Each WHL Club is allowed to add up to 50 players between the ages of 14 and 20 onto its Protected Player List (PPL). 14-year-olds may not be added to the list until the Bantam Draft has been completed following their first year at the bantam level.

The 50 Player Protected List is used by the Western Hockey League to ensure there is a method of organization and control in the League for the rights to players. Without this type of built-in control, the system would be problematic.

The 50 Player Protected List works in a very simple manner. Each WHL Club is permitted to place a maximum of 50 players between the ages of 14 and 20 on their List. A player may not be added to a WHL List until he has been eligible for the WHL Bantam Draft, which occurs following his final season of bantam hockey.

All players on a WHL Club’s roster are required to be on the 50 Player Protected List, so if a WHL Club is carrying 23 players, this leaves only 27 spots available for future prospects. Needless to say, only the elite players will be represented on a Club’s List. If a player on the List no longer meets the expectations of the team, he will be replaced by another prospect. As a result, the List is constantly changing as teams evaluate their players and make adjustments. Clubs are permitted to make changes to their 50 Player List throughout the entire year.

It is imperative for a WHL Club to build their List with quality players if they wish to be competitive in the future. By limiting each Club’s List to 50 players, this ensures that the talent level will be consistent throughout the WHL, while still rewarding the Clubs who do the best job in scouting talent.

With only 50 available spots, this means that decisions must be made carefully to ensure the Club’s future viability. Depending on circumstances, a player may be added or removed from a Club’s List at any time.

Although many players are added to WHL Club Lists during the Bantam Draft, there are also numerous situations where players develop later and are listed at that time. The following WHL stars were not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft but were added to a WHL Club’s list at a later date: Jerome Iginla, Darcy Tucker, Jeff Friesen, Dan Hamhuis, Scottie Upshall, Joffrey Lupul, Jeff Woywitka, and Shane Doan.

A player who is on a WHL Club’s List may not play for another WHL team, or attend another WHL Club’s training camp or rookie camp. However, being a member of a WHL team’s 50 Player Protected List does not restrict a player from playing for, or attending a camp of a non-WHL Club. The 50 Player Protected List is used strictly to determine which WHL team holds the player’s rights.

The WHL, along with the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League comprise the Canadian Hockey League. Rules are in place to ensure that a player may be selected by only one League.