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1987–88 WHL season

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Junior ice hockey season

Sports season
1987–88 WHL season
LeagueWestern Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams14
Regular season
Scotty Munro Memorial TrophySaskatoon Blades (3)
Season MVPJoe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos)
Top scorerJoe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos)
Playoffs
Finals championsMedicine Hat Tigers (3)
  Runners-upKamloops Blazers
WHL seasons
← 1986–871988–89 →
Sports season
1987–88 CHL season
LeagueCanadian Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams39
OHL
QMJHL
WHL
Memorial Cup
Finals championsMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL) (2nd title)
  Runners-upWindsor Spitfires (OHL)

The 1987–88 WHL season was the 22nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), featuring fourteen teams and a 72-game season. The Saskatoon Blades won their third Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for best regular season record. In the playoffs, the Medicine Hat Tigers won their second consecutive President's Cup, defeating the Kamloops Blazers in the championship series. The Tigers advanced to the 1988 Memorial Cup tournament, where they won their second straight Memorial Cup title.

The season was the first for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, after the Calgary Wranglers relocated to Lethbridge prior to the season. The Hurricanes brought WHL hockey back to the city after the Broncos returned to Swift Current in 1986.

Team changes

Regular season

Final standings

East Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Saskatoon Blades 72 47 22 3 97 381 294
x Medicine Hat Tigers 72 44 22 6 94 353 261
x Prince Albert Raiders 72 43 24 5 91 373 284
x Swift Current Broncos 72 44 26 2 90 388 312
x Regina Pats 72 39 29 4 82 342 286
x Brandon Wheat Kings 72 26 43 3 55 348 371
Lethbridge Hurricanes 72 20 48 4 44 257 356
Moose Jaw Warriors 72 18 52 2 38 308 458
West Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Kamloops Blazers 72 45 26 1 91 399 307
x Spokane Chiefs 72 37 32 3 77 330 296
x Victoria Cougars 72 37 34 1 75 346 335
x New Westminster Bruins 72 33 34 5 71 338 358
Seattle Thunderbirds 72 25 45 2 52 313 436
Portland Winter Hawks 72 24 45 3 51 328 449

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Joe Sakic Swift Current Broncos 64 78 82 160 64
Theoren Fleury Moose Jaw Warriors 65 68 92 160 235
Mark Recchi Kamloops Blazers 62 61 93 154 75
Troy Mick Portland Winter Hawks 72 63 84 147 78
Dennis Holland Portland Winter Hawks 67 58 86 144 115
Terry Yake Brandon Wheat Kings 72 55 85 140 59
Craig Endean Regina Pats 69 50 86 136 50
Greg Hawgood Kamloops Blazers 63 48 85 133 142
Trevor Jobe Prince Albert Raiders 72 69 63 132 111
Mike Modano Prince Albert Raiders 65 47 80 127 80

1988 WHL Playoffs

First round

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

Division semi-finals

  • Saskatoon defeated Swift Current 4 games to 2
  • Medicine Hat defeated Prince Albert 4 games to 2
  • Kamloops defeated New Westminster 5 games to 0
  • Spokane defeated Victoria 5 games to 3

Division finals

  • Medicine Hat defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 0
  • Kamloops defeated Spokane 5 games to 2

WHL Championship

  • Medicine Hat defeated Kamloops 4 games to 2

All-Star game

On January 12, the East Division defeated the West Division 5–4 at Kamloops, British Columbia before a crowd of 2,689.

WHL awards

Most Valuable Player - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: Joe Sakic, Swift Current Broncos
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Kevin Cheveldayoff, Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Joe Sakic, Swift Current Broncos
Most Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy: Craig Endean, Regina Pats
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Greg Hawgood, Kamloops Blazers
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Stu Barnes, New Westminster Bruins
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Troy Gamble, Spokane Chiefs
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Marcel Comeau, Saskatoon Blades
Executive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy: Jim Loria, Spokane Chiefs
Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Saskatoon Blades
WHL Plus-Minus Award: Mark Recchi, Kamloops Blazers

All-Star Teams

East Division
First Team Second team
Goal Tim Cheveldae Saskatoon Blades Mark Fitzpatrick Medicine Hat Tigers
Defense Curtis Leschyshyn Saskatoon Blades Dean Kolstad Prince Albert Raiders
Scott McCrady Medicine Hat Tigers Rich Pilon Prince Albert Raiders
Center Joe Sakic Swift Current Broncos Theoren Fleury Moose Jaw Warriors
Left wing Grant Tkachuk Saskatoon Blades Mark Pederson Medicine Hat Tigers
Right wing Craig Endean Regina Pats Trevor Linden Medicine Hat Tigers
West Division
First Team Second team
Goal Troy Gamble Spokane Chiefs unknown
Defense Greg Hawgood Kamloops Blazers
Jayson More (tied) New Westminster Bruins
Andrew Wolf (tied) Victoria Cougars
Center Dennis Holland Portland Winter Hawks
Left wing Troy Mick (tied) Portland Winter Hawks
Darcy Norton (tied) Kamloops Blazers
Right wing Mark Recchi Kamloops Blazers

See also

References

  • 2005–06 WHL Guide
Preceded by1986–87 WHL season WHL seasons Succeeded by1988–89 WHL season
WHL seasons
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