The 1987–88 WHL season was the 22nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), featuring fourteen teams and a 72-game season. The Saskatoon Blades won their third Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for best regular season record. In the playoffs, the Medicine Hat Tigers won their second consecutive President's Cup, defeating the Kamloops Blazers in the championship series. The Tigers advanced to the 1988 Memorial Cup tournament, where they won their second straight Memorial Cup title.
The season was the first for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, after the Calgary Wranglers relocated to Lethbridge prior to the season. The Hurricanes brought WHL hockey back to the city after the Broncos returned to Swift Current in 1986.
Team changes The Calgary Wranglers relocate to Lethbridge, Alberta, becoming the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
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 Joe Sakic Swift Current Broncos 64 78 82 160 64 Theoren Fleury Moose Jaw Warriors 65 68 92 160 235 Mark Recchi Kamloops Blazers 62 61 93 154 75 Troy Mick Portland Winter Hawks 72 63 84 147 78 Dennis Holland Portland Winter Hawks 67 58 86 144 115 Terry Yake Brandon Wheat Kings 72 55 85 140 59 Craig Endean Regina Pats 69 50 86 136 50 Greg Hawgood Kamloops Blazers 63 48 85 133 142 Trevor Jobe Prince Albert Raiders 72 69 63 132 111 Mike Modano Prince Albert Raiders 65 47 80 127 80
1988 WHL Playoffs
First round Saskatoon earned a bye Medicine Hat earned a bye Prince Albert defeated Brandon 3 games to 1 Swift Current defeated Regina 3 games to 1
Division semi-finals Saskatoon defeated Swift Current 4 games to 2 Medicine Hat defeated Prince Albert 4 games to 2 Kamloops defeated New Westminster 5 games to 0 Spokane defeated Victoria 5 games to 3
Division finals Medicine Hat defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 0 Kamloops defeated Spokane 5 games to 2
WHL Championship Medicine Hat defeated Kamloops 4 games to 2
All-Star game
On January 12, the East Division defeated the West Division 5–4 at Kamloops, British Columbia before a crowd of 2,689.
WHL awards Most Valuable Player - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: Joe Sakic, Swift Current BroncosScholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Kevin Cheveldayoff, Brandon Wheat KingsTop Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Joe Sakic, Swift Current BroncosMost Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy: Craig Endean, Regina PatsTop Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Greg Hawgood, Kamloops BlazersRookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Stu Barnes, New Westminster BruinsTop Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Troy Gamble, Spokane ChiefsCoach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Marcel Comeau, Saskatoon BladesExecutive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy: Jim Loria, Spokane ChiefsRegular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Saskatoon BladesWHL Plus-Minus Award: Mark Recchi, Kamloops Blazers
All-Star teams East Division First Team Second team Goal Tim Cheveldae Saskatoon Blades Mark Fitzpatrick Medicine Hat TigersDefense Curtis Leschyshyn Saskatoon Blades Dean Kolstad Prince Albert Raiders Scott McCrady Medicine Hat Tigers Rich Pilon Prince Albert Raiders Center Joe Sakic Swift Current Broncos Theoren Fleury Moose Jaw Warriors Left wing Grant Tkachuk Saskatoon Blades Mark Pederson Medicine Hat Tigers Right wing Craig Endean Regina Pats Trevor Linden Medicine Hat TigersWest Division First Team Second team Goal Troy Gamble Spokane Chiefs unknownDefense Greg Hawgood Kamloops Blazers Jayson More (tied) New Westminster Bruins Andrew Wolf (tied) Victoria Cougars Center Dennis Holland Portland Winter Hawks Left wing Troy Mick (tied) Portland Winter Hawks Darcy Norton (tied) Kamloops Blazers Right wing Mark Recchi Kamloops Blazers
See also 1988 NHL entry draft 1987 in sports 1988 in sports
References 2005–06 WHL Guide