By Western Hockey League

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League, in partnership with BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, Hockey Saskatchewan, Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada, announced today that the City of Red Deer will serve as the host for the 2021 WHL Cup.

Scheduled to be held October 20-24, the 2021 WHL Cup will be played at the Peavey Mart Centrium – home of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels – as well as at Red Deer College and will feature teams from the four Western Canadian provinces competing in a round robin tournament format followed by playoffs.

The 2021 WHL Cup will feature the top 2006-born players from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, each of whom is eligible for the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. The 2021 WHL Prospects Draft is scheduled to be conducted online on Thursday, December 9.

Rosters and ticketing information for the 2021 WHL Cup will be announced at a later date. The WHL Cup, established in 2009, is held every season except in years when the Canada Winter Games are held, and is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for players.

2021 WHL Cup – Event Schedule

• Wednesday, October 20
  • Game 1 – British Columbia at Saskatchewan – 4 p.m. MT
  • Game 2 – Manitoba at Alberta – 7 p.m. MT

• Thursday, October 21
  • Game 3 – British Columbia at Manitoba – 4 p.m. MT
  • Game 4 – Alberta at Saskatchewan – 7 p.m. MT

• Friday, October 22
  • Game 5 – Alberta at British Columbia – 12:30 p.m. MT
  • Game 6 – Saskatchewan at Manitoba – 3:15 p.m. MT (Red Deer College)

• Saturday, October 23
  • Semifinal 1 – 12:30 p.m. MT
  • Semifinal 2 – 3:15 p.m. MT (Red Deer College)

• Sunday, October 24
  • Bronze Medal Game – 10 a.m. MT
  • Gold Medal Game – 1 p.m. MT

* all games at Peavey Mart Centrium unless otherwise indicated

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About the WHL Cup
The majority of players participating in the event will be selected in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, or will go on to be listed by WHL Clubs. The WHL Cup, formerly known as the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, has been sponsored since 2009 by the Western Hockey League. This year will mark the ninth year of the event. The first ever WHL Cup was held in Blackfalds, Alta., in 2009 and featured four of the top eight players selected in the 2012 NHL Draft. In 2011, the Moose Jaw Warriors and Hockey Saskatchewan hosted the event at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, Sask. In 2012 and 2013, the tournament was hosted in Calgary at Father David Bauer Arena, the home of the WHL. From 2015 through 2019, the WHL Cup was hosted in Calgary at the Markin MacPhail Centre. In 2010, 2014, and 2018, the WHL Cup was not contested due to the Canada Winter Games. Team Alberta is a five-time champion of the WHL Cup, hoisting the trophy in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016, while Team British Columbia won the event in 2012 and 2017. Team Saskatchewan is the defending champion of the WHL Cup, having won the tournament in 2019, beating Team Manitoba 4-2 in the Gold Medal game.

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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 17 located in Western Canada and five 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.