The 1972–73 WCHL season was the seventh season of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). It featured twelve teams and a 68-game regular season. The Saskatoon Blades topped the regular season standings with 46 wins. However, in the playoffs, the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Blades in the championship series to win the club's first President's Cup title.[1]
| 1972–73 WCHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Saskatoon Blades (1) |
| Season MVP | Dennis Sobchuk (Regina Pats) |
| Top scorer | Tom Lysiak (Medicine Hat Tigers) |
| Playoffs | |
| Finals champions | Medicine Hat Tigers (1) |
| Runners-up | Saskatoon Blades |
| 1972–73 Canadian major junior season | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| OHA | |
| QMJHL | |
| WCHL | |
| Memorial Cup | |
| Finals champions | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) (6th title) |
| Runners-up | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
Regular season
editFinal standings
edit| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Saskatoon Blades | 68 | 46 | 11 | 11 | 103 | 323 | 184 |
| x Flin Flon Bombers | 68 | 39 | 19 | 10 | 88 | 334 | 228 |
| x Regina Pats | 68 | 30 | 28 | 10 | 70 | 294 | 270 |
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 68 | 29 | 30 | 9 | 67 | 307 | 304 |
| Swift Current Broncos | 68 | 27 | 35 | 6 | 60 | 300 | 359 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 68 | 16 | 42 | 10 | 42 | 288 | 372 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Edmonton Oil Kings | 68 | 40 | 20 | 8 | 88 | 311 | 240 |
| x Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 39 | 20 | 9 | 87 | 348 | 254 |
| x Calgary Centennials | 68 | 35 | 22 | 11 | 81 | 302 | 224 |
| x New Westminster Bruins | 68 | 31 | 22 | 15 | 77 | 283 | 264 |
| Victoria Cougars | 68 | 13 | 51 | 4 | 30 | 231 | 390 |
| Vancouver Nats | 68 | 10 | 55 | 3 | 23 | 198 | 428 |
Scoring leaders
editNote: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Lysiak | Medicine Hat Tigers | 67 | 58 | 96 | 154 | 104 |
| Dennis Sobchuk | Regina Pats | 66 | 67 | 80 | 147 | 128 |
| Lanny McDonald | Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 62 | 77 | 139 | 84 |
| Darcy Rota | Edmonton Oil Kings | 68 | 73 | 56 | 129 | 104 |
| Blaine Stoughton | Flin Flon Bombers | 68 | 58 | 60 | 118 | 86 |
| Wayne Bianchin | Flin Flon Bombers | 68 | 60 | 54 | 114 | 90 |
| Ron Chipperfield | Brandon Wheat Kings | 59 | 72 | 41 | 113 | 63 |
| Vick Mercredi | New Westminster Bruins | 67 | 52 | 61 | 113 | 63 |
| Mike Rogers | Calgary Centennials | 67 | 54 | 58 | 112 | 44 |
| Boyd Anderson | Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 48 | 64 | 112 | 52 |
1973 WCHL Playoffs
editQuarterfinals
edit- Saskatoon defeated Brandon 4 games to 2
- Flin Flon defeated Regina 4 games to 0
- Edmonton defeated New Westminster 4 games to 1
- Medicine Hat defeated Calgary 4 games to 2
Semifinals
edit- Saskatoon defeated Flin Flon 4 games to 1
- Medicine Hat defeated Edmonton 4 games to 2
Finals
edit- Medicine Hat defeated Saskatoon 3 games to 0 with 2 ties
All-Star game
editThe 1972–73 WCHL All-Star Game was held in Medicine Hat, Alberta, with the West Division All-Stars defeating the East Division All-Stars 6–1 before a crowd of 5,336.
Awards
edit| Most Valuable Player: Dennis Sobchuk, Regina Pats |
| Top Scorer: Tom Lysiak, Medicine Hat Tigers |
| Most Sportsmanlike Player: Ron Chipperfield, Brandon Wheat Kings |
| Defenseman of the Year: George Pesut, Saskatoon Blades |
| Rookie of the Year: Rick Blight, Brandon Wheat Kings |
| Goaltender of the Year: Ed Humphreys, Saskatoon Blades |
| Coach of the Year: Pat Ginnell, Flin Flon Bombers |
| Regular Season Champions: Saskatoon Blades |
All-Star Team
edit- Goaltender: John Davidson, Calgary Centennials
- Defenseman: George Pesut, Saskatoon Blades
- Defenseman: Greg Joly, Regina Pats
- Centerman: Tom Lysiak, Medicine Hat Tigers
- Left Winger: Darcy Rota, Edmonton Oil Kings
- Right Winger: Lanny McDonald, Medicine Hat Tigers
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Lapp, Richard M.; White, Silas (1993). Local Heroes: A History of the Western Hockey League. Madeira Park, British Columbia: Harbour Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 1-55017-080-5.
- 2005–06 WHL Guide