The 1980–81 WHL season was the 15th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL), featuring thirteen teams and a 72-game regular season. The Victoria Cougars won both the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for topping the regular season standings—setting a league record with 60 wins—and the President's Cup as league champions, defeating the Calgary Wranglers in the playoff finals.
The season was the first for both the Spokane Flyers, who reactivated the dormant Great Falls Americans franchise, and the expansion Winnipeg Warriors.
Team changes The Great Falls Americans are reactivated and relocated to Spokane, Washington, becoming the Spokane Flyers. The Winnipeg Warriors join the WHL as an expansion team.
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 Brian Varga Regina Pats 68 64 96 160 187 Jock Callander Regina Pats 72 67 86 153 37 Barry Pederson Victoria Cougars 55 65 82 147 65 Steve Tsujiura Medicine Hat Tigers 72 55 84 139 60 Jim Benning Portland Winter Hawks 72 28 111 139 61 Gary Yaremchuk Portland Winter Hawks 72 56 79 135 121 Dave Michayluk Regina Pats 72 62 71 133 39 Dave Chartier Brandon Wheat Kings 69 64 60 124 295 Mark Sochatsky Spokane Flyers 70 40 79 119 279 Brian Shaw Portland Winter Hawks 72 53 65 118 176
1981 WHL Playoffs
First round Regina defeated Brandon 4 games to 1 Calgary defeated Billings 4 games to 1 Lethbridge defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 1 Spokane defeated New Westminster in 4th place tiebreaker game
Division semi-finals Regina earned a bye Calgary defeated Lethbridge 3 games to 1 Victoria defeated Spokane 4 games to 0 Portland defeated Seattle 4 games to 1
Division finals Calgary defeated Regina 4 games to 2 Victoria defeated Portland 4 games to 0
WHL Championship Victoria defeated Calgary 4 games to 3
All-Star game
On January 20, the WHL All-Stars defeated the Victoria Cougars 8–3 at Victoria, British Columbia before a crowd of 3,520.
WHL awards Most Valuable Player: Steve Tsujiura, Medicine Hat TigersTop Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Brian Varga, Regina PatsMost Sportsmanlike Player: Steve Tsujiura, Medicine Hat TigersTop Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Jim Benning, Portland Winter HawksRookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Dave Michayluk, Regina PatsTop Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Grant Fuhr, Victoria CougarsCoach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Ken Hodge, Portland Winter HawksRegular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Victoria Cougars
All-Star teams First Team Second Team Goal Grant Fuhr Victoria Cougars Kelly Hrudey Medicine Hat TigersDefense Jim Benning Portland Winter Hawks Len Dawes Victoria Cougars Garth Butcher Regina Pats Gary Nylund Portland Winter Hawks Center Barry Pederson Victoria Cougars Steve Tsujiura Medicine Hat Tigers Left Wing Ken Solheim Medicine Hat Tigers Torrie Robertson Victoria Cougars Right Wing Mike Moller Lethbridge Broncos Dave Michayluk Regina Pats
See also 1981 Memorial Cup 1981 NHL entry draft 1980 in sports 1981 in sports
References
2005–06 WHL Guide