High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2011–12 WHL season is the 46th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began in September 2011 and ended in March 2012. The following playoffs began on March 22 and ended in early May when the Edmonton Oil Kings won their first championship. This was the inaugural season of the Victoria Royals, a team that relocated to Victoria from Chilliwack where they played as the Chilliwack Bruins between 2006 and 2011.