2027 edition at a glance
Four rounds to the Ed Chynoweth Cup
16 qualifying teams · Eight per conference · First round: best-of-five. Later rounds: best-of-seven.
| Round | Series | Maximum games per series | Wins to advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Second round | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| Conference finals | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| WHL Championship | 1 | 7 | 4 |
The championship winner advances to the Memorial Cup. Games marked If necessary are played only while a series remains undecided.
Who qualifies for the WHL playoffs?
Sixteen clubs qualify: eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference. The first-place club in each division takes one of its conference's top two first-round seeds, ordered by regular-season points. The next six clubs in that conference fill seeds three to eight.
First-round matchups and reseeding
In each conference, the first round pairs 1 against 8, 2 against 7, 3 against 6 and 4 against 5. For the second round and conference finals, surviving clubs are reseeded by regular-season points. Division winners' top-two priority applies to the first round only.
How many wins does a team need?
First round: best-of-five. Later rounds: best-of-seven. A 3–2 first-round series is over; a 3–2 series in a later round is not. Three opening-round wins and four in each of the next three rounds make 15 wins to the championship.
Home ice and travel
Home-ice advantage and the order of games are different things. The higher-seeded club has home-ice advantage within a conference; the finalist with more regular-season points has it in the championship. Travel, arena availability and approved series arrangements can change the home-away pattern. Check each published game rather than assuming every series follows the same sequence.
What happens when a playoff game is tied?
Play continues in 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods until a team scores. There is no playoff shootout. OT, 2OT and 3OT identify games decided in the first, second or third overtime period; the winner still earns one series win.
What changed for 2027?
The first round changes from best-of-seven to best-of-five. The eighth-place tiebreaker game has also been removed. Use the WHL's published qualifying order when teams finish level on points; do not assume goal difference alone settles a tie.
Conditional games and the championship
If necessary means a game is played only while the series is undecided. A sweep ends a series in the minimum number of games. The two conference champions meet for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and the WHL champion advances to the separate Memorial Cup tournament.
WHL playoffs questions
Are WHL playoff series best-of-five or best-of-seven?
First round: best-of-five. Later rounds: best-of-seven.
Does the bracket stay fixed after the first round?
No. Clubs are reseeded within their conference by regular-season points for the second round and conference finals.
Do overtime losses earn a playoff point?
No. Playoff series are decided by games won, not standings points. An overtime win counts as one series win.
Is the Memorial Cup another round of the WHL playoffs?
No. It is a separate tournament between the three CHL league champions and the host team.