The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The Tri-City Americans won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record. The playoffs began on March 21, and ended on May 7, with the Spokane Chiefs defeating the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the championship series to claim their second Ed Chynoweth Cup and a berth at the 2008 Memorial Cup tournament, which Spokane would go on to win.
The Edmonton Oil Kings joined the league as an expansion club—their name paying homage to Edmonton's original WHL team—bringing the WHL to 22 teams.
League notes The WHL had announced at the 2007 Memorial Cup tournament that it would rename its championship trophy—until then, known as the President's Cup—after Ed Chynoweth. The Chiefs 2008 championship was thus the first featuring the renamed trophy. The Edmonton Oil Kings joined the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, bringing the Eastern Conference to twelve teams, while the Western Conference remained at ten. The playoff format was revised so that the top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, as opposed to the top four in each division. Division winners are guaranteed a top two seed in each conference.
Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; x = Clinched playoff berth; y = Clinched conference title
Eastern Conference Rank East Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts 2 Regina Patsx 72 44 22 4 2 217 206 94 6 Brandon Wheat Kingsx 72 42 24 3 3 253 209 90 7 Swift Current Broncosx 72 41 24 1 6 244 205 89 8 Moose Jaw Warriorsx 72 37 21 6 8 229 214 88 9 Saskatoon Blades 72 29 34 3 6 182 229 67 10 Prince Albert Raiders 72 26 41 3 2 196 248 57
Rank Central Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts 1 Calgary Hitmeny 72 47 20 1 4 259 166 99 3 Lethbridge Hurricanesx 72 45 21 2 4 245 175 96 4 Medicine Hat Tigersx 72 43 22 5 2 234 198 93 5 Kootenay Icex 72 42 22 5 3 229 214 92 11 Edmonton Oil Kings 72 22 39 4 7 162 241 55 12 Red Deer Rebels 72 18 47 4 3 145 255 43
Western Conference Rank B.C. Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts 2 Vancouver Giantsx 72 49 15 2 6 250 155 106 5 Kelowna Rocketsx 72 38 26 2 6 248 215 84 7 Chilliwack Bruinsx 72 28 35 4 5 206 241 65 8 Kamloops Blazersx 72 27 41 2 2 197 253 58 9 Prince George Cougars 72 20 48 1 3 172 304 44
Rank U.S. Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts 1 Tri-City Americansy 72 52 16 2 2 262 176 108 3 Spokane Chiefsx 72 50 15 1 6 251 160 107 4 Seattle Thunderbirdsx 72 42 23 5 2 241 179 91 6 Everett Silvertipsx 72 39 30 0 3 205 198 81 10 Portland Winter Hawks 72 11 58 2 1 132 318 25
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMMark Santorelli Chilliwack Bruins 72277410140Colin Long Kelowna Rockets 72316910041Colton Yellow Horn Tri-City Americans 6748499763Tyler Ennis Medicine Hat Tigers 7043489142Steve DaSilva Kootenay Ice 6840498947Mitch Fadden Lethbridge Hurricanes 7234558972Jordan Knackstedt Moose Jaw Warriors 72315485116Dan Gendur Everett Silvertips 6029558468Bud Holloway Seattle Thunderbirds 7043408355Oscar Moller Chilliwack Bruins6339448342
Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average Player Team GP Min W L OTL SL GA SO SV% GAATyson Sexsmith Vancouver Giants 62 3678 43 11 2 6 116 9 .9111.89Juha Metsola Lethbridge Hurricanes 30 1693 20 7 0 1 56 3 .916 1.98Dustin Tokarski Spokane Chiefs 45 2543 30 10 0 3 87 6 .922 2.05Martin Jones Calgary Hitmen 27 1529 18 8 0 1 54 1 .911 2.12Kevin Armstrong Spokane Chiefs 33 1840 20 5 1 3 66 2 .915 2.15
2008 WHL Playoffs
Overview
Conference quarter-finals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Calgary Hitmen vs. (E8) Moose Jaw Warriors
(E2) Regina Pats vs. (E7) Swift Current Broncos
(E3) Lethbridge Hurricanes vs. (E6) Brandon Wheat Kings
(E4) Medicine Hat Tigers vs. (E5) Kootenay Ice
Western Conference
(W1) Tri-City Americans vs. (W8) Kamloops Blazers
(W4) Seattle Thunderbirds vs. (W5) Kelowna Rockets
(W2) Vancouver Giants vs. (W7) Chilliwack Bruins
(W3) Spokane Chiefs vs. (W6) Everett Silvertips
Conference semi-finals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Calgary Hitmen vs. (E7) Swift Current Broncos
(E3) Lethbridge Hurricanes vs. (E5) Kootenay Ice
Western Conference
(W1) Tri-City Americans vs. (W4) Seattle Thunderbirds
(W2) Vancouver Giants vs. (W3) Spokane Chiefs
Conference finals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Calgary Hitmen vs. (E3) Lethbridge Hurricanes
Western Conference
(W1) Tri-City Americans vs. (W3) Spokane Chiefs
WHL Championship
(W3) Spokane Chiefs vs. (E3) Lethbridge Hurricanes
Memorial Cup
The 90th Memorial Cup was held in Kitchener, Ontario.
WHL awards Four Broncos Memorial Trophy Player of the Year Karl Alzner Calgary Hitmen Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year Jordan Eberle Regina Pats Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy Scholastic team of the Year Chilliwack Bruins Bob Clarke Trophy Top Scorer Mark Santorelli Chilliwack Bruins Brad Hornung Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player Tyler Ennis Medicine Hat Tigers Bill Hunter Trophy Top Defenseman Karl Alzner Calgary Hitmen Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year Brayden Schenn Brandon Wheat Kings Del Wilson Trophy Top Goaltender Chet Pickard Tri-City Americans Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy Coach of the Year Don Nachbaur Tri-City Americans Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy Executive of the Year Bob Tory Tri-City Americans Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy Regular season champions Tri-City Americans Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy Top Official Andy Thiessen St. Clair Group Trophy Marketing/Public Relations Award Kip Reghenas Calgary Hitmen Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy Humanitarian of the Year Ashton Hewson Prince Albert Raiders WHL Plus-Minus Award Greg Scott Seattle Thunderbirds WHL Playoff MVP WHL Finals Most Valuable Player Tyler Johnson Spokane Chiefs Professional Hockey AchievementAcademic Recipient Alumni Achievement Awards Lanny McDonaldBlair St. Martin
All-Star teams Eastern Conference First Team Second Team Goal Linden Rowat Regina Pats Dan Spence Calgary HitmenDefense Karl Alzner Calgary Hitmen Ty Wishart Moose Jaw Warriors Logan Pyett Regina Pats Daryl Boyle Brandon Wheat KingsForward Steve DaSilva Kootenay Ice Mitch Fadden Lethbridge Hurricanes Tyler Ennis Medicine Hat Tigers Zach Boychuk Lethbridge Hurricanes Jordan Eberle Regina Pats Ryan White Calgary HitmenWestern Conference First Team Second Team Goal Chet Pickard Tri-City Americans Tyson Sexsmith Vancouver GiantsDefense T.J. Fast Tri-City Americans Jonathon Blum Vancouver Giants Thomas Hickey Seattle Thunderbirds Luke Schenn Kelowna RocketsForward Colton Yellow Horn Tri-City Americans Dan Gendur Everett Silvertips Colin Long Kelowna Rockets Mark Santorelli Chilliwack Bruins Oscar Moller Chilliwack Bruins Drayson Bowman Spokane Chiefs source: Western Hockey League press release
2008 Bantam Draft First round
# Player Nationality WHL Team 1 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C) Red Deer Rebels 2 Ty Rattie (LW) Portland Winter Hawks 3 Duncan Siemens (D) Saskatoon Blades (from Prince George) 4 Michael St. Croix (C) Edmonton Oil Kings 5 Mark McNeill (C) Prince Albert Raiders 6 Brent Benson (C) Saskatoon Blades 7 Colin Smith (C) Kamloops Blazers 8 Mitch Topping (D) Chilliwack Bruins 9 Ryan Murray (D) Everett Silvertips 10 Klarc Wilson (RW) Brandon Wheat Kings 11 Jesse Forsberg (D) Moose Jaw Warriors (from Prince George) 12 Reece Scarlett (D) Swift Current Broncos 13 Shane McColgan (C) Kelowna Rockets 14 Connor Sanvido (C) Seattle Thunderbirds 15 Brendan Hurley (LW) Kootenay Ice 16 Dylan Busenius (D) Medicine Hat Tigers 17 Myles Bell (D) Regina Pats 18 Phil Tot (C) Lethbridge Hurricanes 19 Peter Kosterman (D) Calgary Hitmen 20 Zach Hodder (D) Vancouver Giants 21 Mitch Holmberg (RW) Spokane Chiefs 22 Zac Yuen (D) Tri-City Americans
See also 2007–08 OHL season 2007–08 QMJHL season 2008 NHL entry draft 2007 in ice hockey 2008 in ice hockey
Notes
References 2006–07 WHL Guide (2007). Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.
External links Official website of the Western Hockey League Official website of the Canadian Hockey League Official website of the MasterCard Memorial Cup Official website of the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game Official website of the ADT Canada Russia Challenge