WHL announces 2023 Pre-Season schedule
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the 2023 Pre-Season Schedule, featuring 46 games beginning Tuesday, September 5 and concluding Sunday, September 17.
The 2023 WHL Pre-Season Schedule will see WHL Clubs bring the excitement of WHL hockey to eight communities outside WHL Club markets, providing an opportunity for hockey fans in other areas of Western Canada to witness WHL hockey in person.
Wednesday, September 6, the Prince Albert Raiders will host the Saskatoon Blades at Big River First Nation Arena in Debden, Sask., located approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Prince Albert.
Friday, September 8, the Calgary Hitmen will host the Red Deer Rebels at Siksika Deerfoot Sportsplex in Siksika, Alta., located approximately 125 kilometres southeast of Calgary.
The Jon Baillie Arena in Port Coquitlam, B.C., will be the site for two WHL Pre-Season games featuring the Prince George Cougars, including Friday, September 8 vs. the Vancouver Giants and Saturday, September 9 vs. the Victoria Royals.
Saturday, September 9, the Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Calgary Hitmen at the Enoch Recreation Centre in Enoch, Alta., located approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.
The Moose Jaw Warriors will meet the Swift Current Broncos Saturday, September 9 at the Southland Co-op Centre in Assiniboia, Sask., approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Moose Jaw.
The Grande Cache Recreation Centre in Grande Cache, Alta., will serve as the venue for a pair of games between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Prince George Cougars. Friday, September 15 and Sunday, September 17, the Oil Kings and Cougars will drop the puck roughly halfway between Edmonton and Prince George – 580 kilometres east of Prince George and 430 kilometres west of Edmonton.
The Legends Centre in Warman, Sask., will once again be the scene for the Blades and Raiders, while Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge, B.C., will welcome the Giants and Kamloops Blazers on Saturday, September 16.
The 2023 WHL Pre-Season Schedule also features two tournaments, including events hosted by the Everett Silvertips and Tri-City Americans.
Everett’s six-game pre-season tournament is scheduled to begin Friday, September 9 and will include appearances by all six U.S. Division Clubs, including the Wenatchee Wild. All six games will be hosted at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.
Tri-City’s four-game pre-season tournament is scheduled to begin Friday, September 15 and will include appearances by Wenatchee, the Spokane Chiefs, and Portland Winterhawks.
The Wenatchee Wild will make its WHL Pre-Season debut Tuesday, September 6, visiting the Spokane Chiefs at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
The 2023-24 WHL Regular Season Schedule will be unveiled Tuesday, June 27.
| Game # | Home | Visitor | Date | Time | Location |
| 1 | Lethbridge | Medicine Hat | September 5 | 7 p.m. MT | Enmax Centre – Lethbridge, Alta. |
| 2 | Prince Albert | Saskatoon | September 6 | 1 p.m. MT | Big River First Nation Arena – Debden, Sask. |
| 3 | Spokane | Wenatchee | September 6 | 2 p.m. PT | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena |
| 4 | Swift Current | Moose Jaw | September 7 | 7 p.m. MT | Innovation Credit Union iPlex |
| 5 | Seattle | Spokane | September 8 | 2 p.m. PT | Angel of the Winds Arena |
| 6 | Everett | Tri-City | September 8 | 6 p.m. PT | Angel of the Winds Arena |
| 7 | Calgary | Red Deer | September 8 | 7 p.m. MT | Siksika Deerfoot Sportsplex |
| 8 | Kamloops | Kelowna | September 8 | 7 p.m. PT | Sandman Centre |
| 9 | Regina | Brandon | September 8 | 7 p.m. MT | Brandt Centre |
| 10 | Vancouver | Prince George | September 8 | 7 p.m. PT | Jon Baillie Arena – Port Coquitlam, B.C. |
| 11 | Spokane | Portland | September 9 | 2 p.m. PT | Angel of the Winds Arena |
| 12 | Everett | Seattle | September 9 | 6 p.m. PT | Angel of the Winds Arena |
| 13 | Brandon | Regina | September 9 | 7 p.m. CT | Westoba Place |
| 14 | Edmonton | Calgary | September 9 | 6 p.m. MT | Enoch Recreation Centre |
| 15 | Kelowna | Kamloops | September 9 | 7:05 p.m. PT | Prospera Place |
| 16 | Medicine Hat | Lethbridge | September 9 | 7 p.m. MT | Co-op Place |
| 17 | Moose Jaw | Swift Current | September 9 | 7 p.m. MT | Southland Co-op Centre – Assiniboia, Sask. |
| 18 | Prince Albert | Saskatoon | September 9 | 7 p.m. MT | Art Hauser Centre |
| 19 | Victoria | Prince George | September 9 | 7 p.m. PT | Jon Baillie Arena – Port Coquitlam, B.C. |
| 20 | Wenatchee | Tri-City | September 9 | 6 p.m. PT | Town Toyota Center |
| 21 | Portland | Seattle | September 10 | 12 p.m. PT | Angel of the Winds Arena |
| 22 | Everett | Wenatchee | September 10 | 4 p.m. PT | Angel of the Winds Arena |
| 23 | Red Deer | Edmonton | September 10 | 2 p.m. MT | Peavey Mart Centrium |
| 24 | Vancouver | Victoria | September 10 | 4 p.m. PT | Ladner Leisure Centre – Ladner, B.C. |
| 25 | Regina | Saskatoon | September 13 | 7 p.m. MT | Brandt Centre |
| 26 | Seattle | Everett | September 13 | 7:05 p.m. PT | Accesso ShoWare Center |
| 27 | Calgary | Lethbridge | September 14 | 7 p.m. MT | Seven Chiefs Sportsplex – Tsuut’ina Nation |
| 28 | Spokane | Portland | September 14 | 6 p.m. PT | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena |
| 29 | Wenatchee | Spokane | September 15 | 3:05 p.m. PT | Toyota Arena |
| 30 | Tri-City | Portland | September 15 | 7:05 p.m. PT | Toyota Arena |
| 31 | Brandon | Moose Jaw | September 15 | 7 p.m. CT | Westoba Place |
| 32 | Kamloops | Victoria | September 15 | 7 p.m. PT | Sandman Centre |
| 33 | Kelowna | Vancouver | September 15 | 7:05 p.m. PT | Prospera Place |
| 34 | Medicine Hat | Swift Current | September 15 | 7 p.m. MT | Co-op Place |
| 35 | Prince Albert | Regina | September 15 | 7 p.m. MT | Art Hauser Centre |
| 36 | Red Deer | Calgary | September 15 | 7 p.m. MT | Peavey Mart Centrium |
| 37 | Edmonton | Prince George | September 15 | 7 p.m. MT | Grande Cache Recreation Centre – Grande Cache, Alta. |
| 38 | Portland | Spokane | September 16 | 2:05 p.m. PT | Toyota Arena |
| 39 | Tri-City | Wenatchee | September 16 | 6:05 p.m. PT | Toyota Arena |
| 40 | Kelowna | Victoria | September 16 | 7:05 p.m. PT | Prospera Place |
| 41 | Lethbridge | Red Deer | September 16 | 6 p.m. MT | Enmax Centre |
| 42 | Moose Jaw | Brandon | September 16 | 7 p.m. MT | Moose Jaw Events Centre |
| 43 | Saskatoon | Prince Albert | September 16 | 7 p.m. MT | Legends Centre – Warman, Sask. |
| 44 | Swift Current | Medicine Hat | September 16 | 7 p.m. MT | Innovation Credit Union iPlex |
| 45 | Vancouver | Kamloops | September 16 | 7 p.m. PT | Cam Neely Arena – Maple Ridge, B.C. |
| 46 | Prince George | Edmonton | September 17 | 1 p.m. MT | Grande Cache Recreation Centre – Grande Cache, Alta. |
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
