Latest news with #DanNear
Vancouver Sun
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Busy Vees: Penticton playing in BCHL semifinals, making WHL expansion draft picks this week
Article content Leslie has said that if he doesn't sign a pro contract this summer, he'll spend his 20-year-old season beginning next fall with the Bowling Green State University Falcons rather than return to the Giants. Article content Leslie could be moved to the Giants' college exempt list and not count against the team's 50-player protected list after the expansion draft but not until then. If things didn't work out in pro or college and he returned to the WHL at some point this coming season, he'd be an automatic top-pairing defenceman. He finished second in scoring among blue liners across the league in the regular season this year with 72 points, including 21 goals. Article content If the Giants protect Leslie, chances are they'd want to protect a fourth 20-year-old as well, as cover for them. And that would mean they'd protect one less player overall. Article content The Vees were awarded the fourth pick in the first round of the WHL draft. Article content The WHL is slated to add another expansion team next summer, with a squad going into Chilliwack in preparation for the 2026-27 season. The league is taking applications for ownership and WHL commissioner Dan Near explained via text Monday that there's a 'number of interested parties,' and that the league is 'very pleased with the interest level and enthusiasm from prospective ownership groups thus far.' No word on when they might come to a decision. Article content Article content Chilliwack is home to the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs who, oddly enough, are currently facing the Victoria Grizzlies in the other league semifinal, for the right to to meet either Penticton or Brooks in the championship series. The Grizzlies and Chiefs are knotted at 1-1 going into Game 3 Tuesday in Victoria. Article content Chiefs principal owner Moray Keith has repeatedly said that he's not interested in owning a WHL team. The Chiefs are expected to remain in Chilliwack next season before moving elsewhere. Article content It was both the city council and the WHL that were interested in putting a team in Chilliwack. They've had the WHL before in the city, with the Chilliwack Bruins playing there from 2006-11 before moving to Vancouver Island to become the Victoria Royals. Article content The league's never announced what the Vees' expansion fee, but various league sources have put it at $15 million. Article content Penticton (41-8-5-0) and Brooks (40-10-2-2) had the BCHL's best records during the regular season, followed by Chilliwack (37-12-5-0). Victoria (28-17-8-1) was ninth. Article content Penticton lost in last year's best-of-seven Fred Page Cup league championship, falling in six games to the Surrey Eagles. The Vees had won the two years previous. The league no longer competes for a national title. They announced in May 2023 that they were leaving Hockey Canada and becoming an independent league. Article content Article content
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WHL & Victory+ Announce Historic New Streaming Deal
The WHL and Victory+ have partnered on a new streaming deal that will give fans free access to regular-season and playoff games. This historic partnership is a multi-year deal and will provide fans from across the globe the ability to stream the WHL starting on March 28, 2025. Victory+ is owned by Western Canadian tech company A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) and is the leading free, ad-supported streaming service for live and on-demand sports content. Through this groundbreaking partnership between Victory+ and the WHL, hockey fans can look forward to enjoying a completely new content ecosystem focused entirely on hockey's next generation of stars. Victory+ and the WHL will offer free livestreaming of more than 700 WHL Regular Season games featuring all 22 WHL Clubs and the WHL Playoffs. The streaming service will also include classic games from the WHL archives and unique on-demand content. In a statement, WHL Commissioner Dan Near wrote, "The WHL envisions a massive opportunity to bring fans closer to the game with unlimited access through Victory+. WHL players and Clubs are deeply connected to our communities, and we represent the No. 1 passion point for hockey fans in the majority of markets in which we operate. This alliance with Victory+ will vastly extend the reach of the WHL product and give hockey fans around the world visibility to our great players competing at the very highest level of junior hockey." For more information on the new streaming platform, fans are encouraged to visit and Victory+ can be found on a number of devices, including Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and web browsers. The WHL Playoffs will be available on Victory+ without geo-restrictions. Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Hitmen Goaltender Daniel Hauser Breaks League Wins Record Thunderbirds & Wild Competing For Final Spot In The 2025 WHL Playoffs Gavin McKenna Modern Snaps CHL Record In Seven Point Performance Swift Current Broncos Secure Final Playoff Spot In The Eastern Conference
