WHL Announces New Playoff Format

2007-08 WHL EXHIBITION SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED — The Western Hockey League, following the conclusion of its Annual General Meeting today in Calgary, announced it will adopt a new playoff format for the 2007-08 and the 2008-09 seasons.
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rThe WHL’s Eastern and Western Conferences will use a Conference playoff format in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. The Conference playoff format will be the same as the current playoff format used by the National Hockey League. For the past six seasons, the WHL has used a Divisional seeding format as opposed to a Conference format in the first round of the playoffs.
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rThe first place teams in the two Divisions in each Conference will receive the top two playoff seeds based on regular season points. The next six Clubs in each Conference, based on regular season points, will receive the 3rd – 8th playoff positions. The Clubs will be paired 1 – 8, 2 – 7, 3 – 6, and 4 – 5 in a best-of-seven series.
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rThe first place Clubs in each Division will only be guaranteed the top two playoff seeds in the first round.
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rAs in previous seasons, the format for the remaining three rounds of the WHL playoffs will remain the same.
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rThe four Clubs winning first round series in each Conference will advance to the second round, where they will be ranked in order of regular season points. The Clubs will be paired 1 – 4, and 2 – 3 in best of seven series.
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rThe two Clubs winning second round series in each Conference will advance to the third round (WHL Conference Championships), where they will be ranked in order of regular season points. The Clubs will be paired 1 – 2 in a best of seven series.
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rThe Eastern and Western Conference Champions will advance to the best of seven WHL Championship Series, with the Club having the most regular season points receiving home ice advantage.
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rWith the addition of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who begin play in the 2007-08 season, the WHL’s Eastern Conference expands from 11 to 12 teams.
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rThe Oil Kings will join the WHL Eastern Conference’s Central Division, expanding the Division to six teams. The WHL Eastern Conference’s East Division also features six teams, while the WHL Western Conference’s B.C and U.S. Divisions each feature five teams apiece.
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rThe WHL today also announced the 2007-08 Exhibition Schedule.
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rThe 2007-08 WHL Exhibition season opens on Wednesday, August 29th with the Prince Albert Raiders hosting the Moose Jaw Warriors, and will feature three tournaments. The Everett Silvertips and the WHL’s newest team, the Edmonton Oil Kings, will host pre-season tournaments on the September long weekend. The Tri-City Americans will also host a tournament the weekend of September 7 – 9.
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rThe Everett Tournament begins on Friday, August 31st, and features seven teams including U.S. Division rivals Seattle, Portland, Spokane and Tri-Cities along with Chilliwack and the 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup Champion Vancouver Giants.
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rThe Edmonton tournament begins on Saturday, September 1st, and features six teams including Kelowna, Regina, Swift Current, Prince George and Kamloops. The Oil Kings will take to the ice for their first pre-season game versus the Kelowna Rockets in the tournament’s second contest on Saturday.
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rThe Tri-Cities tournament features the host Americans and their four U.S. Division rivals Everett, Portland, Seattle and Spokane.
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rThe 2007 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers begin their Exhibition season on Saturday, September 8th when they visit Central Division rivals the Kootenay Ice.
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r2007-08 WHL EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
rDay, Date, Visitor, Home, Time, Location
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rWednesday Aug. 29/07 Moose Jaw @ Prince Albert 7:30
rFriday Aug. 31/07 Chilliwack vs. Seattle 11:30 Everett
rFriday Aug. 31/07 Spokane vs. Portland 3:00 Everett
rFriday Aug. 31/07 Vancouver vs. Everett 7:00 Everett
rFriday Aug. 31/07 Prince Albert @ Moose Jaw 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 1/07 Kamloops vs. Regina 11:00 Edmonton
rSaturday Sept. 1/07 Kelowna vs. Edmonton 3:00 Edmonton
rSaturday Sept. 1/07 Prince George vs. Swift Current 7:00 Edmonton
rSaturday Sept. 1/07 Spokane vs. Tri-City 11:30 Everett
rSaturday Sept. 1/07 Portland vs. Vancouver 3:00 Everett
rSaturday Sept. 1/07 Seattle vs. Everett 7:00 Everett
rSunday Sept. 2/07 Kelowna vs. Swift Current 11:00 Edmonton
rSunday Sept. 2/07 Prince George vs. Regina 3:00 Edmonton
rSunday Sept. 2/07 Kamloops vs. Edmonton 7:00 Edmonton
rSunday Sept. 2/07 Tri-City vs. Vancouver 11:30 Everett
rSunday Sept. 2/07 Seattle vs. Spokane 3:00 Everett
rSunday Sept. 2/07 Chilliwack vs. Everett 7:00 Everett
rMonday Sept. 3/07 Kelowna vs. Regina 11:00 Edmonton
rMonday Sept. 3/07 Kamloops vs. Swift Current 3:00 Edmonton
rMonday Sept. 3/07 Prince George vs. Edmonton 7:00 Edmonton
rTuesday Sept. 4/07 Red Deer vs. Calgary 7:00 Airdrie
rWednesday Sept. 5/07 Vancouver @ Chilliwack 7:00
rThursday Sept. 6/07 Lethbridge vs. Red Deer 7:30 Stettler
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Kootenay @ Calgary 7:00 Centennial
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Swift Current @ Moose Jaw 7:00
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Saskatoon @ Prince Albert 7:30
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Kamloops @ Prince George 7:00
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Spokane vs. Portland 3:00 Tri-City
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Seattle vs. Tri-City 7:00 Tri-City
rFriday Sept. 7/07 Kelowna @ Vancouver 7:30 Ladner
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Swift Current @ Brandon 7:30
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Edmonton vs. Calgary 7:30 Okotoks
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Prince George @ Kamloops 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Vancouver @ Kelowna 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Medicine Hat @ Kootenay 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Red Deer @ Lethbridge 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Regina @ Saskatoon 7:05
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Everett vs. Portland 3:00 Tri-City
rSaturday Sept. 8/07 Spokane vs. Tri-City 7:00 Tri-City
rSunday Sept. 9/07 Regina @ Medicine Hat 6:00
rSunday Sept. 9/07 Brandon @ Prince Albert 6:30
rSunday Sept. 9/07 Seattle vs. Portland 1:00 Tri-City
rSunday Sept. 9/07 Everett vs. Tri-City 5:00 Tri-City
rTuesday Sept. 11/07 Medicine Hat @ Calgary 7:30 Fa. David Bauer
rTuesday Sept. 11/07 Kamloops @ Chilliwack 7:00
rTuesday Sept. 11/07 Red Deer vs. Edmonton 7:00 Leduc
rTuesday Sept. 11/07 Moose Jaw @ Saskatoon 7:05
rWednesday Sept. 12/07 Kootenay @ Lethbridge 7:00
rThursday Sept. 13/07 Saskatoon @ Prince Albert 7:30
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Moose Jaw @ Brandon 7:30
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Kelowna @ Kamloops 7:00
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Edmonton @ Kootenay 7:00
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Calgary vs. Red Deer 7:30 Lacombe
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Prince Albert vs. Saskatoon 7:00 Lloydminster
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Regina vs. Swift Current 7:30 Kindersley
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Tri-City @ Spokane 7:00 Eagles
rFriday Sept. 14/07 Chilliwack @ Vancouver 7:30 Ladner
rSaturday Sept. 15/07 Chilliwack @ Kelowna 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 15/07 Edmonton @ Lethbridge 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 15/07 Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer 7:30 Carstairs
rSaturday Sept. 15/07 Brandon @ Moose Jaw 7:00
rSaturday Sept. 15/07 Everett @ Seattle 7:05 Kent
rSaturday Sept. 15/07 Portland @ Tri-City 7:05