1979–80 WHL season

1979–80 WHL season
LeagueWestern Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams11
Regular season
Scotty Munro Memorial TrophyPortland Winter Hawks (1)
Season MVPDoug Wickenheiser (Regina Pats)
Top scorerDoug Wickenheiser (Regina Pats)
Playoffs
Finals championsRegina Pats (2)
  Runners-upVictoria Cougars
WHL seasons
1979–80 CHL season
LeagueCanadian Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams33
OMJHL
QMJHL
WHL
Memorial Cup
Finals championsCornwall Royals (QMJHL) (2nd title)
  Runners-upPeterborough Petes (OMJHL)

The 1979–80 WHL season was the 14th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). It featured eleven teams completing a 72-game regular season. The Portland Winter Hawks became the first American-based club to top the regular season standings, capturing the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. In the playoffs, the Regina Pats won their second President's Cup, defeating the Victoria Cougars in the championship final.

The season was the first for the Great Falls Americans, after the Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Great Falls prior to the season. However, the team lasted only 28 games before ceasing operations on December 16, 1979, for the remainder of the season. Thus while twelve teams opened the season, only eleven played it through to completion.

League notes

  • The WHL changed its divisional format, opting for a two division format of eight teams in the East and four in the West over the previous three division format.

Team changes

Regular season

Final standings

East Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Regina Pats 72 47 24 1 95 429 311
x Calgary Wranglers 72 43 27 2 88 376 319
x Medicine Hat Tigers 72 37 30 5 79 344 315
x Billings Bighorns 72 37 34 1 75 326 284
x Brandon Wheat Kings 72 33 37 2 68 319 343
x Lethbridge Broncos 72 28 39 5 61 329 349
Saskatoon Blades 72 27 40 5 59 331 382
Great Falls Americans1 28 2 25 1 5 73 186
West Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Portland Winter Hawks 72 53 18 1 107 398 293
x Victoria Cougars 72 51 21 0 102 349 226
x Seattle Breakers 72 29 41 2 60 297 364
New Westminster Bruins 72 10 61 1 21 244 443

1Folded mid-season

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Doug Wickenheiser Regina Pats 71 89 81 170 99
Tim Tookey Portland Winter Hawks 70 58 83 141 55
Barry Pederson Victoria Cougars 72 52 88 140 50
Kelly Kisio Calgary Wranglers 71 65 73 138 64
Jim Dobson Portland Winter Hawks 72 66 68 134 179
Ron Flockhart Regina Pats 65 54 76 130 63
Gord Williams Lethbridge Broncos 72 57 65 122 92
Darren Veitch Regina Pats 71 29 93 122 118
Brian Varga Regina Pats 70 39 79 118 97
Doug Morrison Lethbridge Broncos 68 58 59 117 188

1980 WHL Playoffs

First round

  • Regina defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 0
  • Brandon defeated Calgary 4 games to 3
  • Medicine Hat defeated Billings 4 games to 3

Division semi-finals

Round Robin format

  • Medicine Hat (3–1) advanced
  • Regina (2–2) advanced
  • Brandon (1–3) eliminated
  • Victoria (5–3) advanced
  • Seattle (4–4) advanced
  • Portland (3–5) eliminated

Division finals

  • Regina defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 1
  • Victoria defeated Seattle 4 games to 0

WHL Championship

  • Regina defeated Victoria 4 games to 1

WHL awards

Most Valuable Player: Doug Wickenheiser, Regina Pats
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Doug Wickenheiser, Regina Pats
Most Sportsmanlike Player: Steve Tsujiura, Medicine Hat Tigers
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Dave Babych, Portland Winter Hawks
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Grant Fuhr, Victoria Cougars
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Kevin Eastman, Victoria Cougars
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Doug Sauter, Calgary Wranglers
Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Portland Winter Hawks

All-Star Teams

First Team Second team
Goal Grant Fuhr Victoria Cougars Andy Moog Billings Bighorns
Defense Dave Babych Portland Winter Hawks Jim McTaggart Billings Bighorns
Darren Veitch Regina Pats Mark Robinson Victoria Cougars
Center Doug Wickenheiser Regina Pats Barry Pederson Victoria Cougars
Left wing Greg C. Adams (tied) Victoria Cougars Ken Solheim Medicine Hat Tigers
Florent Robidoux (tied) Portland Winter Hawks - -
Right wing Jim Dobson Portland Winter Hawks Mike Blaisdell (tie) Regina Pats
- - Don Gillen (tie) Brandon Wheat Kings

See also

References

  • 2005–06 WHL Guide
Preceded by WHL seasons Succeeded by