WHL This Week: Sept. 15, 2016

As the 2016-17 Western Hockey League regular season draws near, action continues to heat up around the league, both on and off the ice.

Arguably the biggest news of the week was released Thursday morning, as the WHL announced that 140 WHL players have been invited to attend NHL training camps this fall.

Of the 140 WHL players attending NHL training camps, 92 were selected in the NHL Draft, while the remaining 48 are either free agent invitees or eligible for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

All WHL clubs will send at least one player to an NHL training camp, with the Red Deer Rebels boasting an impressive 12 players attending NHL camps. – FULL STORY

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This past week, we unveiled divisional looks at the best and brightest 16-year-old players looking to make the jump to the Western Hockey League in 2016-17.

There’s no shortage of intriguing young talent set to embrace the WHL this year, including 2015 first overall pick Ty Smith (Spokane Chiefs).

There’s still time to catch up on the newcomers in the B.C. Division, U.S. Division, Central Division and East Division.

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On Sept. 14, the Vancouver Giants unveiled details for their plans to honour Gordie Howe on opening night of the WHL season, Sept. 23.

The Giants will sport special edition uniforms for Friday’s game against the Everett Silvertips, which will also be played with commemorative No. 9 pucks. The Giants will also retire Mr. Hockey’s No. 9 in a special pre-game ceremony. – FULL STORY

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The Swift Current Broncos became the first organization to join the Safe Places Initiative – a program aimed at reducing risk for children and youth in the community. The Broncos announced their support of the program on Sept. 14. – FULL STORY

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On Sept. 15, the Edmonton Oil Kings announced they had sold out the inaugural game to be played at Edmonton’s brand new Rogers Place. The Oil Kings will open the WHL season at Rogers Place on Sept. 24 when they host the Red Deer Rebels. – FULL STORY

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Finally, the Medicine Hat Tigers took a trip to Wainright, Alta., and had an eye-opening experience at the local Canadian Armed Forces base. – FULL STORY

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General managers and coaches alike continue to tinker with lineups and rosters as pre-season days fall away. There was plenty of wheeling and dealing over the past week in the WHL:

Sept. 9 – Prince Albert Raiders trade RW Cal Babych (1997) to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for a conditional draft pick (2018).

Sept. 12 – Lethbridge Hurricanes trade D Darian Skeoch (1997) and a conditional fourth round pick (2018) to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for D Brennan Menell (1997).

Sept. 12 – Lethbridge Hurricanes trade LW Carter Folk (1996) to the Victoria Royals in exchange for a fourth round pick (2017).

Sept. 15 – Portland Winterhawks trade LW Tanner Nagel (1998) to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for the WHL playing rights to G Shane Farkas (1999).

Sept. 15 – Seattle Thunderbirds trade LW Nic Holowko (1997) to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for RW Layne Bensmiller and a conditional seventh round draft pick (2018).

Pre-season Results

Sept. 8
Portland Winterhawks 4 vs. Everett Silvertips 5 (in Kennewick)
Saskatoon Blades 3 vs. Prince Albert Raiders 5
Kootenay ICE 4 vs. Prince George Cougars 5 (OT, in Kennewick)

Sept. 9
Portland Winterhawks 3 vs. Prince George Cougars 1 (in Kennewick)
Kootenay ICE 3 vs. Seattle Thunderbirds 4 (in Kennewick)
Moose Jaw Warriors 3 vs. Brandon Wheat Kings 2
Calgary Hitmen 4 vs. Edmonton Oil Kings 3 (in St. Albert, Alta.)
Kamloops Blazers 0 vs. Kelowna Rockets 1
Swift Current Broncos 4 vs. Lethbridge Hurricanes 3
Regina Pats 2 vs. Medicine Hat Tigers 5 (in Wainwright, Alta.)
Red Deer Rebels. 4 vs. Tri-City Americans 3

Sept. 10
Kootenay ICE 2 vs. Portland Winterhawks 6 (in Kennewick)
Vancouver Giants 1 vs. Victoria Royals 2
Red Deer Rebels 4 vs. Spokane Chiefs 1 (in Kennewick)
Edmonton Oil Kings 4 vs. Calgary Hitmen 3
Kelowna Rockets 6 vs. Kamloops Blazers 3
Brandon Wheat Kings 1 vs. Moose Jaw Warriors 4
Medicine Hat Tigers 4 vs. Regina Pats 5 (OT)
Prince Albert Raiders 7 vs. Saskatoon Blades 5 (in Warman, Sask.)
Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 vs. Swift Current Broncos 5
Seattle Thunderbirds 2 vs. Tri-City Americans 4

Sept. 11
Victoria Royals 4 vs. Vancouver Giants 1 (in Ladner, B.C.)

Sept. 14
Regina Pats 3 vs. Brandon Wheat Kings 10 (three on three, in Ochapowace, Sask.)

Weekend Schedule

Friday, Sept. 16
Regina Pats vs. Brandon Wheat Kings (7:30 p.m. CDT)
Vancouver Giants vs. Kelowna Rockets (7:05 p.m. PDT)
Calgary Hitmen vs. Lethbridge Hurricanes (7 p.m. MDT from Crowsnest Pass, Alta.)
Red Deer Rebels vs. Medicine Hat Tigers (7 p.m. MDT from Ralston, Alta.)
Kamloops Blazers vs. Prince George Cougars (7 p.m. PDT)
Everett Silvertips vs. Seattle Thunderbirds (7:35 p.m. PDT)
Prince Albert Raiders vs. Swift Current Broncos (7 p.m. MDT)
Spokane Chiefs vs. Tri-City Americans (7:05 p.m. PDT)

Saturday, Sept. 17
Spokane Chiefs vs. Tri-City Americans (2:05 p.m. PDT)
Victoria Royals vs. Vancouver Giants (3 p.m. PDT)
Kootenay ICE vs. Calgary Hitmen (7 p.m. MDT from Crowsnest Pass, Alta.)
Saskatoon Blades vs. Edmonton Oil Kings (7 p.m. MDT from St. Albert, Alta.)
Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Everett Silvertips (7:05 p.m. PDT)
Swift Current Broncos vs. Moose Jaw Warriors (7 p.m. MDT)
Medicine Hat Tigers vs. Red Deer Rebels (7 p.m. MDT)
Brandon Wheat Kings vs. Regina Pats (7 p.m. MDT)