The WHL

Western Hockey League

The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...

's Central Division was formed in 2001 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Central Division. As its name suggests, the division predominantly consists of the five Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

 teams. In 2004, A minor change saw the Kootenay Ice

Kootenay Ice

The Kootenay Ice are a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia and competing in the Western Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Cranbrook Recreational Complex, also nicknamed the RecPlex.-History:...

 move to the Central Division to accommodate the expansion Chilliwack Bruins

Chilliwack Bruins

The Chilliwack Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League, based out of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The 2006–07 season marked the Bruins inaugural season in the WHL. The team played at Prospera Centre, which was expanded to 5,386 seats for the arrival of the Bruins...

. Prior to the 2007-08 season which saw the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings

Edmonton Oil Kings

This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings...

 join, the Swift Current Broncos

Swift Current Broncos

The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos...

 moved to the East Division to accommodate the team. The aforementioned league realignment divided the WHL into two conferences of two divisions each: Eastern Conference: East Division; Central Division; Western Conference: B.C. Division; and the U.S. Division.

Current teams

• Calgary Hitmen
  Calgary Hitmen
  The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
  
  
• Edmonton Oil Kings
  Edmonton Oil Kings
  This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings...
  
  
• Kootenay Ice
  Kootenay Ice
  The Kootenay Ice are a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia and competing in the Western Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Cranbrook Recreational Complex, also nicknamed the RecPlex.-History:...
  
  
• Lethbridge Hurricanes
  Lethbridge Hurricanes
  The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Conference of the Western Hockey League in Lethbridge, Alberta. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centre.-History:...
  
  
• Medicine Hat Tigers
  Medicine Hat Tigers
  The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena....
  
  
• Red Deer Rebels
  Red Deer Rebels
  The Red Deer Rebels are a Western Hockey League junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centrium....