Years ago, WHL teams were allowed to list first-year bantam players as of a set date in September.
This had many drawbacks including the need for extensive scouting systems along with the related expense, as well the added pressure on peewee-aged players (12- and 13-year-olds).
WHL teams send scouts to watch second-year bantams from the start of the minor hockey season.
After the season, the WHL holds a draft specifically to allow teams to add bantam players in an orderly manner to their protected lists.
During the bantam draft (typically held in early May), players from the four Western Provinces and the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible to be selected.
Players from non-North American countries are allowed to be added in the CHL Import Draft which is held in June.
As a result, the List is constantly changing as teams evaluate their players and make adjustments.