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Junior ice hockey season
Sports season
Sports season
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.
The addition of the Edmonton Ice to the Central Division precipitated a realignment for the Swift Current Broncos , who moved to the East 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 ]
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
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 [ edit ]
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
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
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
On January 22, the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 7–5 at Spokane, Washington before a WHL record crowd of 10,455.
Player of the Year - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy : Peter Schaefer , Brandon Wheat Kings
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy : Stefan Cherneski , Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy : Todd Robinson , Portland Winter Hawks
Most Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy : Kelly Smart , Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy : Chris Phillips , Lethbridge Hurricanes
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy : Donavon Nunweiler , Moose Jaw Warriors
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy : Brian Boucher , Tri-City Americans
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy : Brent Peterson , Portland Winter Hawks
Executive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy : Todd McLellan , Swift Current Broncos
Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy : Lethbridge Hurricanes
Top Official - Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy : Tom Kowal
Marketing/Public Relations Award - St. Clair Group Trophy : Pat Garrity, Red Deer Rebels
WHL Humanitarian of the Year : Jesse Wallin , Red Deer Rebels
WHL Plus-Minus Award : Peter Schaefer , Brandon Wheat Kings
WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player : Blaine Russell , Lethbridge Hurricanes
