Teams played approximately 50 games in the regular season schedule, mimicking what players would experience at the collegiate level.

Current commissioner Ron White took over operation of the WSHL in 1995 and continued to expand the league footprint.

In 2011, the league joined the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and dropped its USA Hockey sanctioning[2] leading to the loss of its most successful franchise, the Phoenix Polar Bears, while adding many new teams.

The WSHL has had great success in moving players on to the college hockey ranks through the "Western States Shootout", an annual all-league showcase held every December in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[8] In April 2020, the WSHL lost the Fresno Monsters, Las Vegas Thunderbirds, Northern Colorado Eagles, Ogden Mustangs,[9] Ontario Avalanche, Pueblo Bulls, San Diego Sabers, Southern Oregon Spartans, and the Utah Outliers to the United States Premier Hockey League, another independent junior hockey organization.

[16] The season started the last weekend of October and the expansion Utah Altitude folded after one game played.

[17][18] By November 5, the Northwest Division was announced as going dormant for the season with no games played by Bellingham, Rogue Valley, or Seattle.

[53] In its only season (2015–16), the WPL played with four Tier III prospect teams under Tier II organizations (the Casper Coyotes, Cheyenne Stampede, El Paso Rhinos, and Ogden Mustangs) with occasional games against non-WSHL affiliated teams.