I was recently inspired by an article by Elliotte Friedman (point 29) of Sportsnet, who discussed that he keeps a stat regarding November 1 and teams that make the playoffs or don’t. Since 2005-06 only six of 48 teams that were at least four points out of a playoff spot made the playoffs in that particular season. This year there are six NHL teams vying for a playoff spot that were more than four points out as of Nov. 1.
I had not had an opportunity at the time of Nov. 1 to compile the information for WHL teams but I did want to try to get one done for 
Dec. 1 as it has happened in the WHL a number of times. This will include all games up to and including ones played Nov. 30. The comparison is for the standings as of the end of action on that day.
I’ll start with the 2008-09 season and carry on to last year. I will then summarize the last nine seasons and then see what we can expect for this year. I have included all non-playoff teams in this example.
2008-09 WHL Regular Season
In the Western Conference the Chilliwack Bruins held the final playoff spot with 22 points. They finished the regular season with 45 points, going 10-31-0-3 after Dec. 1. The Prince George Cougars were nipping at their heals with 21 points, but finished in eighth place with 53 points after going 15-26-0-2 after Dec. 1.
In the Eastern Conference the Regina Pats were sitting fifth with a 16-11-1-3 record (36 points) on Dec. 1. They finished outside the playoff race after going just 11-28-0-2. The team that would move into a playoff spot would be the Lethbridge Hurricanes who sat ninth at 14-12-0-1 (29 points). They went on a 21-20-3-1 run after Dec. 1, earning themselves a seventh place finish.
2009-10 WHL Regular Season
This year would not see a team that was out of the playoffs on Dec. 1 make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
There would be two teams in the Eastern Conference that made the playoffs from the outside looking in. The Kootenay ICE were in ninth place with a record of 13-13-1-1 (28 points). Once the calendar hit December they went 30-11-2-1 to finish an astonishing fourth in the Eastern Conference with 91 points. Red Deer would be the other team to leap into a playoff spot, sitting 10th before Dec. 1. They were 13-14-0-0 (26 points). They were able to post a 26-14-0-5 record after Dec. 1 and finish seventh with 83 points. Prince Albert was sixth with 33 points at the cutoff and finished in 9th with 69 points while Regina who also had 33 points in 7th place finished 10th with 67 points.
2010-11 WHL Regular Season
In the Western Conference the Everett Silvertips would be in last place at the end of November. They had a record of 11-12-1-3 (26 points) in a tightly contested division. By the time the playoffs rolled around the Silvertips had gone 17-21-6-1 after Dec. 1 to get into the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. The team that was on the outside would be the Seattle Thunderbirds. They had three points more than Everett at Nov. 30 but stumbled the rest of the way going just 16-28-2-1 to finish in last place in the West.
Out East there would be two teams that made enough of a late season drive to sneak in to the playoffs while the sixth and seventh seeds at Dec. 1 was ousted. Prince Albert sat in tenth place, two points back of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the final playoff spot. They were 9-15-2-2 before the calendar turned to December. Afterwards, they would go 22-21-0-1 to finish in eighth place and the final playoff spot with 67 points. The Edmonton Oil Kings were in ninth in the Eastern Conference (11-14-0-1) and willed their way into seventh place going 20-20-2-4. This was of course helped by the fact that the Hurricanes (seventh, 11-11-1-3) went just 12-25-4-5 during the rest of the season and the Swift Current Broncos had an epic collapse going just 11-30-0-2 after starting 15-14-0-0.
2011-12 WHL Regular Season
In the Western Conference the Silvertips got off to a poor start through November. The team had compiled a 5-17-0-4 record (14 points) that had them tied for last place in the entire WHL. As luck would have it, the Silvertips would post a 17-23-2-4 record after and sneak past the Thunderbirds who held the last playoff spot on Dec. 1. Just two points would separate the teams but it was Seattle’s final stretch that did them in as they went just 13-33-1-0. They would finish with just 52 points to Everett’s 54.
In the Eastern Conference it was Red Deer’s turn to be ousted from a playoff spot after Dec. 1. They were seventh in the East at 14-9-0-3 but went just 18-25-1-2. The Regina Pats passed Red Deer (and Kootenay) locking up the seventh seed. They went from 13-11-1-1 at the end of November (28 points) to go 24-16-5-1 and earn a total of 82 points.
2012-13 WHL Regular Season
There would only be Eastern Conference teams swapping positions in this season and it would be the ICE making another amazing comeback from the basement of the WHL. At the end of November they had just 17 points (8-16-1-0) but turned it on for the remainder of the season. Running along at a 27-19-1-0 clip the rest of the way, landing them in eighth place with a 35-35-2-0 record at seasons end. Medicine Hat would also turn it on for the final four months of the season. They had an 11-16-2-0 record on Dec. 1, three points back of a playoff spot. They would go 25-17-0-1 to end the year in seventh place with 75 points. The collapses were not as bad as in past seasons but Moose Jaw would go from eighth (10-12-3-4) to tenth after going just 15-24-1-3 after November. Lethbridge was maybe the biggest surprise as they were in fifth place (14-13-1-2) and fell to ninth with 66 points after closing out with 14-21-2-5 record.
2013-14 WHL Regular Season
None of the teams outside of the playoff picture on Dec. 1 would go on to make the playoffs.
2014-15 WHL Regular Season
In the Western Conference the Thunderbirds found themselves tied with Prince George for the final playoff spot but in ninth place due to tie breakers. They were 11-12-2-2 (26 points) on Nov. 30. They turned it on for the final four months, as the team sported a 27-13-2-3 record and finished with 85 points. This gave them third place in the U.S. Division, as the Kamloops Blazers were pushed out of the playoff picture. The Blazers sat in third in the B.C. Division with 27 points (11-13-3-2). After Dec. 1 they would go just 17-24-1-1 and finish with 63 points and miss the playoffs by two points.
In the Eastern Conference the ICE again found themselves out of the playoffs on Nov. 30. The team was 13-15-0-0 (26
points) and in tenth place. They did sit just one point out of a playoff position. From Dec. 1 on the team went 24-16-1-3. They would climb into the second wild card playoff spot with 78 points. That would mean that a team would be pushed out of the playoff picture, and that team would be Moose Jaw. The Warriors were 12-12-2-1 on Nov. 30 but would go just 20-23-2-0 after and wind up the season in ninth overall with just 69 points.
2015-16 WHL Regular Season
No teams outside of the playoff picture would make the playoffs after Dec. 1.
2016-17 WHL Regular Season
Just one team from outside the playoff picture and make the playoffs during this season. The team came from the Eastern Conference, as the Calgary Hitmen who were in ninth place, eight points back of the final playoff spot. They started off going 8-12-2-0 (18 points) but would make a go of it after Dec. 1, with a 22-20-6-2 record. They would wind up the year with 70 points and the second wild card position. The Oil Kings would be the team that they replaced in the playoffs, the Oil Kings were in eighth place with a four point lead on ninth place their record was 12-13-2-0. Their season didn’t go as planned, as they finished out with an 11-30-3-1 record. They finished with 52 points and in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
Summary
There were nine seasons used to show how difficult it is for teams make the playoffs after Dec. 1, no matter how many points out of the picture they were. So in nine seasons there would be 54 times a team would be out of a playoff position. Of those, 14 times a team was able to make it in after Dec. 1. This meant that 25.9 per cent of teams outside the playoffs would make it in. The 2012-13 ICE would be the furthest back of a playoff spot on Dec. 1, at 10 points. This is largest margin of points made up. Only two of the teams that made the playoffs in this manner were able to win their playoff series, the 2008-09 Hurricanes would win their opening round series against the Saskatoon Blades four games to three before for falling to the Hitmen in four games. Also, the 2012-13 Medicine Hat Tigers would win their first round series, also against the Blades. The Blades were Memorial Cup hosts that year and the Tigers swept them in four straight. They would go on to lose to the Oil Kings in the second round in four straight.
That brings us to this year. There are two teams in the Western Conference and four teams in the Eastern Conference that are out of a playoff spot. What happens to these teams remains to be seen.
The Blazers are just one point out and the Cougars are three back. After an awful start, the Blazers have really turned it on and are back in contention. After a decent start the Cougars have lost four straight and six of their last 10.
In the East the Blades are two points out of the final wild card spot, and 12 points back of third in the east division. The Rebels are four points back of the final wild card spot but just two points back of third in the central division. The Hitmen are seven points behind the wild card spot and six behind third in the central. In last place are the Oil Kings. They have 12 points and are 13 back of the last wild card spot and 12 points back of third in the central division.
Special thank you to Jeff Hollick (@JeffHollick) for his help with the research of team records.
