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1976–77 WCHL season

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1976–77 WCHL season
LeagueWestern Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams12
Regular season
Season championsBrandon Wheat Kings (1)
Season MVPBarry Beck (New Westminster Bruins)
Top scorerBill Derlago (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Playoffs
Finals championsNew Westminster Bruins (3)
  Runners-upBrandon Wheat Kings
WHL seasons
1976–77 CHL season
LeagueCanadian Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams34
OMJHL
QMJHL
WCHL
Memorial Cup
Finals championsNew Westminster Bruins (WCHL) (1st title)
  Runners-upOttawa 67's (OMJHL)

The 1976–77 WCHL season was the 11th season of the Western Canada Hockey League. It featured twelve teams and a 72-game regular season. The Brandon Wheat Kings won their first regular season title, posting 54 wins on the season. However, in the playoffs the New Westminster Bruins continued their run of dominance and won their third consecutive President's Cup, defeating the Wheat Kings in the championship series. The Bruins advanced to the 1977 Memorial Cup tournament, and there they secured their first Memorial Cup title.

The season was the first for the Portland Winter Hawks, who became the league's first American-based club when the charter Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Portland, Oregon prior to the season. The Winnipeg Clubs also changed their name to the Monarchs.

League notes

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  • The league adopted a new divisional format, dividing into three divisions of four teams each.

Team changes

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Regular season

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Final standings

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East Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Saskatoon Blades 72 43 19 10 96 390 269
x Brandon Wheat Kings 72 34 30 8 76 341 303
x Lethbridge Broncos 72 28 35 9 65 293 352
x Winnipeg Clubs 72 27 39 6 60 302 378
x Regina Pats 72 22 42 8 52 278 347
Flin Flon Bombers 72 18 44 10 46 279 441
West Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x New Westminster Bruins 72 54 14 4 112 463 247
x Kamloops Chiefs 72 40 26 6 86 365 285
x Medicine Hat Tigers 72 38 24 10 86 379 306
x Victoria Cougars 72 37 28 7 81 343 320
x Edmonton Oil Kings 72 25 42 5 55 312 400
Calgary Centennials 72 22 45 5 49 284 381

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Bernie Federko Saskatoon Blades 72 72 115 187 108
Greg Carroll Medicine Hat Tigers 71 60 109 169 118
Don Murdoch Medicine Hat Tigers 70 88 77 165 202
Blair Chapman Saskatoon Blades 69 71 86 157 67
Fred Berry New Westminster Bruins 72 59 87 146 164
Rick Shinske New Westminster Bruins 70 52 91 143 86
Jim Gustafson Victoria Cougars 69 46 95 141 72
Morris Lukowich Medicine Hat Tigers 72 65 75 140 195
Rich Gosselin Flin Flon Bombers 69 67 66 133 192
Dale McMullin Brandon Wheat Kings 72 56 74 130 28

Regular season

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Final standings

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East Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Brandon Wheat Kings 72 54 10 8 116 447 242
x Saskatoon Blades 72 30 30 12 72 317 290
Flin Flon Bombers 72 16 42 14 46 294 411
Regina Pats 72 8 53 11 27 218 464
Central Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x Medicine Hat Tigers 72 32 28 12 76 330 304
x Winnipeg Monarchs 72 31 34 7 69 341 384
x Lethbridge Broncos 72 28 32 12 68 324 335
x Calgary Centennials 72 22 34 15 59 329 397
West Division GP W L T Pts GF GA
x New Westminster Bruins 72 47 14 11 105 363 216
x Kamloops Chiefs 72 34 26 12 80 308 291
x Portland Winter Hawks 72 36 29 7 79 359 294
x Victoria Cougars 72 27 32 13 67 299 301

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Bill Derlago Brandon Wheat Kings 72 96 82 178 63
Ray Allison Brandon Wheat Kings 71 45 92 137 198
Brian Propp Brandon Wheat Kings 72 55 80 135 47
Kevin McCarthy Winnipeg Monarchs 72 22 105 127 110
Dan Bonar Brandon Wheat Kings 72 75 50 125 70
Tony Currie Portland Winter Hawks 72 73 52 125 50
Mark Lofthouse New Westminster Bruins 70 54 58 112 59
Wayne Babych Portland Winter Hawks 72 50 62 112 76
Brent Peterson Portland Winter Hawks 69 34 78 112 98
Kim Davis Flin Flon Bombers 69 56 55 111 250

1977 WCHL Playoffs

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Preliminary round

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  • Calgary defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 0
  • Lethbridge defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 2

League quarter-finals

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  • Brandon defeated Winnipeg 5 games to 2
  • Lethbridge defeated Calgary 3 games to 2
  • New Westminster defeated Victoria 4 games to 0
  • Portland defeated Kamloops 4 games to 1

League semi-finals

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  • Brandon defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 0
  • New Westminster defeated Portland 4 games to 1

WHL Championship

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  • New Westminster defeated Brandon 4 games to 1

All-Star game

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On January 19, the West All-Stars defeated the East All-Stars 3–2 at Brandon, Manitoba before a crowd of 4,120.

WHL awards

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Most Valuable Player: Barry Beck, New Westminster Bruins
Top Scorer: Bill Derlago, Brandon Wheat Kings
Most Sportsmanlike Player: Steve Tambellini, Lethbridge Broncos
Top Defenseman: Barry Beck, New Westminster Bruins
Rookie of the Year: Brian Propp, Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Goaltender: Glen Hanlon, Brandon Wheat Kings
Coach of the Year: Dunc McCallum, Brandon Wheat Kings
Regular season champions: Brandon Wheat Kings

All-Star Teams

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First Team Second Team
Goal Glen Hanlon Brandon Wheat Kings Dave Parro Saskatoon Blades
Defense Barry Beck New Westminster Bruins Brad Maxwell New Westminster Bruins
Kevin McCarthy Winnipeg Monarchs Brad McCrimmon Brandon Wheat Kings
Center Bill Derlago Brandon Wheat Kings Ron Areshenkoff Medicine Hat Tigers
Left Wing Reg Kerr Kamloops Chiefs Brian Propp Brandon Wheat Kings
Right Wing Wayne Babych Portland Winter Hawks Mark Lofthouse New Westminster Bruins

See also

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References

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  • 2005–06 WHL Guide
Preceded by WHL seasons Succeeded by
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