WHL to add two expansion teams

Jack Murray/Penticton Vees

After much talk about OHL and QMJHL expansion over the past few months, the WHL will be the only league to secure an additional team for next season.

The WHL announced Monday that the Penticton Vees, one of the BCHL's flagship franchises, will be joining the league for the 2025-26 season. At the same time, the WHL announced "the initiation of a franchise application process for the City of Chilliwack, to begin play in the 2026-27 WHL season."

The news of Penticton joining the WHL has been floating around for a couple months now. The Vees are one of the BCHL's most successful franchises on and off the ice and they play in a major junior ready building.

An ownership group for the Penticton franchise has already been set up. The group includes existing Vees majority owner Graham Fraser, Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele, former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter and prominent local businessmen.

Welcome to the Western League, @PentictonVees! pic.twitter.com/uScbQTmzaK

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 24, 2025

Multiple media reports indicate that the Vees expansion fee was somewhere in the ballpark of $15 million, which included a payment to the Kelowna Rockets who held the territorial rights. The two cities are less than an hour apart.

Chilliwack, meanwhile, was home to the WHL's Bruins from 2006 to 2011 before they were relocated to Victoria. No ownership group has been setup for the franchise yet.

According to the WHL, "the City of Chilliwack is set to invest $3.7 million in upgrades to the Chilliwack Coliseum prior to the arrival of a WHL franchise in 2026-27, including enhancements to the scoreboard, lighting system, NHL-standard boards, and more."

Start the countdown!

The 2026-27 WHL Season can't come soon enough🤩 pic.twitter.com/Noy7caFuzs

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 25, 2025

These additions will give the WHL 24 teams in two years time.

Both the OHL and QMJHL have publicly discussed expansion but nothing will be completed in time for next season.

The OHL tried to add existing junior franchises in Muskegon, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio but were met with pushback by the USHL and USA Hockey.

The QMJHL, meanwhile, has voiced interest in expanding into New England. The QMJHL's biggest issue is that there are not a lot of markets left for them to go on this side of the border. Trois-Rivieres (which currently has an ECHL team), Fredericton (which would need a new arena constructed plus deal with sharing the market with UNB) and somewhere in Montreal or its suburbs (which has failed many times) are really the only places left to explore.

There are seemingly a couple hurdles for further expansion in the CHL. The first being the NHL's recent involvement, who's influence could derail or slow down expansion. The second is the current political tensions between Canada and the United States and the economic fallout that could come from it.

All of this expansion talk is related to the NCAA's decision to allow CHL players to play college hockey. The move is expected to increase the size of the CHL's player pool, meaning more teams are needed.