The 1974–75 WCHL season was the ninth season of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). It featured twelve teams playing a 70-game regular season, an increase from 68. The Victoria Cougars topped the regular season standings with 47 wins. In the playoffs, the New Westminster Bruins defeated the Saskatoon Blades in a seven-game championship series to win the President's Cup. With the win, the Bruins earned a berth at the 1975 Memorial Cup tournament, in which they lost the final to the Toronto Marlboros, who captured their record seventh national title.
The season was the first for the Lethbridge Broncos, after the Swift Current Broncos relocated prior to the season.
League notes
During the 1975 Memorial Cup tournament, officials from the WCHL and the other two Canadian major junior leagues—the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League—announced the formation of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League as an umbrella organization for major junior hockey.
Team changes The Swift Current Broncos relocate to Lethbridge, Alberta, becoming the Lethbridge Broncos.
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 Mel Bridgman Victoria Cougars 66 66 91 157 175 Bryan Trottier Lethbridge Broncos 67 46 98 144 103 Don Murdoch Medicine Hat Tigers 70 82 59 141 83 Dave Faulkner Regina Pats 70 56 66 122 59 Don Ashby Calgary Centennials 70 52 68 120 71 Rich Gosselin Flin Flon Bombers 70 47 69 116 83 Peter Morris Victoria Cougars 70 43 72 115 173 Barry Dean Medicine Hat Tigers 64 40 75 115 173 Danny Lucas Victoria Cougars 70 57 56 113 74 Rick Blight Brandon Wheat Kings 65 60 52 112 65 Greg Miazga Victoria Cougars 70 14 28 42 117
1975 WCHL Playoffs
League quarter-finals Saskatoon defeated Brandon 4 games to 1 Regina defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 2 New Westminster defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 1 Victoria defeated Kamloops 4 games to 2
League semi-finals Saskatoon defeated Regina 4 games to 1 New Westminster defeated Victoria 4 games to 2
WHL Championship New Westminster defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 3
All-Star game
On January 15, the West All-Stars defeated the East All-Stars 4–1 at Victoria, British Columbia in front of a crowd of 3,452.
WHL awards Most Valuable Player: Bryan Trottier, Lethbridge BroncosTop Scorer: Mel Bridgman, Victoria CougarsMost Sportsmanlike Player: Danny Arndt, Saskatoon BladesTop Defenseman: Rick Lapointe, Victoria CougarsRookie of the Year: Don Murdoch, Medicine Hat TigersTop Goaltender: Bill Oleschuk, Saskatoon BladesCoach of the Year: Pat Ginnell, Victoria CougarsRegular season champions: Victoria Cougars
All-Star Team Goaltender: Ed Staniowski, Regina Pats Defenseman: Rick Lapointe, Victoria Cougars Defenseman: Robin Sadler, Edmonton Oil Kings Centerman: Mel Bridgman, Victoria Cougars & Bryan Trottier, Lethbridge Broncos (tied) Left Winger: Barry Dean, Medicine Hat Tigers Right Winger: Don Murdoch, Medicine Hat Tigers
See also 1975 NHL entry draft 1974 in sports 1975 in sports
References
2005–06 WHL Guide