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1986–87 WHL season

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Junior ice hockey season

Sports season
1986–87 WHL season
LeagueWestern Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams14
Regular season
Scotty Munro Memorial TrophyKamloops Blazers (2)
Season MVPRob Brown (Kamloops Blazers) / Joe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos)
Top scorerRob Brown (Kamloops Blazers)
Playoffs
Finals championsMedicine Hat Tigers (2)
  Runners-upPortland Winter Hawks
WHL seasons
← 1985–861987–88 →
Sports season
1986–87 CHL season
LeagueCanadian Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams39
OHL
QMJHL
WHL
Memorial Cup
Finals championsMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL) (1st title)
  Runners-upOshawa Generals (OHL)

The 1986–87 WHL season was the 21st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). While the Kamloops Blazers won their second Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup as playoff champions before going on to win the 1987 Memorial Cup tournament.

The season saw the return of the Swift Current Broncos, with the Lethbridge Broncos relocating prior to the start of the season.

League notes

  • On December 30, 1986, the Swift Current Broncos bus crash caused the deaths of four members of the Broncos: Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff. Despite the tragedy, the Broncos opted to continue playing for the remainder of the season. The WHL would later rename its Most Valuable Player award the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in honour of the four players who were killed in the crash.
  • On March 1, 1987, Regina Pats player Brad Hornung was paralyzed during a game by a body check. In 1988, the WHL renamed its Most Sportsmanlike Player award—previously the Frank Boucher Memorial Trophy—the Brad Hornung Trophy in his honor. The incident also led to a rule change, making body checking from behind illegal.
  • Rob Brown established a league record with a 212-point season for the Kamloops Blazers. In a season where the league awarded Most Valuable Player honours to a player from each of the East and West Divisions, Brown shared the MVP title with the Broncos' Joe Sakic.

Team changes

Regular season

Final standings

East Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Medicine Hat Tigers 72 48 19 5 101 383 264
x Saskatoon Blades 72 44 26 2 90 369 282
x Prince Albert Raiders 72 43 26 3 89 346 264
x Moose Jaw Warriors 72 38 31 3 79 366 321
x Regina Pats 72 31 37 4 66 332 356
x Swift Current Broncos 72 28 40 4 60 331 393
Calgary Wranglers 72 23 46 3 49 304 390
Brandon Wheat Kings 72 19 49 4 42 282 443
West Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Kamloops Blazers 72 55 14 3 113 496 292
x Portland Winter Hawks 72 47 23 2 96 439 355
x Spokane Chiefs 72 37 33 2 76 374 350
x Victoria Cougars 72 30 41 1 61 334 412
Seattle Thunderbirds 72 21 47 4 46 328 430
New Westminster Bruins 72 18 50 4 40 300 432

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Rob Brown Kamloops Blazers 63 76 136 212 101
Craig Endean Regina Pats 72 69 77 146 34
Len Nielsen Regina Pats 72 36 100 136 32
Joe Sakic Swift Current Broncos 72 60 73 133 31
Theoren Fleury Moose Jaw Warriors 66 61 68 129 110
Adam Morrison Victoria Cougars 65 55 70 125 57
Greg Hawgood Kamloops Blazers 61 30 93 123 139
Ron Shudra Kamloops Blazers 71 49 70 119 68
Robin Bawa Kamloops Blazers 62 57 62 113 91
Pat Elynuik Prince Albert Raiders 64 51 62 113 40

1987 WHL Playoffs

First round

  • Medicine Hat earned a bye
  • Saskatoon earned a bye
  • Prince Albert defeated Swift Current 3 games to 1
  • Moose Jaw defeated Regina 3 games to 0

Division semi-finals

  • Medicine Hat defeated Moose Jaw 4 games to 2
  • Saskatoon defeated Prince Albert 4 games to 0
  • Kamloops defeated Victoria 5 games to 0
  • Portland defeated Spokane 5 games to 0

Division finals

  • Medicine Hat defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 3
  • Portland defeated Kamloops 5 games to 3

WHL Championship

  • Medicine Hat defeated Portland 4 games to 3

All-Star game

On January 20, the East Division defeated the West Division 4–3 at Regina, Saskatchewan with a crowd of 3,652.

WHL awards

  • Note: For the 1986–87 season, the WHL handed out separate awards for the East and West Divisions.
Most Valuable Player - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: East: Joe Sakic, Swift Current Broncos; West: Rob Brown, Kamloops Blazers
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Casey McMilan, Swift Current Broncos
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: East: Craig Endean, Regina Pats; West: Rob Brown, Kamloops Blazers
WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player: East: Len Nielson, Regina Pats; West: Dave Archibald, Portland Winter Hawks
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: East: Wayne McBean, Medicine Hat Tigers; West: Glen Wesley, Portland Winter Hawks
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: East: Joe Sakic, Swift Current Broncos; West: Dennis Holland, Portland Winter Hawks
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: East: Kenton Rein, Prince Albert Raiders; West: Dean Cook, Kamloops Blazers
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: East: Graham James, Swift Current Broncos; West: Ken Hitchcock, Kamloops Blazers
Regular season champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Kamloops Blazers
WHL Plus-Minus Award: Rob Brown, Kamloops Blazers

All-Star Teams

East Division
First Team Second Team
Goal Kenton Rein Prince Albert Raiders unknown
Defense Wayne McBean Medicine Hat Tigers
Mark Tinordi Calgary Wranglers
Center Theoren Fleury Moose Jaw Warriors
Left Wing Mark Pederson Medicine Hat Tigers
Right Wing Pat Elynuik Prince Albert Raiders
West Division
First Team Second Team
Goal Drago Adam New Westminster Bruins Peter Fry Victoria Cougars
Defense Greg Hawgood Kamloops Blazers Mike Berger Spokane Chiefs
Glen Wesley Portland Winter Hawks Chris Joseph Seattle Thunderbirds
Center Rob Brown Kamloops Blazers Glen Goodall Seattle Thunderbirds
Left Wing Brent Hughes Victoria Cougars Ken Priestlay Victoria Cougars
Right Wing Robin Bawa Kamloops Blazers Ron Shudra Kamloops Blazers

See also

References

  1. "Memorial unveiled on 30th anniversary of crash that killed 4 Swift Current hockey players". CBC News. December 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  2. Coleman, Cory (February 9, 2022). "Former Regina Pat Brad Hornung remembered for perseverance, positive attitude after death from cancer". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  3. "Highest scoring seasons in major junior hockey history". Sportsnet. December 29, 2014. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  • 2005–06 WHL Guide
Preceded by1985–86 WHL season WHL seasons Succeeded by1987–88 WHL season
WHL seasons
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