The WHL had announced at the 2007 Memorial Cup tournament that it would rename its championship trophy—until then, known as the President's Cup—after Ed Chynoweth .[ 3] The Chiefs 2008 championship was thus the first featuring the renamed trophy.
The Edmonton Oil Kings joined the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, bringing the Eastern Conference to twelve teams, while the Western Conference remained at ten.
The playoff format was revised so that the top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, as opposed to the top four in each division. Division winners are guaranteed a top two seed in each conference.
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; x = Clinched playoff berth; y = Clinched conference title
Map of WHL, 2007–08 to 2010–11
200km 125miles
Wheat Kings
Pats
Warriors
Raiders
Blades
Broncos
Tigers
Hurricanes
Oil Kings
Rebels
Hitmen
Ice
Chiefs
Americans
Rockets
Blazers
Bruins
Silvertips
Thunderbirds
Winterhawks
Cougars
Giants
East Division
Central Division
BC Division
US Division
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout losses ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Conference quarter-finals
edit
Moose Jaw vs. Calgary
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Moose Jaw 1
5 Calgary
March 23
Moose Jaw 4
2 Calgary
March 25
Calgary 8
3 Moose Jaw
March 26
Calgary 3
1 Moose Jaw
March 28
Moose Jaw 4
2 Calgary
March 30
Calgary 4
2 Moose Jaw
Calgary wins 4–2
Swift Current vs. Regina
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Swift Current 1
2 Regina
March 22
Swift Current 5
3 Regina
March 25
(OT) Regina 4
3 Swift Current
March 26
Regina 4
5 Swift Current (2OT)
March 28
Swift Current 6
3 Regina
March 29
Regina 2
5 Swift Current
Swift Current wins 4–2
Brandon vs. Lethbridge
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Brandon 1
2 Lethbridge
March 22
Brandon 3
4 Lethbridge
March 25
Lethbridge 4
3 Brandon
March 26
Lethbridge 1
5 Brandon
March 28
Lethbridge 3
4 Brandon
March 30
Brandon 0
4 Lethbridge
Lethbridge wins 4–2
Kootenay vs. Medicine Hat
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Kootenay 5
2 Medicine Hat
March 22
(OT) Kootenay 4
3 Medicine Hat
March 25
Medicine Hat 1
2 Kootenay
March 26
Medicine Hat 5
3 Kootenay
March 28
Kootenay 3
1 Medicine Hat
Kootenay wins 4–1
Kamloops vs. Tri-City
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Kamloops 1
6 Tri-City
March 22
Kamloops 1
4 Tri-City
March 25
Tri-City 4
3 Kamloops
March 26
Tri-City 6
2 Kamloops
Tri-City wins 4–0
Chilliwack vs. Vancouver
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Chilliwack 1
2 Vancouver
March 22
Chilliwack 2
3 Vancouver
March 25
(3OT) Vancouver 4
3 Chilliwack
March 26
Vancouver 2
1 Chilliwack
Vancouver wins 4–0
Everett vs. Spokane
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Everett 2
5 Spokane
March 22
Everett 1
4 Spokane
March 26
Spokane 4
1 Everett
March 28
(OT) Spokane 3
2 Everett
Spokane wins 4–0
Kelowna vs. Seattle
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Kelowna 3
2 Seattle
March 22
Kelowna 3
1 Seattle
March 24
(OT) Seattle 3
2 Kelowna
March 25
Seattle 6
4 Kelowna
March 27
Kelowna 2
6 Seattle
March 29
Seattle 3
4 Kelowna (OT)
April 1
Kelowna 2
4 Seattle
Seattle wins 4–3
Conference semi-finals
edit
Eastern Conference
Swift Current vs. Calgary
Date
Away
Home
April 4
Calgary 2
3 Swift Current
April 5
Calgary 5
2 Swift Current
April 8
Swift Current 5
6 Calgary (2OT)
April 9
Swift Current 2
3 Calgary
April 11
Swift Current 5
2 Calgary
April 12
Calgary 8
4 Swift Current
Calgary wins 4–2
Kootenay vs. Lethbridge
Date
Away
Home
April 4
Kootenay 3
2 Lethbridge
April 5
Kootenay 4
5 Lethbridge (OT)
April 8
Lethbridge 5
2 Kootenay
April 9
(2OT) Lethbridge 2
1 Kootenay
April 11
Kootenay 0
3 Lethbridge
Lethbridge wins 4–1
Western Conference
Vancouver vs. Spokane
Date
Away
Home
April 4
Vancouver 4
1 Spokane
April 6
Vancouver 1
4 Spokane
April 9
Spokane 3
2 Vancouver
April 11
Spokane 1
3 Vancouver
April 12
Spokane 4
0 Vancouver
April 14
Vancouver 1
3 Spokane
Spokane wins 4–2
Seattle vs. Tri-City
Date
Away
Home
April 4
Seattle 7
1 Tri-City
April 5
Seattle 0
4 Tri-City
April 8
Tri-City 3
2 Seattle
April 9
(OT) Tri-City 3
2 Seattle
April 11
Seattle 0
4 Tri-City
Tri-City wins 4–1
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Lethbridge vs. Calgary
Date
Away
Home
April 17
Lethbridge 5
2 Calgary
April 18
(OT) Lethbridge 4
3 Calgary
April 22
Calgary 0
6 Lethbridge
April 23
Calgary 2
4 Lethbridge
Lethbridge wins 4–0
Spokane vs. Tri-City
Date
Away
Home
April 18
(2OT) Spokane 1
0 Tri-City
April 20
Spokane 0
1 Tri-City (2OT)
April 21
Tri-City 0
2 Spokane
April 22
(OT) Tri-City 3
2 Spokane
April 26
(2OT) Spokane 4
3 Tri-City
April 28
(OT) Tri-City 2
1 Spokane
April 29
Spokane 4
1 Tri-City
Spokane wins 4–3
Lethbridge vs. Spokane
Date
Away
Home
May 2
Lethbridge 1
4 Spokane
May 3
Lethbridge 2
5 Spokane
May 6
(OT) Spokane 2
1 Lethbridge
May 7
Spokane 4
1 Lethbridge
Spokane wins 4-0
source: Western Hockey League press release
^ "Spokane Chiefs win Memorial Cup" . CBC Sports . May 25, 2008. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2024 .
^ "Edmonton joins WHL as 22nd franchise" . The Globe and Mail . The Canadian Press . March 17, 2006. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024 .
^ Vanstone, Rob (January 29, 2017). "Ed Chynoweth was an early architect of Canadian junior hockey" . Regina Leader-Post . Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2024 .
^ "Kitchener Rangers to Host 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup" . Ontario Hockey League (OHL). May 9, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ]
^ "2008 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 1" . WHL. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008 .