WHL will return to Edmonton for 2007-08 season

The Edmonton Oilers have officially been granted a major junior hockey franchise which will join the Western Hockey League for the 2007-08 season.

Key conditions for the granting of the WHL franchise to Edmonton included: securing a long-term lease for the WHL franchise to play all of it’s home games at Rexall Place; a long-term business plan for the WHL franchise, including a proposed operating structure; and a commitment to operate a WHL franchise in the city of Edmonton for a minimum of 10 years.

The Edmonton franchise becomes the 22nd member club in the WHL in 2007-08, and will begin the process of adding players to a protected list in October prior to the WHL bantam draft and CHL import draft in 2007.

The move marks the return to Edmonton by the WHL for the first time since 1998. The Edmonton Ice, owned by former WHL commissioner Ed Chynoweth, left the city after two difficult seasons for Cranbrook, British Columbia, to become the Kootenay Ice.

“We are very pleased to be re-establishing a Western Hockey League franchise in the Edmonton market,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison said Tuesday in a statement issued by the league. “We believe under the Oilers ownership, the franchise will become one of the most successful in the WHL.”

Edmonton Oilers president and CEO Patrick Laforge will serve as governor of the Edmonton WHL franchise.

The Oilers will become the third NHL owner of a major junior hockey team.

The Calgary Flames own the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen and Senators majority owner Eugene Melnyk owns the Ontario Hockey League’s Toronto St. Michael’s Majors.