The 1986–87 WHL season was the 21st season of the Western Hockey League. Fourteen teams completed a 72 game season. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup before going on to also capture the Memorial Cup.
League notes
- The Lethbridge Broncos returned to Swift Current, Saskatchewan to become the Swift Current Broncos.
- On December 30, 1986, a bus crash involving the Swift Current Broncos caused the deaths of four players: Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff. The WHL would later rename its Most Valuable Player award the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in their honor.
- On March 1, 1987, Regina Pats player Brad Hornung was paralyzed during a game by a check. The WHL would later rename its Most Sportsmanlike Player award the Brad Hornung Trophy in his honor.
Regular season
Final standings
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 48 | 19 | 5 | 101 | 383 | 264 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 44 | 26 | 2 | 90 | 369 | 282 |
| x Prince Albert Raiders | 72 | 43 | 26 | 3 | 89 | 346 | 264 |
| x Moose Jaw Warriors | 72 | 38 | 31 | 3 | 79 | 366 | 321 |
| x Regina Pats | 72 | 31 | 37 | 4 | 66 | 332 | 356 |
| x Swift Current Broncos | 72 | 28 | 40 | 4 | 60 | 331 | 393 |
| Calgary Wranglers | 72 | 23 | 46 | 3 | 49 | 304 | 390 |
| Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 19 | 49 | 9 | 42 | 282 | 443 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Kamloops Blazers | 72 | 455 | 14 | 3 | 113 | 496 | 292 |
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 47 | 23 | 2 | 96 | 439 | 355 |
| x Spokane Chiefs | 72 | 37 | 33 | 2 | 76 | 374 | 350 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 30 | 41 | 1 | 61 | 334 | 412 |
| Seattle Thunderbirds | 72 | 21 | 47 | 4 | 46 | 328 | 430 |
| New Westminster Bruins | 72 | 18 | 50 | 4 | 40 | 300 | 432 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Brown | Kamloops Blazers | 63 | 76 | 136 | 212 | 101 |
| Craig Endean | Regina Pats | 72 | 69 | 77 | 146 | 34 |
| Len Nielsen | Regina Pats | 72 | 36 | 100 | 136 | 32 |
| Joe Sakic | Swift Current Broncos | 72 | 60 | 73 | 133 | 31 |
| Theoren Fleury | Moose Jaw Warriors | 66 | 61 | 68 | 129 | 110 |
| Adam Morrison | Victoria Cougars | 65 | 55 | 70 | 125 | 57 |
| Greg Hawgood | Kamloops Blazers | 61 | 30 | 93 | 123 | 139 |
| Ron Shudra | Kamloops Blazers | 71 | 49 | 70 | 119 | 68 |
| Robin Bawa | Kamloops Blazers | 62 | 57 | 62 | 113 | 91 |
| Pat Elynuik | Prince Albert Raiders | 64 | 51 | 62 | 113 | 40 |
WHL Playoffs
First round
- Medicine Hat earned a bye
- Saskatoon earned a bye
- Prince Albert defeated Swift Current 3 games to 1
- Moose Jaw defeated Regina 3 games to 0
Division semi-finals
- Medicine Hat defeated Moose Jaw 4 games to 2
- Saskatoon defeated Prince Albert 4 games to 0
- Kamloops defeated Victoria 5 games to 0
- Portland defeated Spokane 5 games to 0
Division finals
- Medicine Hat defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 3
- Portland defeated Kamloops 5 games to 3
WHL Championship
- Medicine Hat defeated Portland 4 games to 3
All-Star Game
On January 20, the East Division defeated the West Division 4–3 at Regina, Saskatchewan with a crowd of 3,652.
WHL awards
- Note: For the 1986–87 season, the WHL handed out separate awards for the East and West Divisions.
References
- whl.ca
- 2005–06 WHL Guide
| Preceded by 1985–86 WHL season |
WHL seasons | Succeeded by 1987–88 WHL season |
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