Local Heroes: A History of the Western Hockey League

Glynn A. Leyshon is a professor of physical education at the University
of Western Ontario, a former weekly columnist for the London Free Press,
and author of 18 Sporting Stories.

Junior hockey is the major source of talent for the NHL, and the Western
Hockey League has won the Memorial Cup in seven of the past ten years.
This gives the west some stature in hockey ranks, and each of the 23
clubs in the League is given a brief history (some are very brief, since
some of the clubs have only been in operation for a year). The graduates
from each to the NHL are proudly listed. The Brandon Wheat Kings, for
example, have been in existence since the League’s inception in 1966;
their 38 alumni who have so far made it to the NHL are listed, and
special write-ups are supplied for the likes of Ron Hextall and Ray
Ferrars.

There seems to have been an arbitrary choice of players to be given
individual attention, but perhaps these were meant to serve as examples
only. It does seem strange, however, that only three or four out of many
NHLers are included for each team represented.

One should note that this is not exclusively a Canadian league; it
includes teams in Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland so there is an
international flavor even if the majority of players are Canadian.

This is an interesting historical record and would be valuable to
sports writers, historians, and hockey buffs.