One On One With WHL Commissioner Dan Near Ahead Of The 2024-25 Season

Back in November 2023, the WHL announced that Dan Near would take over as the league's new commissioner. While he officially took over in mid-February, the 2024-25 campaign will be Near's first official season as WHL Commissioner. In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, Near discussed a wide variety of topics, including the current state of the league as well as some of his future plans for the WHL.

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Being the commissioner of a league like the WHL is no easy task. With 22 teams spread across the four Provinces and two States, it is the largest of the three leagues in the CHL. As Near explains, while being commissioner means a lot of late nights and phone calls, he is ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

"I see the opportunity is bigger, grander, more exciting than maybe even what I contemplated what life might be like as the Commissioner of the Western Hockey League, said Near. "I think one of the things that was surprising is it never stops. I'm very lucky here to have a leadership team around me, to have governors and owners and general managers and coaches and heads of business who are all very ambitious, very independent, very hands-on, and as a result, my phone doesn't stop ringing."

While he has only been on the job for a few months, Near has been actively seeking ways to strengthen the WHL's brand. This includes everything from improving the on-ice product to ensuring players' success after they leave the WHL. While these improvements will take time, Near and his team are constantly having conversations surrounding ways to make the experience better for both players and fans.

"There's always stuff to talk about, and generally speaking, it's all very forward-thinking. How do we advance the league? How do we continue to create an enhanced player experience? How do we ensure that we don't lose track of our main role, which is developing players as people and as hockey players, and that's really fun. I think I would have been disappointed if I had gotten here and found out, oh, there's absolutely nothing we can do better. You go into this thinking of all these ambitious ideas and the great things you could try to impact, influence and leave your mark. I'm pleased to say there is so much we can continue to evolve and improve on, and the people around here are so dedicated and committed. We have a big season ahead."

Related: Dan Near Named Next WHL Commissioner

The talent level currently in the WHL is one area Near is very excited about. This past June, 34 WHLers were selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, with four going in the top ten. For Near, having this much talent spread across the league is an exciting opportunity, as it shows why the WHL is one of the best developmental leagues in the world.

"We're incredibly proud of the calibre of talent in the league. Look no further than somebody like Connor Bedard, who is just recently removed from playing in this league and is now making an impact at the National Hockey League level. There are so many players of that ilk that have that immediate success, so it's not lost on us. If you go to the NHL draft, four picks in the top ten coming from the Western Hockey League. These are players that fans are excited to see."

Speaking of prospects, the CHL is doing something a little different when it comes to the annual prospects game. Instead of having a one-game showcase featuring only CHL players, this year's event will be a two-game battle between the CHL and USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Scheduled for November 26 and 27, the OHL will be hosting this year's event with games in London and Oshawa. As Near describes, this new format is a great way to showcase the top talent in the CHL while also getting a glimpse of players currently players currently playing for the NTDP.

"The prospects game is an important event for draft-eligible players, and that's evolving. This year, we're doing something really exciting against the US team and bringing the top Canadian Hockey League talent together for that. I think that we're going to continue to look at ways to put the spotlight on our guys."

While the dates and locations of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge have been revealed, there are still details that need to be ironed out. The biggest one revolves around the selection of players, as there will not be as many roster spots for prospects under the new format. This is something Near and the other two commissioners are aware of and are actively working on to ensure prospects get the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of NHL scouts.

"It's something that the commissioners of the three leagues have spent a good amount of time talking about. There's no question that there's a change in the number of prospects getting exposure at this event that's really designed for scouting. The guys that are exposed are certainly going to be, given the best look possible and the opportunity, I think, to elevate their standing. As far as the number of guys, I think that's something that we all as leagues have to take a look at to ensure that this isn't just a showcase of a really small percentage of the available talent in the leagues. We're still working through that. We've had conversations about whether we should broaden the roster and give more guys an opportunity to play in this, but we also want to win. We didn't sign up for this to go and get trampled. We're going to be playing against a good hockey team that plays together throughout the year, and we're going to be bringing guys together for a week. We've got to find a good balance as far as exposing players and going in and putting a competitive team on the ice."

Another focus of Near's is getting as many eyes on the WHL as possible. While posting clips and highlights are great exposure for the league, having people come out to games and connect with the teams and players is crucial for the league's long-term success. Whether that is through player profiles or even league events throughout the season, Near and his team are looking at every option to bring more exposure to the league.

"The starting point is giving people more access to the product. What I mean by that is I don't want the only people who are paying attention to Gavin McKenna and Cayden Lindstrom are to be people in Medicine Hat. Of course, that's the anchor fan base, but we've got to find a way to make those highlights available, to create the content via social media, via YouTube and other areas so that people can build their affinity around what's going on these players before they leave for the National Hockey League. A lot of people know who Tij Iginla is, but not enough are able to watch him play. Whether that is through special events, what I would love to do is put these guys on a bigger pedestal. It is part of my job to ensure that the hockey community gets to know these players earlier and gets to see the calibre of hockey being played in the league. We just have to make the product more accessible. We can't just show up at the league championship and Memorial Cup and expect people to be deeply, deeply engaged. They've got to be following us along the way. We have superstar players, we have some great stories, we've got great rivalries. We're going to be making major efforts to up our game as it relates to the availability of highlights, content, behind the scenes, stories and distribution of the game."

Speaking of the Memorial Cup, in November, the CHL will announce which WHL team will host the tournament in 2026. The five teams looking to host the tournament are the Brandon Wheat Kings, Kelowna Rockets, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Spokane Chiefs, who all submitted bids this offseason. While the CHL ultimately makes the decision, Near has enjoyed watching the process and seeing how the cities have stepped up to help with the bidding process.

"What I'm really excited about is the diversity of markets and communities who have signalled their attempt to bid. The back and forth with some of the organizations and governments. The idea of having a national event like this in Western Canada or the US, it's an opportunity. It only comes around once every three years. I went to my first in Saginaw this year, and they did a fantastic job hosting. I'm looking forward to Rimouski this coming year and being there with whoever the winning bidder is from the Western Hockey League so we can ensure that, as hosts, we do a fantastic job and put on the best event we've ever seen."

While most of the focus surrounding the WHL is on the on-ice product, Near wants to find a way to better highlight how the league helps players with their education. Whether players are in high school or post-secondary, the league works with teams to ensure they get the assistance they need to succeed. As Near explains, the league is not just designed to help players shine on the ice but also so that they can get an education after they graduate from the WHL.

"I think reputationally, it's really important that people understand what we're here for. We're here to develop players on and off the ice. So few people talk about or understand the investment that we make in education and player experience. When you think about the fact that every team has an education advisor who's working to ensure these young athletes make the right selections around high school credits to ensure they're university or college-ready, it's setting themselves up to utilize the scholarship that they earn when you play in our league. We're spending over $3 million in scholarships this year for graduates from our league, and they're going to schools across Canada and the US. The idea that that's not really a well-known part of what we do, I think is a weakness. When you think about the story behind major junior hockey, they're not just hockey players. We want to get out there and showcase that a little bit more.

Driven and ambitious are arguably the best ways to describe the newest WHL Commissioner. It is clear Near understands the league's strengths and weaknesses and is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure the WHL has long-term success. Overall, the WHL is in a strong place heading into the 2024-25 campaign, with Near's leadership being one of the many reasons why.

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