1982–83 WHL season
The 1982–83 WHL season was the 17th season for the Western Hockey League. Fourteen teams completed a 72 game season. The Lethbridge Broncos won the President's Cup while the host Portland Winter Hawks became the first American team to win the Memorial Cup.
League notes
- The Billings Bighorns relocated to Nanaimo, British Columbia to become the Nanaimo Islanders.
- Two expansion teams joined the WHL: the Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Wings.
Regular season
Final standings
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 52 | 19 | 1 | 105 | 467 | 303 |
| x Regina Pats | 72 | 48 | 24 | 0 | 96 | 397 | 281 |
| x Calgary Wranglers | 72 | 44 | 26 | 2 | 90 | 353 | 258 |
| x Winnipeg Warriors | 72 | 42 | 30 | 0 | 84 | 347 | 321 |
| x Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 38 | 31 | 3 | 79 | 284 | 271 |
| x Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 37 | 34 | 1 | 75 | 345 | 338 |
| Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 21 | 51 | 0 | 42 | 327 | 460 |
| Prince Albert Raiders | 72 | 16 | 55 | 1 | 33 | 312 | 455 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 50 | 22 | 0 | 100 | 495 | 387 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 47 | 24 | 1 | 95 | 444 | 335 |
| x Kamloops Junior Oilers | 72 | 46 | 26 | 0 | 92 | 461 | 356 |
| x Seattle Breakers | 72 | 24 | 47 | 1 | 49 | 319 | 418 |
| Nanaimo Islanders | 72 | 20 | 51 | 1 | 41 | 357 | 487 |
| Kelowna Wings | 72 | 12 | 57 | 3 | 27 | 299 | 531 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Derkatch | Regina Pats | 67 | 84 | 95 | 179 | 62 |
| Dean Evason | Kamloops Junior Oilers | 70 | 71 | 93 | 164 | 102 |
| Kelly Glowa | Brandon Wheat Kings | 68 | 71 | 92 | 163 | 87 |
| Roger Kortko | Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 62 | 99 | 161 | 79 |
| Ken Yaremchuk | Portland Winter Hawks | 66 | 51 | 109 | 160 | 76 |
| Randy Heath | Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 82 | 69 | 151 | 52 |
| Jim McGeough | Nanaimo Islanders | 72 | 76 | 56 | 132 | 126 |
| Mark Morrison | Victoria Cougars | 58 | 55 | 75 | 130 | 54 |
| Dan Hodgson | Prince Albert Raiders | 72 | 56 | 74 | 130 | 66 |
| Darren Boyko | Winnipeg Warriors | 72 | 49 | 81 | 130 | 8 |
1983 WHL Playoffs
First round
- Saskatoon earned a bye
- Regina earned a bye
- Calgary defeated Medicine Hat 3 games to 2
- Lethbridge defeated Winnipeg 3 games to 0
Division semi-finals
- Calgary defeated Regina 4 games to 1
- Lethbridge defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 2
- Portland defeated Seattle 4 games to 0
- Victoria defeated Kamloops 4 games to 3
Division finals
- Lethbridge defeated Calgary 4 games to 2
- Portland defeated Victoria 4 games to 1
WHL Championship
- Lethbridge defeated Portland 4 games to 1
All-Star game
There was no All-Star Game in 1982–83.
WHL awards
| Most Valuable Player: Mike Vernon, Calgary Wranglers |
| Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Dale Derkatch, Regina Pats |
| Most Sportsmanlike Player: Darren Boyko, Winnipeg Warriors |
| Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Gary Leeman, Regina Pats |
| Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Dan Hodgson, Prince Albert Raiders |
| Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Mike Vernon, Calgary Wranglers |
| Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Daryl Lubiniecki, Saskatoon Blades |
| Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Saskatoon Blades |
See also
References
- whl.ca
- 2005–06 WHL Guide