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
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