The 1996–97 WHL season was the 31st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), featuring eighteen teams and a 72-game regular season. The Lethbridge Hurricanes won both the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions and the President's Cup as playoff champions, both for the first time in team history. The Hurricanes went on to finish as runners-up at the 1997 Memorial Cup tournament.
The Edmonton Ice joined the WHL as its eighteenth team, and the first to call Edmonton home since the second iteration of the Oil Kings left the city in 1979.
League notes The addition of the Edmonton Ice to the Central Division precipitated a realignment for the Swift Current Broncos, who moved to the East Division.
Regular season
Final standings
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Todd Robinson Portland Winter Hawks 71 38 96 134 53 Byron Ritchie Lethbridge Hurricanes 63 50 76 126 86 Patrick Marleau Seattle Thunderbirds 71 51 74 125 22 Peter Schaefer Brandon Wheat Kings 61 49 74 123 66 B.J. Young Red Deer Rebels 63 58 56 114 72 Josh St. Louis Swift Current Broncos 65 57 51 108 20 Brett McLean Kelowna Rockets 72 44 60 104 89 Kelly Smart Brandon Wheat Kings 69 39 60 99 8 Josh Holden Regina Pats 58 49 49 98 111 Greg Schmidt Red Deer Rebels 66 45 53 98 97
Goaltending leaders 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 Player Team GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAABrian ElderBrandon Wheat Kings52 2930 32 15 0 132 2 .906 2.70Brent BeleckiPortland Winter Hawks27 1568 17 7 1 71 1 .909 2.72Chris WickenheiserRed Deer/Portland41 2428 24 14 3 110 3 .913 2.72David HaunBrandon Wheat Kings27 1442 15 9 1 72 1 .898 3.00Donavon NunweilerMoose Jaw Warriors56 3278 27 21 5 166 6 .907 3.04
1997 WHL Playoffs 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
Eastern Conference Lethbridge vs. Prince Albert Date Away Home March 19 Prince Albert 2 4 Lethbridge March 21 Prince Albert 1 2 Lethbridge March 23 Lethbridge 5 4 Prince Albert March 24 Lethbridge 5 4 Prince Albert Lethbridge wins series 4–0 Swift Current vs. Medicine Hat Date Away Home March 18 Medicine Hat 1 8 Swift Current March 20 Swift Current 5 1 Medicine Hat March 22 Medicine Hat 1 5 Swift Current March 23 Swift Current 4 2 Medicine Hat Swift Current wins series 4–0 Brandon vs. Moose Jaw Date Away Home March 20 Moose Jaw 4 2 Brandon March 21 Moose Jaw 4 3 Brandon March 23 Brandon 5 4 Moose Jaw March 24 Brandon 3 2 Moose Jaw March 26 Moose Jaw 3 2 Brandon OT March 28 Brandon 2 3 Moose Jaw OT Moose Jaw wins series 4–2 Red Deer vs. Regina Date Away Home March 20 Regina 4 6 Red Deer March 21 Regina 4 5 Red Deer OT March 23 Red Deer 6 2 Regina March 24 Red Deer 1 5 Regina March 26 Regina 1 5 Red Deer Red Deer wins series 4–1
Western Conference Portland vs. Prince George Date Away Home March 21 Prince George 2 5 Portland March 22 Prince George 5 3 Portland March 25 Portland 0 4 Prince George March 26 Portland 2 4 Prince George March 29 Prince George 1 2 Portland March 31 Portland 2 3 Prince George Prince George wins series 4–2 Spokane vs. Kelowna Date Away Home March 21 Spokane 5 3 Kelowna March 22 Spokane 5 3 Kelowna March 26 Kelowna 5 2 Spokane March 28 Kelowna 0 4 Spokane March 29 Kelowna 6 3 Spokane March 31 Spokane 5 2 Kelowna Spokane wins series 4–2 Seattle vs. Kamloops Date Away Home March 21 Kamloops 2 5 Seattle March 23 Kamloops 3 7 Seattle March 25 Seattle 4 1 Kamloops March 27 Seattle 2 3 Kamloops March 29 Kamloops 4 5 Seattle Seattle wins series 4–1
Conference semifinals Eastern Conference Lethbridge vs. Moose Jaw Date Away Home March 31 Moose Jaw 2 3 Lethbridge OT April 1 Moose Jaw 5 4 Lethbridge OT April 3 Lethbridge 5 3 Moose Jaw April 4 Lethbridge 4 5 Moose Jaw April 6 Moose Jaw 1 5 Lethbridge April 8 Lethbridge 5 4 Moose Jaw Lethbridge wins series 4–2 Swift Current vs. Red Deer Date Away Home March 31 Red Deer 5 2 Swift Current April 1 Red Deer 5 3 Swift Current April 3 Swift Current 2 4 Red Deer April 4 Swift Current 3 2 Red Deer OT April 6 Red Deer 2 11 Swift Current April 8 Swift Current 2 6 Red Deer Red Deer wins series 4–2
Western Conference Spokane vs. Prince George Date Away Home April 4 Prince George 5 4 Spokane OT April 5 Prince George 4 2 Spokane April 7 Spokane 1 2 Prince George Prince George wins series 3–0 Seattle earns bye
Conference finals Eastern Conference Western Conference Lethbridge vs. Red Deer Date Away Home April 12 Red Deer 2 3 Lethbridge OT April 13 Red Deer 7 4 Lethbridge April 15 Lethbridge 5 3 Red Deer April 16 Lethbridge 6 4 Red Deer April 18 Red Deer 2 5 Lethbridge Lethbridge wins series 4–1 Seattle vs. Prince George Date Away Home April 10 Prince George 3 2 Seattle 2OT April 11 Prince George 1 4 Seattle April 14 Seattle 5 2 Prince George April 15 Seattle 3 4 Prince George April 18 Prince George 1 4 Seattle April 20 Seattle 6 1 Prince George Seattle wins series 4–2
WHL Championship
Lethbridge vs. Seattle Date Away Home April 25 Seattle 2 7 Lethbridge April 26 Seattle 1 4 Lethbridge April 29 Lethbridge 3 1 Seattle April 30 Lethbridge 5 1 Seattle Lethbridge wins series 4–0
All-Star game
On January 22, the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 7–5 at Spokane, Washington before a WHL record crowd of 10,455.
WHL awards Player of the Year - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: Peter Schaefer, Brandon Wheat KingsScholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Stefan Cherneski, Brandon Wheat KingsTop Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Todd Robinson, Portland Winter HawksMost Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy: Kelly Smart, Brandon Wheat KingsTop Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Chris Phillips, Lethbridge HurricanesRookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Donavon Nunweiler, Moose Jaw WarriorsTop Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Brian Boucher, Tri-City AmericansCoach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Brent Peterson, Portland Winter HawksExecutive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy: Todd McLellan, Swift Current BroncosRegular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Lethbridge HurricanesTop Official - Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy: Tom KowalMarketing/Public Relations Award - St. Clair Group Trophy: Pat Garrity, Red Deer RebelsWHL Humanitarian of the Year: Jesse Wallin, Red Deer RebelsWHL Plus-Minus Award: Peter Schaefer, Brandon Wheat KingsWHL Playoff Most Valuable Player: Blaine Russell, Lethbridge Hurricanes
All-Star teams Eastern Conference First Team Second Team Goal Donovan Nunweiler Moose Jaw Warriors Brian Elder Brandon Wheat KingsDefense Chris Phillips Lethbridge Hurricanes Justin Kurtz Brandon Wheat Kings Derek Morris Regina Pats David Van Drunen Prince Albert RaidersForward Peter Schaefer Brandon Wheat Kings Brad Larsen Swift Current Broncos Shane Willis Lethbridge Hurricanes Dmitri Nabokov Regina Pats B.J. Young Red Deer Rebels Byron Ritchie Lethbridge HurricanesWestern Conference First Team Second Team Goal Brian Boucher Tri-City Americans Chris Wickenheiser Portland Winter HawksDefense Randy Perry Seattle Thunderbirds Hugh Hamilton Spokane Chiefs Zenith Komarniski Tri-City Americans Joel Kwiatkowski Prince George CougarsForward Patrick Marleau Seattle Thunderbirds Brad Isbister Portland Winter Hawks Todd Robinson Portland Winter Hawks Donnie Kinney Kamloops Blazers Trent Whitfield Spokane Chiefs Brett McLean Kelowna Rockets
See also 1997 NHL entry draft 1996 in sports 1997 in sports
References 2005–06 WHL Guide