WHL cancels regular season, playoffs still possible

Western Hockey League logo

WINNIPEG — The Western Hockey League has officially cancelled the rest of its regular season.

Ron Robison, the commissioner of the WHL, made the announcement Wednesday morning.

“The WHL takes the safety of our players, officials, staff, fans, and everyone associated with the WHL very seriously,” said Robison in a news release. “Given the ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19, we deemed it necessary to cancel the remaining games on the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season Schedule.”

Robinson said the decision was made after a meeting with the WHL Board of Governors and talks with medical professionals.

The league announce a pause in play on March 12 due to COVID-19.

The playoffs, however, are not out of the picture and Robinson said they hope to hold them at a later date.

“We will continue to monitor ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19,” he wrote. “We will make every effort possible to conduct the 2020 WHL Playoffs at a later date. We thank WHL fans and partners for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.”

The league released the final standings from the regular season saying placement was determined based on the winning percentage of teams.

The Portland Winterhawks, Everett Silvertips, and Edmonton Oil Kings make up the top three spots in the standings.

The Winnipeg ICE would also make the playoffs and sit in ninth place with a winning percentage of 0.611.

CTV News has reached out to the ICE for comment on the league's decision but has yet to hear back.