2005–06 WHL season
The 2005–06 WHL season was the 40th season for the Western Hockey League. Twenty teams completed a 72-game schedule. The Vancouver Giants won their first President's Cup, defeating the Moose Jaw Warriors in the championship series and earning a berth in the 2006 Memorial Cup tournament. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record for the first time since 1985–86.
League notes
Following changes introduced by the National Hockey League following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the WHL announced that it would adopt many of the new rules put in place by the National Hockey League this season to increase scoring, including:
- Shootouts: Ties no longer possible, with games tied at the end of overtime proceeding to a shootout. Shootout losses count as one point in the standings.
- Tighter standards of officiating, especially as it relates to obstruction fouls.
- Introduction of the goaltender restriction zone, or the "trapezoid". Goaltenders are forbidden from playing the puck in the corners behind the goal line. A violation will merit a two-minute delay of game penalty.
- Tag-up offside rule will be used.
- The centre-ice red line will no longer be considered for the purpose of determining an offside pass.
- Any player who shoots the puck over the glass and out of play from their defensive zone will receive a delay of game penalty.
- Any team called for icing the puck from within their defensive zone will not be permitted a line change. Unlike the NHL, any team that ices the puck from their half of the neutral zone will be permitted to change.
The WHL did not immediately modify the goal and blue lines to increase the size of the offensive zones like the NHL, as the league felt that the teams did not have enough time to modify their arenas. Only the Calgary Hitmen, sharing an arena with the NHL's Calgary Flames, played using the new alignment. The new standard was to be employed by the remaining teams beginning in the 2006–07 season.
Internet broadcasts
On September 14, 2005, Commissioner Ron Robison announced the league's intention to broadcast the entire 2005–06 season and playoffs live online on a pay-per-view basis. Partnering with streaming media company INSINC, this marked the first time in WHL history that fans, media and scouts were able to watch WHL action online.
Regular season
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Goaltending leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout losses ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
On November 30, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 9–2 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan before a crowd of 5,572.
On December 1, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 3–1 in Regina, Saskatchewan before a crowd of 4,662.
All-Star teams
2006 Bantam draft
The 2006 WHL Bantam Draft took place in Calgary on Thursday, May 4. It was the 17th annual draft to take place.