The 2003–04 WHL season was the 38th season for the Western Hockey League. Twenty teams completed a 72-game season. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup, while the host Kelowna Rockets won the Memorial Cup.
League notes
- The Everett Silvertips joined the WHL as its 20th franchise, playing in the U.S. Division of the western Conference.
- The playoff crossover if the 5th-place team in the B.C. Division finished ahead of the 4th-place team in the U.S. division was discontinued. The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs.
- The 2003–04 season became a historic one for the WHL. The Everett Silvertips, the league's newest franchise, broke 10 junior hockey expansion team records, including winning both a division title and conference title in the team's first season. The Silvertips also became the first expansion team in WHL history to win a playoff series against the league's top team in the regular season, defeating the regular-season champions and reigning WHL champions Kelowna Rockets in seven games after falling behind 3–1 in the Western Conference Finals before winning three straight games in overtime, becoming the first junior hockey expansion team to win a conference title.
Regular season
Final standings
Eastern Conference
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Moose Jaw Warriors | 72 | 41 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 91 | 209 | 172 |
| x Prince Albert Raiders | 72 | 38 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 87 | 215 | 186 |
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 28 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 68 | 230 | 224 |
| x Regina Pats | 72 | 24 | 37 | 7 | 4 | 59 | 155 | 232 |
| Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 7 | 52 | 11 | 2 | 27 | 140 | 279 |
| Central Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 40 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 92 | 277 | 216 |
| x Red Deer Rebels | 72 | 35 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 85 | 167 | 169 |
| x Calgary Hitmen | 72 | 34 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 82 | 220 | 187 |
| x Swift Current Broncos | 72 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 79 | 234 | 209 |
| Lethbridge Hurricanes | 72 | 27 | 28 | 10 | 7 | 71 | 196 | 203 |
Western Conference
| B.C. Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Kelowna Rockets | 72 | 47 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 98 | 185 | 125 |
| x Vancouver Giants | 72 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 6 | 81 | 215 | 196 |
| x Kamloops Blazers | 72 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 78 | 192 | 192 |
| x Kootenay Ice | 72 | 32 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 74 | 183 | 200 |
| Prince George Cougars | 72 | 30 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 68 | 214 | 236 |
| U.S. Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Everett Silvertips | 72 | 35 | 27 | 8 | 2 | 80 | 157 | 153 |
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 34 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 77 | 199 | 206 |
| x Tri-City Americans | 72 | 31 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 76 | 199 | 206 |
| x Spokane Chiefs | 72 | 32 | 29 | 4 | 7 | 75 | 200 | 215 |
| Seattle Thunderbirds | 72 | 24 | 31 | 8 | 9 | 65 | 192 | 198 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Redenbach | Swift Current Broncos | 71 | 31 | 74 | 105 | 52 |
| Jeremy Williams | Swift Current Broncos | 68 | 52 | 49 | 101 | 82 |
| Kyle Brodziak | Moose Jaw Warriors | 70 | 39 | 54 | 93 | 58 |
| Brad Schell | Spokane Chiefs | 71 | 35 | 57 | 92 | 47 |
| Chris St. Jaques | Medicine Hat Tigers | 64 | 33 | 59 | 92 | 80 |
| Chad Klassen | Spokane Chiefs | 72 | 35 | 56 | 91 | 67 |
| Seth Leonard | Prince Albert Raiders | 72 | 50 | 40 | 90 | 53 |
| Eric Fehr | Brandon Wheat Kings | 71 | 40 | 34 | 84 | 129 |
| Adam Courchaine | Vancouver Giants | 70 | 39 | 43 | 82 | 34 |
| Darren Reid | Medicine Hat Tigers | 67 | 33 | 48 | 81 | 194 |
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% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Guard | Kelowna Rockets | 62 | 3651 | 44 | 14 | 4 | 95 | 13 | .925 | 1.56 |
| Jeff Harvey | Everett Silvertips | 48 | 2684 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 89 | 3 | .925 | 1.99 |
| Cam Ward | Red Deer Rebels | 56 | 3338 | 31 | 16 | 8 | 114 | 4 | .926 | 2.05 |
| Mike Brodeur | Moose Jaw Warriors | 41 | 2385 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 84 | 4 | .929 | 2.11 |
| Mike Wall | Prince George/Everett | 36 | 1716 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 65 | 2 | .920 | 2.27 |
2004 WHL Playoffs
| Conference Quarter-finals | Conference Semi-finals | Conference Finals | WHL Championship | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Moose Jaw | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Regina | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Medicine Hat | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Brandon | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Prince Albert | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Brandon | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Medicine | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern | |||||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Red Deer | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Medicine Hat | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| C4 | Swift Current | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Moose Jaw | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Red Deer | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Red Deer | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| C3 | Calgary | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Medicine Hat | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| U1 | Everett | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Kelowna | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| B4 | Kootenay | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Kelowna | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| U3 | Tri-City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| B2 | Vancouver | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| B3 | Kamloops | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| U1 | Everett | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western | |||||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Kelowna | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| U1 | Everett | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| U4 | Spokane | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| U1 | Everett | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| B2 | Vancouver | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| U2 | Portland | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| U3 | Tri-City | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern Conference
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Conference
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conference semifinals
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conference finals
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WHL Championship
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
RE/Max Canada-Russia Challenge
On November 26, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 4–1 in Calgary, Alberta before a crowd of 7,844.
On November 27, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 7–1 in Brandon, Manitoba before a crowd of 4,908.
WHL awards
All-Star Teams
- source: Western Hockey League press release
2004 Bantam Draft
The 2004 WHL Bantam Draft was held at the WHL's head office in Calgary on April 29, 2004.
- List of first round picks in the bantam draft.
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
See also
References
- whl.ca
- 2005–06 WHL Guide
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.