The 1971–72 WCHL season was the sixth season of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). It featured twelve teams and a 68-game regular season. While the Calgary Centennials topped the season standings with 49 wins, the Edmonton Oil Kings won their second consecutive President's Cup, defeating the Regina Pats in the championship series.
This season also saw the league expand into British Columbia, becoming a truly Western Canadian organization. On the national scene, 1972 also marked the beginning of a new era as it was decided that the Memorial Cup would be contested through a round robin tournament featuring the champions from the country's three major junior leagues—the WCHL, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey Association. The Oil Kings became the WCHL's first participant under this new format at the 1972 Memorial Cup tournament.
League notes The Estevan Bruins, one of the league's charter members, relocated to New Westminster and became the New Westminster Bruins. While the move left Estevan without major junior hockey, a new Estevan Bruins Junior A franchise was started in 1971, playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Victoria Cougars and the Vancouver Nats joined the WCHL as expansion clubs, bringing the number of British Columbia-based teams up to three. With the B.C. teams joining the West Division, the Swift Current Broncos and Saskatoon Blades moved to the East division to create two divisions of six teams each. The season schedule expanded from 66 games to 68.
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 Tom Lysiak Medicine Hat Tigers 68 46 97 143 96 Stan Weir Medicine Hat Tigers 68 58 75 133 77 Blaine Stoughton Flin Flon Bombers 68 60 66 126 125 Robbie Neale Brandon Wheat Kings 65 53 73 126 54 Dennis Sobchuk Regina Pats 68 56 67 123 115 Jeff Ablett Medicine Hat Tigers 68 59 57 116 99 Lorne Henning New Westminster Bruins 60 51 63 114 29 Lanny McDonald Medicine Hat Tigers 68 50 64 114 54 Ron Chipperfield Brandon Wheat Kings 63 59 53 112 29 Glen Mikkelson Brandon Wheat Kings 67 44 62 106 52
1972 WCHL Playoffs
Quarterfinals Brandon defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 3 with 1 tie Regina defeated Flin Flon 3 games to 2 with 2 ties Calgary defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 2 with 1 tie Edmonton defeated New Westminster 4 games to 1
Semifinals Regina defeated Brandon 4 games to 2 Edmonton defeated Calgary 4 games to 2
Finals Edmonton defeated Regina 4 games to 1
All-Star game
The 1971–72 WCHL All-Star Game was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the East Division All-Stars defeating the West Division All-Stars 4–2 before a crowd of 5,783.
Awards
Most Valuable Player: John Davidson, Calgary CentennialsTop Scorer: Tom Lysiak, Medicine Hat TigersMost Sportsmanlike Player: Ron Chipperfield, Brandon Wheat KingsDefenseman of the Year: Jim Watson, Calgary CentennialsRookie of the Year: Dennis Sobchuk, Regina PatsGoaltender of the Year: John Davidson, Calgary CentennialsCoach of the Year: Earl Ingarfield, Sr., Regina PatsRegular Season Champions: Calgary Centennials
All-Star teams First Team Second Team Goal John Davidson Calgary Centennials Bernie Germain Regina PatsDefense Jimmy Watson Calgary Centennials Tom Bladon Edmonton Oil Kings Phil Russell Edmonton Oil Kings Larry Sacharuk Saskatoon Blades Center Tom Lysiak Medicine Hat Tigers Dennis Sobchuk Regina Pats Left Wing Jeff Ablett Medicine Hat Tigers Darcy Rota Edmonton Oil Kings Right Wing Blaine Stoughton Flin Flon Bombers Don Kozak Edmonton Oil Kings
See also 1972 Memorial Cup 1971 in sports 1972 in sports
References
2005–06 WHL Guide