Draft:Chilliwack WHL franchise (2026)
Western Hockey League franchise
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The Chilliwack WHL franchise will debut in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as an expansion team in the 2027–28 WHL season.
| Chilliwack WHL franchise | |
|---|---|
| City | Chilliwack |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | B.C. |
| Home arena | Chilliwack Coliseum |
In March 2025, the WHL announced that it was seeking proposals from prospective owners for a planned expansion franchise in Chilliwack.[1] The announcement was controversial. It meant that the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL would be displaced from the Chilliwack Coliseum.[2] Chilliwack mayor, Ken Popove, publicly stated that he was personally opposed to the decision.[3] League commissioner, Dan Near, acknowledged and apologized for the "long-standing friction" between the league and the City caused by the relocation of the former Chilliwack Bruins WHL franchise to Victoria in 2011.[4]