1978–79 WHL season
| 1978–79 WHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Regular season | |
| Season champion | Brandon Wheat Kings (3) |
| Season MVP | Perry Turnbull (Portland Winter Hawks) |
| Top scorer | Brian Propp (Brandon Wheat Kings) |
| Playoffs | |
| Finals champions | Brandon Wheat Kings (1) |
| Runners-up | Portland Winter Hawks |
| 1978–79 CHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Canadian Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of teams | 34 |
| OMJHL | |
| QMJHL | |
| WHL | |
| Memorial Cup | |
| Finals champions | Peterborough Petes (OMJHL) (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
The 1978–79 WHL season was the 13th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), and the first under that shortened name after previously operating as the Western Canada Hockey League. The season featured twelve teams and a 72-game regular season. The Brandon Wheat Kings secured their third consecutive regular season title, posting the league's best record—accumulating a league record 125 points in the standings—and followed the title up with the team's first playoff championship, defeating the Portland Winter Hawks in the final series to capture the President's Cup.[1]
The season was the first—and only—season for the second incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings after the Flin Flon Bombers relocated to Edmonton prior to the season.
Team changes
[edit]- The Flin Flon Bombers relocated to Edmonton, Alberta, becoming the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Regular season
[edit]Final standings
[edit]| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 58 | 5 | 9 | 125 | 491 | 230 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 26 | 32 | 14 | 66 | 385 | 398 |
| x Edmonton Oil Kings | 72 | 17 | 43 | 12 | 46 | 288 | 403 |
| Regina Pats | 72 | 18 | 47 | 7 | 43 | 297 | 481 |
| Central Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Billings Bighorns | 72 | 38 | 23 | 11 | 87 | 378 | 302 |
| x Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 81 | 389 | 326 |
| x Calgary Wranglers | 72 | 28 | 38 | 6 | 62 | 349 | 392 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 15 | 50 | 7 | 37 | 270 | 479 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 49 | 10 | 13 | 111 | 432 | 265 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 34 | 27 | 11 | 79 | 318 | 295 |
| x New Westminster Bruins | 72 | 34 | 32 | 6 | 74 | 310 | 301 |
| Seattle Breakers | 72 | 21 | 40 | 11 | 53 | 299 | 334 |
Scoring leaders
[edit]Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Propp | Brandon Wheat Kings | 71 | 94 | 100 | 194 | 127 |
| Ray Allison | Brandon Wheat Kings | 62 | 60 | 93 | 153 | 191 |
| Laurie Boschman | Brandon Wheat Kings | 65 | 66 | 83 | 149 | 215 |
| Duane Sutter | Lethbridge Broncos | 71 | 50 | 75 | 125 | 212 |
| Doug Morrison | Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 56 | 67 | 123 | 159 |
| Kelly Kisio | Calgary Wranglers | 70 | 60 | 61 | 121 | 73 |
| Mike Toal | Portland Winter Hawks | 71 | 38 | 83 | 121 | 32 |
| Brent Ashton | Saskatoon Blades | 62 | 64 | 65 | 119 | 180 |
| Perry Turnbull | Portland Winter Hawks | 70 | 75 | 43 | 118 | 191 |
| Gord Williams | Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 58 | 59 | 117 | 60 |
1979 WHL Playoffs
[edit]Division semi-finals
[edit]Round robin format
- Brandon (7–1) advanced
- Saskatoon (3–5) advanced
- Edmonton (2–6) eliminated
- Lethbridge (5–3) advanced
- Calgary (4–4) advanced
- Billings (3–5) eliminated
- Portland (7–1) advanced
- Victoria (3–5) advanced
- New Westminster (2–6) eliminated
Division finals
[edit]- Brandon defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 0
- Lethbridge defeated Calgary 4 games to 3
- Portland defeated Victoria 4 games to 3
League semi-finals
[edit]Round Robin format
- Brandon (3–1) advanced
- Portland (3–1) advanced
- Lethbridge (0–4) eliminated
WHL Championship
[edit]- Brandon defeated Portland 4 games to 2
WHL awards
[edit]All-Star Teams
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Drinnan, Gregg (August 14, 2021). "1978-79 BWK Series — Day 17 — 1970s was a very different era". Brandon Sun. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- 2005–06 WHL Guide