Get ready for a full season of Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats.
The Western Hockey League announced Tuesday that the 2021-22 regular season will start on Friday, October 1 with a 68-game schedule in what is anticipated to be played in front of fans in what will be a friendly and safe environment.
The schedule will see conference play only meaning the Pats and all other Eastern Division teams will just play against their counterparts from the Central Division with no trips to B.C or the U.S.
The playoffs are scheduled to start on April 8, 2022, with the re-introduction of the Conference Playoff format.
The first-place teams in the two Divisions in each Conference will receive the top two playoff seeds based on Regular Season points. The next six Clubs in each Conference, based on Regular Season points, will receive the third to eighth playoff positions.
Clubs advancing to the second round and Conference Championships will be re-seeded each round based on Regular Season points. The two Conference Champions will advance to the WHL Championship Series, with the Club possessing the most Regular Season points receiving home-ice advantage.
All series throughout the 2022 WHL Playoffs will follow a best-of-seven format.
Teams will announce their home-opening dates on Wednesday with the full Eastern Conference schedule being announced at a later date.
