1973–74 WCHL season

Junior ice hockey season

Sports season

1973–74 WCHL season

League| Western Hockey League
Sport| Ice hockey
Number of teams| 12
Regular season
Season champions| Regina Pats (1)
Season MVP| Ron Chipperfield (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Top scorer| Ron Chipperfield (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Playoffs
Finals champions| Regina Pats (1)
Runners-up| Calgary Centennials
WHL seasons

← 1972–73

1974–75 →

Sports season

1973–74 Canadian major junior season

Sport| Ice hockey
Number of teams| 34
OHA
QMJHL
WCHL
Memorial Cup
Finals champions| Regina Pats (WCHL) (4th title)
Runners-up| Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

The 1973–74 WCHL season was the eighth season of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). It featured twelve teams and a 68-game regular season. The Regina Pats topped the season's standings with 43 wins, and in the playoffs went on to win the team's first President's Cup, defeating the Calgary Centennials in the championship series. The win earned the Pats a berth in the 1974 Memorial Cup tournament, and Regina would go on to win its first Memorial Cup since 1930.[1] This was the first Memorial Cup title for a team representing the WCHL.[2]

The season was the first for the Kamloops Chiefs after the Vancouver Nats relocated to Kamloops prior to the season. The Winnipeg Jets also opted to change their name to the Winnipeg Clubs, mitigating confusion caused by the 1972 arrival of the professional World Hockey Association Jets.

## Team changes

[edit]

* The Winnipeg Jets are renamed the Winnipeg Clubs.
* The Vancouver Nats relocate to Kamloops, British Columbia, becoming the Kamloops Chiefs.

## Regular season

[edit]

### Final standings

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East Division  | GP  | W  | L  | T  | Pts  | GF  | GA

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

x Regina Pats | 68 | 43 | 14 | 11 | 97 | 377 | 225
x Flin Flon Bombers | 68 | 34 | 21 | 13 | 81 | 322 | 259
x Swift Current Broncos | 68 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 79 | 240 | 306
x Saskatoon Blades | 68 | 30 | 29 | 9 | 69 | 283 | 272
Brandon Wheat Kings | 68 | 27 | 37 | 4 | 58 | 305 | 348
Winnipeg Clubs | 68 | 23 | 38 | 7 | 53 | 258 | 338
West Division  | GP  | W  | L  | T  | Pts  | GF  | GA

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

x Calgary Centennials | 68 | 41 | 18 | 9 | 91 | 328 | 236
x New Westminster Bruins | 68 | 36 | 21 | 11 | 83 | 284 | 250
x Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 29 | 31 | 8 | 66 | 305 | 314
x Edmonton Oil Kings | 68 | 25 | 36 | 7 | 57 | 252 | 301
Victoria Cougars | 68 | 22 | 40 | 6 | 50 | 259 | 336
Kamloops Chiefs | 68 | 13 | 49 | 6 | 32 | 248 | 376

### Scoring leaders

[edit]

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes

Player  | Team  | GP  | G  | A  | Pts  | PIM

|
|
|
|
|
|

Ron Chipperfield | Brandon Wheat Kings | 66 | 90 | 72 | 162 | 82
Dennis Sobchuk | Regina Pats | 66 | 68 | 78 | 146 | 78
Mike Rogers | Calgary Centennials | 66 | 67 | 73 | 140 | 32
Al Hiller | Flin Flon Bombers | 68 | 30 | 108 | 138 | 33
Terry Ruskowski | Swift Current Broncos | 68 | 40 | 93 | 133 | 243
Rick Blight | Brandon Wheat Kings | 67 | 49 | 81 | 130 | 122
Danny Gare | Calgary Centennials | 65 | 68 | 59 | 127 | 238
Jerry Holland | Calgary Centennials | 67 | 55 | 65 | 120 | 54
Ed Johnstone | Medicine Hat Tigers | 68 | 64 | 54 | 118 | 164
Clark Gillies | Regina Pats | 65 | 46 | 66 | 112 | 179

## 1974 WCHL Playoffs

[edit]

### League quarter-finals

[edit]

* Swift Current defeated Flin Flon 4 games to 3
* Regina defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 2
* New Westminster defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 2
* Calgary defeated Edmonton 4 games to 1

### League semi-finals

[edit]

* Regina defeated Swift Current 4 games to 2
* Calgary defeated New Westminster 4 games to 1

### WHL Championship

[edit]

* Regina defeated Calgary 4 games to 0

## All-Star game

[edit]

On January 29, the West All-Stars defeated the East All-Stars 6–5 at Edmonton, Alberta in front of a crowd of 2,471.

## WHL awards

[edit]

Most Valuable Player: Ron Chipperfield, Brandon Wheat Kings

Top Scorer: Ron Chipperfield, Brandon Wheat Kings
Most Sportsmanlike Player: Mike Rogers, Calgary Centennials
Top Defenseman: Pat Price, Saskatoon Blades
Rookie of the Year: Cam Connor, Flin Flon Bombers
Top Goaltender: Garth Malarchuk, Calgary Centennials
Coach of the Year: Stan Dunn, Swift Current Broncos
Regular season champions: Regina Pats

## All-Star Team

[edit]

* Goaltender: Larry Hendrick, Edmonton Oil Kings
* Defenseman: Pat Price, Saskatoon Blades
* Defenseman: Ron Greschner, New Westminster Bruins & Greg Joly, Regina Pats (tied)
* Centerman: Ron Chipperfield, Brandon Wheat Kings & Dennis Sobchuk, Regina Pats (tied)
* Left Winger: Clark Gillies, Regina Pats
* Right Winger: Danny Gare, Calgary Centennials

## See also

[edit]

* 1974 NHL Entry Draft
* 1973 in sports
* 1974 in sports

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Lapp, Richard; Macaulay, Alec (1997). The Memorial Cup: Canada's National Junior Hockey Championship. Madeira Park, British Columbia: Harbour Publishing. p. 170\. ISBN 1-55017-170-4.
2. ^ Lapp, Richard M.; White, Silas (1993). Local Heroes: A History of the Western Hockey League. Madeira Park, British Columbia: Harbour Publishing. pp. 154–155. ISBN 1-55017-080-5.

* 2005–06 WHL Guide

Preceded by

1972–73 WCHL season

|  WHL seasons | Succeeded by

1974–75 WCHL season

|
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