The WHL announced yesterday that the length of the regular season will be slightly reduced starting in the 2018-19 season.

The league's Board of Governors has agreed on a 68-game regular season moving forward, a four-game reduction from the current 72-game schedule.

In a release on WHL.ca, the league cites "Playing four less games during the Regular Season will serve to reduce travel and balance the schedule while providing more time for players to focus on training and skill development, as well as their academic studies."

The new 68-game season now aligns with the OHL and QMJHL who are currently playing with that length of schedule.

The soon-to-be former 72-game mark has been in place since the 1975-76 WHL season