Just three days after the Edmonton Oil Kings were crowned Western Hockey League champions, the league announced its starting date for the 2022-23 season.
The upcoming season will begin on Friday, Sept. 23. The league did not say what teams will be involved on opening day. However, it did release the pre-season schedule, which will run Sept. 6 to 18 and will feature 47 exhibition games.
On Monday, Edmonton defeated Seattle 2-0 in Game 6 of the league final to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
The Oil Kings will now represent the league at the upcoming 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John, N.B.
The Prince Albert Raiders were the last team to hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the league cancelling the 2020 and 2021 playoffs because of COVID-19.
The preseason schedule will also feature two tournaments hosted by the Everett Silvertips and Tri-City Americans.
Games will also be played in out-of-market arenas in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan, starting with the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades meeting at Big River First Nation Arena in Debden, Sask., on Sept. 6.
The league said teams will start announcing their home-opening dates on Monday, June 20, with the remainder of the regular-season schedule to be unveiled during the first week of July.
For more information about the WHL’s preseason schedule, visit the league’s website.