Hockey Canada expands WCDM pilot project
Hockey Canada has announced that after a successful first season, the Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM) pilot project will expand its scope for the 2025-26 season, with an emphasis on roster composition.
Announced in July 2024, the WCDM pilot project is a joint initiative between Hockey Canada’s four Western Members, their respective Junior A hockey leagues and the Western Hockey League (WHL) that prioritizes athlete development on and off the ice through four key pillars:
- Player advancement
- Roster composition
- Standard of play and rules
- Alignment and messaging
“Throughout the WCDM pilot project, the four Western Members and six junior leagues have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to bringing forward innovative and creative solutions to enhance the delivery of hockey in Western Canada for players and their families,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “The expansion of the pilot will ensure that our system continues to evolve to meet the needs of our participants, prioritizes their safety on and off the ice and produces high-quality junior hockey throughout Western Canada for years to come.”
The initial season of the pilot project introduced eight changes to junior hockey in Western Canada, including increased flexibility in the development pathway for 15- and 16-year olds, the choice to wear half-face protection for players 18 years of age or older and streamlined playing rules between Junior A leagues and the WHL.
“The KIJHL’s participation in the Western Canadian Development Model has created exciting new opportunities for our league and member clubs to help develop players for advancement to the Western Hockey League,” says Commissioner Jeff Dubois. “We’ve already started to experience these benefits through the increased number of WHL drafted, listed and signed players competing in the KIJHL as well as the tremendous growth of the BCHC Prospects Game. We appreciate the investment that Hockey Canada is making in the growth of Junior A hockey in Western Canada, and look forward to seeing this partnership continue to strengthen over the coming year.”
Next season, five additional changes will be implemented as part of the pilot:
- Western Junior A teams will be permitted to register up to five U.S.-born players at one time on their active roster, a decrease from the previous six.
- 16- and 17-year-old U.S.-born players who have been drafted, listed or signed by a WHL team will be eligible to be rostered by any Western Junior A team.
- Each Western Junior A team will be eligible to roster one 16- or 17-year-old player whose parent(s) reside(s) outside of their province or region, if the player has been drafted, listed or signed by a WHL team. (Up to a maximum of 23 such players across all Western Junior A teams, or one player from each WHL team.)
- Out-of-province players who participate in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) will be eligible to affiliate with Western Junior A teams in their school’s respective province or region.
- No more than eight players born in a province not participating in the WCDM may be registered on the active roster of a Western Junior A team.
Data from the WCDM pilot project will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with the expectation that additional changes will be introduced in future seasons.