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Junior ice hockey season
Sports season
Sports season
The 1997–98 WHL season was the 32nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The season featured eighteen teams and a 72-game season. The Portland Winter Hawks won both the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions and the President's Cup as playoff champions before going on to win the 1998 Memorial Cup , which was hosted by the Spokane Chiefs .
Map of WHL, 1996–97 to 1997–98
200km
Wheat Kings
Pats
Warriors
Raiders
Blades
Broncos
Tigers
Hurricanes
Ice
Rebels
Hitmen
Chiefs
Americans
Rockets
Blazers
Thunderbirds
Winterhawks
Cougars
East Division
Central Division
West Division
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Goaltending leaders [ edit ] Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Top eight teams in the Eastern Conference (East and Central divisions) qualified for playoffs
Top six teams in the Western Conference (division) qualified for the playoffs Conference quarterfinals [ edit ]
Regina vs. Moose Jaw
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Moose Jaw 0
7 Regina
March 20
Moose Jaw 1
2 Regina
March 22
Regina 4 3 Moose Jaw
2OT
March 23
Regina 6 5 Moose Jaw
2OT
Regina wins series 4–0
Brandon vs. Lethbridge
Date
Away
Home
March 18
Lethbridge 3
5 Brandon
March 20
Lethbridge 3
6 Brandon
March 22
Brandon 7 3 Lethbridge
March 23
Brandon 4 1 Lethbridge
Brandon wins series 4–0
Calgary vs. Saskatoon
Date
Away
Home
March 17
Calgary 3 0 Saskatoon
March 19
Saskatoon 4 1 Calgary
March 22
Saskatoon 1
3 Calgary
March 24
Calgary 1
6 Saskatoon
March 25
Saskatoon 2
3 Calgary
March 27
Calgary 3 2 Saskatoon
Calgary wins series 4–2
Swift Current vs. Red Deer
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Red Deer 0
3 Swift Current
March 20
Red Deer 3
4 Swift Current OT
March 22
Swift Current 3
4 Red Deer
March 23
Swift Current 3 2 Red Deer
March 29
Red Deer 2
5 Swift Current
Swift Current wins series 4–1
Spokane vs. Kelowna
Date
Away
Home
March 21
Spokane 4
6 Kelowna
March 24
Kelowna 3
4 Spokane OT
March 25
Spokane 2
5 Kelowna
April 27
Kelowna 2
6 Spokane
March 29
Kelowna 6 3 Spokane
March 31
Spokane 2 0 Kelowna
April 1
Kelowna 1
5 Spokane
Spokane wins series 4–3
Prince George vs. Kamloops
Date
Away
Home
March 20
Kamloops 2 1 Prince George
March 21
Kamloops 0
6 Prince George
March 24
Prince George 3
5 Kamloops
March 25
Prince George 1
2 Kamloops
March 27
Kamloops 1
4 Prince George
March 29
Prince George 4 3 Kamloops
March 31
Kamloops 1
2 Prince George
Prince George wins series 4–3
Portland vs. Seattle
Date
Away
Home
March 20
Seattle 3
7 Portland
March 21
Portland 1
3 Seattle
March 22
Seattle 1
5 Portland
March 26
Portland 5 2 Seattle
March 27
Seattle 2
3 Portland
Portland wins series 4–1
Conference semifinals [ edit ]
Eastern Conference
Calgary vs. Swift Current
Date
Away
Home
March 30
Swift Current 2
5 Calgary
April 1
Calgary 2
3 Swift Current 2OT
April 2
Calgary 1
5 Swift Current
April 4
Swift Current 5 2 Calgary
April 6
Swift Current 2
3 Calgary
April 7
Calgary 4 1 Swift Current
April 8
Swift Current 0
1 Calgary
Calgary wins series 4–3
Regina vs. Brandon
Date
Away
Home
March 30
Brandon 4 2 Regina
March 31
Brandon 2
5 Regina
April 2
Regina 1
6 Brandon
April 4
Regina 3
5 Brandon
April 6
Brandon 7 3 Regina
Brandon wins series 4–1
Western Conference
Spokane vs. Prince George
Date
Away
Home
April 3
Prince George 3 0 Spokane
April 5
Prince George 1
4 Spokane
April 7
Spokane 4 2 Prince George
April 8
Spokane 5 2 Prince George
Spokane wins series 3–1
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Calgary vs. Brandon
Date
Away
Home
April 11
Brandon 5 4 Calgary
April 12
Brandon 5 4 Calgary
April 14
Calgary 3 2 Brandon
OT
April 15
Calgary 1
4 Brandon
April 17
Brandon 4 1 Calgary
Brandon wins series 4–1
Portland vs. Spokane
Date
Away
Home
April 11
Spokane 6 3 Portland
April 13
Spokane 0
2 Portland
April 15
Portland 4 1 Spokane
April 16
Portland 3
5 Spokane
April 18
Spokane 2
9 Portland
April 21
Portland 2
5 Spokane
April 22
Spokane 2
3 Portland
Portland wins series 4–3
Portland vs. Brandon
Date
Away
Home
April 25
Brandon 3
7 Portland
April 26
Brandon 1
5 Portland
April 29
Portland 7 2 Brandon
May 1
Portland 4 3 Brandon
Portland wins series 4–0
On January 21, the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 7–6 at Regina, Saskatchewan before a crowd of 6,050.
Player of the Year - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy : Sergei Varlamov , Swift Current Broncos
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy : Kyle Rossiter , Spokane Chiefs
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy : Sergei Varlamov , Swift Current Broncos
Most Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy : Cory Cyrenne , Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy : Michal Rozsival , Swift Current Broncos
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy : Marian Hossa , Portland Winter Hawks
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy : Brent Belecki , Portland Winter Hawks
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy : Dean Clark , Calgary Hitmen
Executive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy : Ken Hodge, Portland Winter Hawks
Regular season champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy : Portland Winter Hawks
Top Official - Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy : Brad Meier
Marketing/Public Relations Award - St. Clair Group Trophy : Dane MacKinnon, Prince George Cougars
WHL Humanitarian of the Year : Jesse Wallin , Red Deer Rebels
WHL Plus-Minus Award : Andrew Ference , Portland Winter Hawks
WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player : Brent Belecki , Portland Winter Hawks
