A Very WHL Christmas: Eastern Conference

With Saint Nicholas set to appear on the eve of Wednesday, we at THN look at ten WHL clubs and what they may have wished for under their tree this Christmas. Up first: the Eastern Conference.

Saskatoon Blades: A winning streak

The Blades have had a less-than-stellar run to end the unofficial first half of the season, riding a six-game winless skid, but they still sit at second place in the East. With that said, Saskatoon has an opportunity to regain their momentum with a holiday reset as well as some favourable divsional matchups to close out the 2024 calendar year. With goaltender Evan Gardner not in Ottawa for the World Junior Championships, the Blades can prime themselves for a strong return to play.

Edmonton Oil Kings: A playoff spot

After some rough sledding over the past couple of seasons due to the aftermath of the 2022 WHL Championship victory, Alberta's capital city is on the rise once again. Despite taking a loss to Prince Albert to enter their break, the Oil Kings do occupy a playoff position headiing into the holidays. Boasting a 7-3-0-0 record over their last 10 contests, Edmonton could be a force to be reckoned with once forwards Miroslav Holinka and Adam Jecho return from international play. In addition, having Florida Panthers prospect Gracyn Sawchyn go nuclear lately doesn't hurt either.

Prince Albert Raiders: Continued rookie success

The Raiders are not-so-quietly building an embarrasment of riches with their group of youth, defender Daxon Rudolph and forward Ty Meunier (both 2008) just to name a couple. Rudolph is quickly becoming a strong all-around player with some tough minutes, and Meunier is finding his stride offensively in the middle six. Prince Albert has also seen (limited) success with 2009-born blueliner Brock Cripps, who will undoubtedly be a full time fixture next season.

Brandon Wheat Kings: A (healthy) Roger McQueen

While Brandon admittedly has been chugging along just fine without McQueen, sitting at 6th in the conference, it's tough to say that a return from the 2025 NHL Draft prospect wouldn't be immediately welcome. The 6'5 forward totalled 11 points in just eight games before going down with injury in mid-October, and was projected to be a top-ten pick in June of 2025.

Lethbridge Hurricanes: Bountiful return on investment

This one is a little more vague, but the details are simple. It hasn't even been six games yet, but the Hurricanes are likely in love with their early Christmas gifts. "Captain Canada" Brayden Yager potted a tidy four points in two games with Lethbridge before taking off for the World Juniors, and goaltender Jackson Unger, after a shaky first game, has had a save percentage above .910 in each of his last four starts (three of them above .935). These two will be instrumental in the new year, and will more than likely lead the Hurricanes to a deep playoff run.

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