDogs).

-My recently-posted map-and-post on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League…Ligue de Hockey Junior Majeur du Québec (LHJMQ) [English: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)]: location-map with: 2015-16 attendance data, QMJHL titles & CHL/Memorial Cup titles listed/+ illustrations for the 2 QMJHL teams with the best attendance in 2015-16 (the Quebec Remparts & the Halifax Mooseheads), and the 2 QMJHL teams with the best-percent-capacity figures in 2015-16 (the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies & the Val-d’Or Foreurs).

-My 2012 map-&-post on major junior hockey in Canada (CHL) from November 2012…Canadian Hockey League: location maps for WHL, OHL, and QMJHL teams (60 teams) and 2011-12 attendance data. Plus the top 3 highest drawing teams, the top 10-highest percent-capacities….

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Western Hockey League, established 1966-67
Below, a map of the first season of the WHL (1966-67 CMJHL [WHL]/ 7 teams), which features the 1967 champions, the Moose Jaw Canucks. The map below also features 6 present-day franchises (see small text above map for franchise-histories) – including 2 founding-members-of-the-WHL (the present-day-WHL-teams the Regina Pats and the Saskatoon Blades), as well as 4 charter-franchises-of-the-WHL (those 4 WHL franchises now located in the present-day WHL cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Kamloops, and Moose Jaw)…

Logos in map above from: en.wiipedia.org/Western Hockey League / 1966-67 CMJHL [WHL], hockeydb.com/Logos, sportslogos.net/WHL. logoserver.com/Western CHL. Photo of Moose Jaw Canucks 1966-67 champions banner raised to the rafters of Mosaic Place, photo unattributed at discovermoosejaw.com/lmoose-jaw-hockey-history-honoured. Image of Moose Jaw Warriors 2015-16 opening-night-jersey from WHL at whl.ca/warriors-unveil-opening-night-jersey.
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The Western Hockey League (WHL) is one of three Canadian major junior hockey leagues…
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is one of three Canadian major junior hockey leagues, along with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Since 1971-72, the 3 leagues have sent their league-champion to compete for the Memorial Cup title. Since 1975-76, the 3 leagues together comprise the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The 3 CHL leagues are for players aged 16 to 20 – there are no restrictions for the amount of USA-born players on each team; however, non-Canadian-&-American players (ie, European and Russian players) are restricted to 2 per team roster. The 3 leagues of the CHL are quite a big deal, because approximately 54% of all NHL players, currently, were drafted from either the OHL, the WHL, or the QMJHL. {Citation: see 2nd paragraph, here [Ontario Hockey League page at en.wikipedia.org].}

Click on image below for:
Location-map of all the teams in the 3 leagues which comprise the Canadian Hockey League (CHL/60 teams)…

The CHL is an umbrella-organization for the 3 leagues; there is no inter-league play except for the post-season tournament…the CHL has a four-team playoff tournament – the Memorial Cup, which is played at a different host-city each May. (Note: see 5 paragraphs futher below for more info about the Memorial Cup.)
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On the map page…
The map page shows the locations (and the logos) of the 22 WHL teams – 6 of which are in the Canadian province of British Columbia, 5 of which are in the Canadian province of Alberta, 5 of which are in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, one of which is in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 5 of which are USA-based: 4 from the state of Washington and 1 from the state of Oregon. The locations of all the NHL teams from the Western Canada/USA region are also shown on the map (ie, the 4 Western Canadian NHL teams).

On the right-hand-side of the map page is a chart for the WHL which shows 7 things…
1). 2015-16 average attendances of the 22 WHL teams, ranked {source: Western Hockey League 2015-16 Attendance Graph (hockeydb.com)}.
2). Home arena seated capacity of the 22 WHL teams.
3). Percent-capacity for each team in 2015-16 [Percent Capacity equals Average Attendance divided by Arena-seated-capacity] (ie, how well the team fills its arena).
4). Metropolitan-area population of each team’s home-city; or, as with the Swift Current Broncos, the team’s home-town…the metro-area population of Swift Current, Saskatchewan is ~17,500. {Sources: List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada [2011 census figures]; USA-based-teams: List of metropolitan areas of the United States (en.wikipedia.org).}
5). Season the WHL team began play in its home-city. (Note: for extra details about the first-WHL-seasons of the Regina and Swift Current teams, see boxes below chart.)
6).WHL titles (and the year of last title/ since 1966-67). {WHL titles: Ed Chynoweth Cup (en.wikipedia.org).}
7). CHL/Memorial Cup titles (and the year of last title/ since 1971-72) [/ see notes below]. {Memorial Cup/CHL titles: List of Memorial Cup champions (en.wikipedia.org).}

Notes on the Memorial Cup title / CHL title…
The Memorial Cup was instituted in 1919, and was named in remembrance of the Canadians who died in the Great War (World War I). From 1919 to 1971, the Cup was contested between 2 teams: the best junior team each season from Eastern Canada versus the best junior team from Western Canada. (The winner won that season’s Memorial Cup title.) The current format of the Memorial Cup tournament dates to 1971-72, when a 3-team playoff tournament was created. The tournament at that point [1972] involved the champion from each of the 3 leagues:
•The-long-established-[1933]-and-now-20-team OHL.
•The-established-in-1966-and-now-22-team-WHL.
•The-then-newly-established-[1971]-and-now-18-team-QMJHL.

4 years later [1975], the arrangement was formalized with the institution of the Canadian Hockey League – which, again, is the governing body of the OHL/WHL/QMJHL. In 1982-83, the Memorial Cup tournament was expanded to a 4th team, with the host-city’s team given a place in the competition. (There is a different host-city for the Memorial Cup each May.) Currently, the 60 teams in the CHL (from the 3 member-leagues), which hail from 9 Canadian provinces and 4 American states, compete for the chance to qualify for the Memorial Cup tournament and win the Memorial Cup title/CHL title.

Red Deer, Alberta will host the 2016 Memorial Cup…
2016 Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
The 2016 Memorial Cup tournament will be held at the 6,000-capacity ENMAX Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta, with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels the host-team. The tournament will run from May 19th to May 29th, 2016. (Note: within the Red Deer Rebels illustration further below, you can read a short paragraph about the etymology and early history of Red Deer, Alberta, and its location with respect to Edmonton & Calgary.)

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List of Memorial Cup champions (en.wikipedia.org).

WHL teams that have won Memorial Cup/CHL titles (1972-2016)
1974: Regina Pats
1977: New Westminster Bruins
1978: New Westminster Bruins
1983: Portland Winter Hawks
1985: Prince Albert Raiders
1987: Medicine Hat Tigers
1988: Medicine Hat Tigers
1989: Swift Current Broncos
1991: Spokane Chiefs
1992: Kamloops Blazers
1994: Kamloops Blazers
1995: Kamloops Blazers
1998: Portland Winter Hawks
2001: Red Deer Rebels
2002: Kootenay Ice
2004: Kelowna Rockets
2007: Vancouver Giants
2008: Spokane Chiefs
2014: Edmonton Oil Kings

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Below: the 4 best-drawing teams in the 2015-16 WHL (Calgary Hitmen, Portland Winterhawks, Edmonton Oil Kings, Spokane Chiefs),
and the 3 teams that filled their arenas the best (Kelowna Rockets, Red Deer Rebels, Prince Albert Raiders)…

Calgary Hitmen: Best attendance in the WHL in 2015-16, at 8,217 per game

Photo and Image credits above -
Jersey illustrations by sportslogos.net/Calgary Hitmen. Aerial view of Greater Calgary in winter-time with Canadian Rockies in the background, photo by reddit.com/user/thelonelyYOTTABYTE at The 27 most beautiful photos of Canada uploaded to Reddit. Aerial view of downtown Calgary, photo unattributed at canadian-wellsite.com/images/Calgary. View of downtown Calgary in winter, photo by theconstantrambler.com at theconstantrambler.com. Exterior shot of the Saddledome, photo unattributed at static.gofansgo.com/images/Saddledome. Shot of Saddledome at night, photo by Rob Moses Photography at robmosesphotography.com Shot of fans at Saddledome cheering on the tunnel entrance of the Calgary Hitmen, photo by twitter.com/WHLHitmen/media. Shot of fans in front rows cheering after a goal with celebrating Hitmen clustered before them, photo by facebook.com/HitmenHockey/photos_stream. Original logos (1995) images from File:Hitmenlogos.png. 2015-16 Calgary Hitmen 20th anniversary black-silver-pink jersey, photo by Calgary Hitmen at hitmenhockey.com

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Portland Winterhawks: 2nd-best attendance in the WHL in 2015-16, at 7,004 per game

Photo and Image credits above –
Jersey illustrations by sportslogos.net/Portland Winterhawks. Downtown Portland, OR at night, photo unattributed at portland2016.com. Portland, OR winter scene of skyline, photo unattributed at portlandloftscondos.com/portland-oregon-winter Aerial shot of Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Moda Center, photo by Mike Brewington at brewsphoto.com, here. Street-level-view of the Vet and Moda Center, photo by Jonathan House at Portland Tribune, at pamplinmedia.com/memorial-coliseum-money-pit. 1st-period-faceoff shot at the Moda Center, photo by @roncallan via emeraldcitysportsblogs.wordpress.com. Winterhawks fans celebrate a goal versus Seattle {april 2015], photo by Kent Frasure at portlandtribune.com/sports.

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Edmonton Oil Kings: 3rd-best attendance in the WHL in 2015-16, at 6,838 per game

Photo and Image credits above –
Jersey illustrations by sportslogos.net/Edmonton Oil Kings.. Edmonton skyline, photo by WinterE229 (WinterforceMedia) at File:Downtown-Skyline-Edmonton-Alberta-Canada-01A.jpg (commons.wikimedia.org). Winter scene with tobogganners and view of Edmonton skyline, photo by Edmonton Tourism at uofainsideout.ca. View of Edmonton skyline on a winter night, photo by Lumens Borealis at lumensborealis.com. Shot of Rexall Place at night, photo by Heimo Kramer at sanjogonline.blogspot.com. 1963 Memorial Cup champions the Edmonton Oil Kings (I) (1951-76): 1962-63 game-worn jersey, photo by classicauctions.net. Oil Kings black/green-alternate-home-jersey & shoulder-patch logo, photos from ebay.com/edmonton-oil-kings. Shot of Oil Kings game from the stands at Rexall Place, photo by Codie McLachlan/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency at sunmediaphotos.photoshelter.com. 2014 Oil Kings squad with banners and trophies on Banner Night in Edmonton, photo by David Bloom/Edmonton Sun/QMI Age at edmontonsun.com/2014/09/21/jones-warm-glow-for-oil-kings-banner-raising.

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Spokane Chiefs: 4th-best attendance in the WHL in 2015-16, at 5,765 per game

Photo and Image credits above -
Jersey illustrations by sportslogos.net/Spokane Chiefs. Aerial view of Spokane, photo unattributed at carousels.org/Spokane2010. Spokane Falls, photo by Steven Lamar at flickr.com. Exterior shot of Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, photo by Jdubman at File:SpokaneArenaSECorner.jpg (commons.wikimedia.org). Chiefs fans cheer after goals at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Oct. 2011) by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review at spokesman.com/galleries/2011/oct. Shot of Chiefs squad before the first outdoor game in WHL, Jan.15 2011: at Avista ballpark in Spokane, WA (Spokane Chiefs 11, Kelowna Rockets 2), photo by Jessee Tinsley at spokesman.com/nachbaur-whl-coach-year.

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Kelowna Rockets: 5th-best attendance in the WHL in 2015-16, at 5,242 per game + Best at filling their arena in 2015-16, at 95.1 percent-capacity

Photo and Image credits above –
Jersey illustrations by sportslogos.net/Kelowna Rockets. Aerial view of Kelown, photo unattributed at trijuice.com/images/kelowna. Kelowna looking towards downtown, photo by stephanscharnberg.blogspot.com. Exterior shot of Prospera Place, photo by Tomtar.ca External Sheeting and Roofing. Interior of Prospero Place during a Rockets’ matinee game, photo by kelownanow.com/files. Kelowna 25th anniversary home alternate jersey (throwback), photo by kelownanow.com/Kelowna_Rockets_Reveal_25th_Anniversary_Jerseys. Kelowna Rockets 25th Anniversary patch, photo unattributed at power104.fm/powerpatrol/2015/08/24/.

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Red Deer Rebels: 2nd-best at filling their arena in the WHL in 2015-16, at 93.9 percent-capacity

Photo and Image credits above -
Jersey illustration by sportslogos.net/Red Deer Rebels. Aerial view of Red Deer, photo by Waynercook at File:Red Deer – Aerial – downtown bridges.jpg (commons.wikimedia.org). Aerial view of Red Deer Alberta in summer, photo unattributed at yellowpencil.com/reddeer-aerial.jpg. View of Red Deer in summertime, photo unattributed at meshav.com. Red Deer Rebels 2014-15 alternate burgundy jersey & R and RED DEER shoulder-patch logos, photos from reddeerrebels.com/article/back-in-burgandy-rebels-unveil-third-jersey. Exterior shot of Enmax Centrium, photo by Curtis Lund via goodkey.com. Shot of traveling Red Deer fans cheering on the Rebels’ 5-0 away-win versus the Oil Kings at Rexall Place in Edmonton on March 6, 2014. photo by Derek Leung at gettyimages.co.uk.

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Prince Albert Raiders: 3rd-best percent capacity in the WHL in 2015-16, at 91.8

Photo and Image credits above –
Jersey illustration by sportslogos.net/Prince Albert Raiders. Aerial photo of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, photo by Woodland Aerial Photo via peterballantyne.ca/communities/princealbert [Cree Nation]. View of PA skyline from North Saskatchewan River, photo by Prince Albert Downtown Improvement District Association via rvwest.com/prince_albert. Exterior shot of Art Hauser Centre unattributed at stadiumjourney.com. Mike Modano’s Prince Albert Raiders retired jersey-number (#9), image from screenshot of video downloaded by Shaw TV Prince Albert at youtube.com. Logos from sportslogos.net/Western_Hockey_League.
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Thanks to all at the following links,
Sources for titles: WHL titles: Ed Chynoweth Cup ; CHL titles: List of Memorial Cup champions (en.wikipedia.org).

-Thanks to the contributors at Western Hockey League (en.wikipedia.org).
-A big thank you to Hockey Database site, for the hard-to-find WHL attendance figures (nobody wants to bother hunting down and compiling them, I guess), at Western Hockey League 2015-16 Attendance Graph.

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The Western Hockey League, or WHL, is one of 3 junior hockey leagues based in Canada.   The other 2 leagues are the Ontario Hockey League (OHL);  and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMHJL).  [Note: I made a map similar to this one for the OHL, which I posted on January 13th.  To see the OHL map, go to Categories, under "Hockey,"  and scroll down to bottom of page.]

These 3 leagues are for players aged 15 to 20, after which they are eligible for the National Hockey League Draft.  All three of the leagues feature teams from the USA; the WHL has a U.S. Division within it’s league format.  The other 3 divisions loosely follow the three far western Canadian Provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan).

The WHL is currently averaging a very healthy 4,500 per game.  This is rather impressive, when one considers that it is a junior hockey league.  The biggest minor-league hockey league, the AHL, is only averaging 500 more per game, this season (4,900).

The WHL was formed in 1966, out of the desire to unify the four western Canadian provinces’ junior leagues, in order to better compete with the junior leagues in Ontario and Quebec.  Five Sakatchewan teams, the Regina Pats, the Saskatoon Blades, the Estevan Bruins, the Moose Jaw Canucks, and the Weyburn Red Wings, plus the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Calgary Buffaloes were the founding members.  Within 5 years, the WHL had reached ascendancy in the west, and when the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association reorganized, in 1971, the WHL became one of the 3 leagues in the top tier of Canadian junior hockey.

There have been 3 dynasties in the WHL.  The first was the New Westminster Bruins, who were from the Vancouver area.  They started out in Saskatchewan, as the Estevan Bruins (in the southeast of the province, 15 miles from the US border at North Dakota).  They moved west to metro Vancouver, in 1971.  They won 4 consecutive Titles in the 1970′s, as well as two Memorial Cups (which is the all-Canada junior crown).  They moved to Kamloops, British Columbia, in 1981, and went on to become the second WHL dynasty (see below).

The third WHL dynasty has been the central British Columbian team the Kelowna Rockets.  They have won 2 WHL titles and a Memorial Cup since 2002.  They also draw very well for a small city: around 6,100 for the past 3 seasons.  

The Vancouver Giants are the reigning WHL champions.  They are also currently the best draw, averaging an impressive 8,700 last season.  They lead the turnstile count again this season (at 8,300) , followed by the Calgary Hitmen (at 8,100).   Both these teams must compete with an NHL franchise in their cities.  This trend, of minor league teams successfully establishing a niche in big-league cities, began in the mid 1990′s, with the formation of the Hitmen.  That team reached a peak attendance of 10,000, in 2005.

On the other end of the population spectrum, teams like the Everett Silvertips (30 miles north of Seattle, Washington, USA), and the Red Deer (Alberta) Rebels are thriving.  They both drew over 6,000 last season, and are both playing in cities with populations under 95,000.  And two teams pull in around 10% of their hometown population: the Brandon (Manitoba) Wheat Kings and the Swift Current (Saskatchewan) Broncos.  Brandon is a city of 48,000: the Wheat Kings are drawing 4,100; Swift Current is a town of just 15,000; the Broncos pull in 1,900 per game. 

Below is a little map I put together that shows some old logos from the WHL.

The logo at the upper right is the Flin Flon (Manitoba) Bombers.  This was a legendary team that produced loads of NHL talent, like Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke {see this, here).  That franchise moved, and then became defunct, but another team has inherited the name, and plays in the Sakatchewan Junior Hockey League.  The rams-head logo in Montana is the crest of the Billings Bighorns, also defunct.  The Victoria Cougars are now up in northern B.C., as the Prince George Cougars.  The Kelowna Wings moved to Spokane, and became the Chiefs.   All the rest of the logos on this map are of WHL teams still in their same locations. 

The Regina Pats emblem has remained unchanged.  They have been arouind for 90 years, and are the oldest major junior hockey club in the world.    **{see the Regina Pats website, here.}  The team was named after the Princess Patricia of Connaught, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria; and they were associated with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.  The Regina Pats still wear that regiment’s crest as a shoulder patch {see the crest, here}.

The WHL is traditionally known a league that produces large, hard-hitting defensemen, and fore-checking power forwards.  It is often referred to as “the Dub,” after the first syllable in the WHL.

WHL website: (http://www.whl.ca/hm/).  

Click here, for the Wikipedia entry on the WHL.