The 1988–89 WHL season was the 23rd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), featuring fourteen teams and a 72-game regular season. Less than three years after the 1986 team bus crash that killed four players, the Swift Current Broncos put together the best season in the club's history. The Broncos won their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record, and in the playoffs defeated the Portland Winter Hawks to win their first President's Cup as league champions—the Broncos went undefeated throughout the playoffs. This earned the Broncos a berth in the 1989 Memorial Cup tournament, which was hosted in Saskatoon. At the tournament, the Broncos defeated the host Saskatoon Blades to win the Memorial Cup title.
This was the first season for the Tri-City Americans after the New Westminster Bruins relocated to Kennewick, Washington prior to the season. The Americans became the fourth WHL club based in the United States.
Team changes The New Westminster Bruins relocate to Kennewick, Washington, becoming the Tri-City Americans.
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 Dennis Holland Portland Winter Hawks 69 82 85 167 120 Stu Barnes Tri-City Americans 70 59 82 141 117 Tim Tisdale Swift Current Broncos 68 51 82 139 89 Blair Atecheynum Moose Jaw Warriors 71 70 68 138 70 Troy Mick Portland Winter Hawks 66 49 87 136 70 Wayne Hynes Medicine Hat Tigers 72 54 81 135 66 Peter Kasowski Swift Current Broncos 72 58 73 131 46 Mike Sillinger Regina Pats 72 53 78 131 52 Sean Lebrun Tri-City Americans 71 52 73 125 92 Kirby Lindal Medicine Hat Tigers 71 67 55 122 83
1989 WHL Playoffs
First round Swift Current earned a bye Saskatoon earned a bye Lethbridge defeated Prince Albert 3 games to 1 Moose Jaw defeated Medicine Hat 3 games to 0
Division semi-finals Swift Current defeated Moose Jaw 4 games to 0 Saskatoon defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 0 Portland defeated Tri-City 5 games to 2 Kamloops defeated Victoria 5 games to 3
Division finals Swift Current defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 0 Portland defeated Kamloops 5 games to 3
WHL Championship Swift Current defeated Portland 4 games to 0
All-Star game
On January 24, the West Division defeated the East Division 5–1 at Brandon, Manitoba before a crowd of 2,933.
WHL awards Most Valuable Player - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: Stu Barnes, Tri-City AmericansScholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Jeff Nelson, Prince Albert RaidersTop Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Dennis Holland, Portland Winter HawksMost Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy: Blair Atcheynum, Moose Jaw WarriorsTop Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Dan Lambert, Swift Current BroncosRookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Wes Walz, Lethbridge HurricanesTop Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Danny Lorenz, Seattle ThunderbirdsCoach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Ron Kennedy, Medicine Hat TigersExecutive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy: Dennis Beyak, Saskatoon BladesRegular season champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Swift Current BroncosWHL Plus-Minus Award: Darren Stolk, Medicine Hat Tigers
All-Star teams East Division First Team Second Team Goal Frederic Chabot Prince Albert Raiders Smokey Reddick Moose Jaw WarriorsDefense Dan Lambert Swift Current Broncos Gord Kruppke (tied) Prince Albert Raiders Collin Bauer Saskatoon Blades Todd Nelson (tied) Prince Albert Raiders - - Bob Woods (tied) Brandon Wheat Kings Center Mike Modano Prince Albert Raiders Tim Tisdale Swift Current Broncos Left Wing Kirby Lindal Medicine Hat Tigers Gary Dickie Regina Pats Right Wing Blair Atcheynum Moose Jaw Warriors Sheldon Kennedy Swift Current BroncosWest Division First Team Second Team Goal Danny Lorenz Seattle Thunderbirds Olaf Kolzig Tri-City AmericansDefense Steve Jaques Tri-City Americans Pat MacLeod Kamloops Blazers Chad Biafore Portland Winter Hawks Geoff Smith Kamloops Blazers Center Dennis Holland Portland Winter Hawks Stu Barnes Tri-City Americans Left Wing Dave Chyzowski Kamloops Blazers Troy Mick Portland Winter Hawks Right Wing Jackson Penney Victoria Cougars Pat Falloon Spokane Chiefs
See also 1989 NHL entry draft 1988 in sports 1989 in sports
References
2005–06 WHL Guide