1976–77 WCHL season
Junior ice hockey season
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The 1976–77 WCHL season was the 11th season of the Western Canada Hockey League. It featured twelve teams and a 72-game regular season. The Brandon Wheat Kings won their first regular season title, posting 54 wins on the season. However, in the playoffs the New Westminster Bruins continued their run of dominance and won their third consecutive President's Cup, defeating the Wheat Kings in the championship series. The Bruins advanced to the 1977 Memorial Cup tournament, and there they secured their first Memorial Cup title.
| 1976–77 WCHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Teams | 12 |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Brandon Wheat Kings (1) |
| Season MVP | Barry Beck (New Westminster Bruins) |
| Top scorer | Bill Derlago (Brandon Wheat Kings) |
| Playoffs | |
| Finals champions | New Westminster Bruins (3) |
| Runners-up | Brandon Wheat Kings |
| 1976–77 CHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Canadian Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Teams | 34 |
| OMJHL | |
| QMJHL | |
| WCHL | |
| Memorial Cup | |
| Finals champions | New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Ottawa 67's (OMJHL) |
The season was the first for the Portland Winter Hawks, who became the league's first American-based club when the charter Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Portland, Oregon prior to the season. The Winnipeg Clubs also changed their name to the Monarchs.
League notes
- The league adopted a new divisional format, dividing into three divisions of four teams each.
Team changes
- The Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Portland, Oregon, becoming the Portland Winterhawks.
- The Winnipeg Clubs are renamed the Winnipeg Monarchs.
Regular season
Final standings
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 43 | 19 | 10 | 96 | 390 | 269 |
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 34 | 30 | 8 | 76 | 341 | 303 |
| x Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 28 | 35 | 9 | 65 | 293 | 352 |
| x Winnipeg Clubs | 72 | 27 | 39 | 6 | 60 | 302 | 378 |
| x Regina Pats | 72 | 22 | 42 | 8 | 52 | 278 | 347 |
| Flin Flon Bombers | 72 | 18 | 44 | 10 | 46 | 279 | 441 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x New Westminster Bruins | 72 | 54 | 14 | 4 | 112 | 463 | 247 |
| x Kamloops Chiefs | 72 | 40 | 26 | 6 | 86 | 365 | 285 |
| x Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 38 | 24 | 10 | 86 | 379 | 306 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 81 | 343 | 320 |
| x Edmonton Oil Kings | 72 | 25 | 42 | 5 | 55 | 312 | 400 |
| Calgary Centennials | 72 | 22 | 45 | 5 | 49 | 284 | 381 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernie Federko | Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 72 | 115 | 187 | 108 |
| Greg Carroll | Medicine Hat Tigers | 71 | 60 | 109 | 169 | 118 |
| Don Murdoch | Medicine Hat Tigers | 70 | 88 | 77 | 165 | 202 |
| Blair Chapman | Saskatoon Blades | 69 | 71 | 86 | 157 | 67 |
| Fred Berry | New Westminster Bruins | 72 | 59 | 87 | 146 | 164 |
| Rick Shinske | New Westminster Bruins | 70 | 52 | 91 | 143 | 86 |
| Jim Gustafson | Victoria Cougars | 69 | 46 | 95 | 141 | 72 |
| Morris Lukowich | Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 65 | 75 | 140 | 195 |
| Rich Gosselin | Flin Flon Bombers | 69 | 67 | 66 | 133 | 192 |
| Dale McMullin | Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 56 | 74 | 130 | 28 |
Regular season
Final standings
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 54 | 10 | 8 | 116 | 447 | 242 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 30 | 30 | 12 | 72 | 317 | 290 |
| Flin Flon Bombers | 72 | 16 | 42 | 14 | 46 | 294 | 411 |
| Regina Pats | 72 | 8 | 53 | 11 | 27 | 218 | 464 |
| Central Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 32 | 28 | 12 | 76 | 330 | 304 |
| x Winnipeg Monarchs | 72 | 31 | 34 | 7 | 69 | 341 | 384 |
| x Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 28 | 32 | 12 | 68 | 324 | 335 |
| x Calgary Centennials | 72 | 22 | 34 | 15 | 59 | 329 | 397 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x New Westminster Bruins | 72 | 47 | 14 | 11 | 105 | 363 | 216 |
| x Kamloops Chiefs | 72 | 34 | 26 | 12 | 80 | 308 | 291 |
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 79 | 359 | 294 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 27 | 32 | 13 | 67 | 299 | 301 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Derlago | Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 96 | 82 | 178 | 63 |
| Ray Allison | Brandon Wheat Kings | 71 | 45 | 92 | 137 | 198 |
| Brian Propp | Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 55 | 80 | 135 | 47 |
| Kevin McCarthy | Winnipeg Monarchs | 72 | 22 | 105 | 127 | 110 |
| Dan Bonar | Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 75 | 50 | 125 | 70 |
| Tony Currie | Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 73 | 52 | 125 | 50 |
| Mark Lofthouse | New Westminster Bruins | 70 | 54 | 58 | 112 | 59 |
| Wayne Babych | Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 50 | 62 | 112 | 76 |
| Brent Peterson | Portland Winter Hawks | 69 | 34 | 78 | 112 | 98 |
| Kim Davis | Flin Flon Bombers | 69 | 56 | 55 | 111 | 250 |
1977 WCHL Playoffs
Preliminary round
- Calgary defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 0
- Lethbridge defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 2
League quarter-finals
- Brandon defeated Winnipeg 5 games to 2
- Lethbridge defeated Calgary 3 games to 2
- New Westminster defeated Victoria 4 games to 0
- Portland defeated Kamloops 4 games to 1
League semi-finals
- Brandon defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 0
- New Westminster defeated Portland 4 games to 1
WHL Championship
- New Westminster defeated Brandon 4 games to 1
All-Star game
On January 19, the West All-Stars defeated the East All-Stars 3–2 at Brandon, Manitoba before a crowd of 4,120.
WHL awards
All-Star teams
See also
References
- 2005–06 WHL Guide