The 2003–04 WHL season was the 38th season of the Western Hockey League . Twenty teams completed a 72 game season. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup , while the host Kelowna Rockets won the Memorial Cup .
League notes [ ]
The Everett Silvertips joined the WHL as it's 20th franchise playing in the U.S. Division of the Eastern Conference.
The playoff crossover if the 5th place team in the B.C. Division finished ahead of the 4th place team in the U.S. division was discontinued. The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs.
The 2003-04 season became a historic one for the WHL. The Everett Silvertips , the league's newest franchise, broke 10 junior hockey expansion team records, including winning both a division title and conference title in the team's first season. The Silvertips also became the first expansion team in WHL history to win a playoff series against the league's top team in the regular season, defeating the regular season champions and reigning WHL champions Kelowna Rockets in seven games after falling behind 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals before winning three straight games in overtime, becoming the first junior hockey expansion team to win a conference title.
Regular season [ ]
Final standings [ ]
Eastern Conference [ ]
Western Conference [ ]
Scoring leaders [ ]
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Goaltending leaders [ ]
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Total ice time; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
WHL Playoffs [ ]
Conference quarterfinals [ ]
Eastern Conference [ ]
Moose Jaw vs. Regina
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Regina 0
3 Moose Jaw
March 20
Regina 2
4 Moose Jaw
March 23
Moose Jaw 5
1 Regina
March 25
Moose Jaw 4
1 Regina
Moose Jaw wins series 4–0
Prince Albert vs. Brandon
Date
Away
Home
March 18
Brandon 3
2 Prince Albert
OT
March 19
Brandon 1
5 Prince Albert
March 23
Prince Albert 1
3 Brandon
March 24
Prince Albert 2
3 Brandon
March 26
Brandon 2
6 Prince Albert
March 29
Prince Albert 1
4 Brandon
Brandon wins series 4–2
Medicine Hat vs. Swift Current
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Swift Current 0
3 Medicine Hat
March 20
Swift Current 2
4 Medicine Hat
March 23
Medicine Hat 2
4 Swift Current
March 24
Medicine Hat 4
2 Swift Current
March 26
Swift Current 0
8 Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat wins series 4–1
Red Deer vs. Calgary
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Calgary 0
4 Red Deer
March 20
Calgary 3
4 Red Deer
2OT
March 23
Red Deer 0
2 Calgary
March 25
Red Deer 4
1 Calgary
March 27
Calgary 3
1 Red Deer
March 30
Red Deer 0
3 Calgary
March 31
Calgary 2
4 Red Deer
Red Deer wins series 4–3
Western Conference [ ]
Kelowna vs. Kootenay
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Kootenay 3
5 Kelowna
March 20
Kootenay 1
4 Kelowna
March 23
Kelowna 4
0 Kootenay
March 24
Kelowna 3
1 Kootenay
Kelowna wins series 4–0
Vancouver vs. Kamloops
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Kamloops 2
1 Vancouver
March 20
Kamloops 2
4 Vancouver
March 23
Vancouver 2
1 Kamloops
March 24
Vancouver 5
3 Kamloops
March 27
Kamloops 4
5 Vancouver
OT
Vancouver wins series 4–1
Everett vs. Spokane
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Spokane 1
2 Everett
OT
March 20
Spokane 0
3 Everett
March 23
Everett 5
4 Spokane
OT
March 24
Everett 3
0 Spokane
Everett wins series 4–0
Portland vs Tri-City
Date
Away
Home
March 19
Tri-City 4
2 Portland
March 21
Tri-City 1
2 Portland
OT
March 23
Portland 1
4 Tri-City
March 24
Portland 2
3 Tri-City
March 26
Tri-City 3
1 Portland
Tri-City wins series 4–1
Conference semifinals [ ]
Eastern Conference
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon
Date
Away
Home
April 2
Brandon 1
5 Medicine Hat
April 3
Brandon 2
4 Medicine Hat
April 6
Medicine Hat 5
3 Brandon
April 7
Medicine Hat 3
9 Brandon
April 9
Brandon 1
4 Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat wins series 4–1
Moose Jaw vs. Red Deer
Date
Away
Home
April 2
Red Deer 4
3 Moose Jaw
April 3
Red Deer 3
2 Moose Jaw
April 6
Moose Jaw 4
2 Red Deer
April 7
Moose Jaw 2
1 Red Deer
OT
April 9
Red Deer 2
1 Moose Jaw
2OT
April 11
Moose Jaw 0
Red Deer 3
Red Deer wins series 4–2
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Date
Away
Home
April 2
Tri-City 3
2 Kelowna
OT
April 3
Tri-City 4
3 Kelowna
OT
April 6
Kelowna 4
1 Tri-City
April 7
Kelowna 4
3 Tri-City
OT
April 9
Tri-City 2
7 Kelowna
April 11
Kelowna 2
1 Tri-City
Kelowna wins series 4–2
Vancouver vs Everett
Date
Away
Home
April 2
Everett 1
2 Vancouver
April 3
Everett 3
1 Vancouver
April 5
Vancouver 3
1 Everett
April 8
Vancouver 0
4 Everett
April 9
Everett 6
2 Vancouver
April 1
Vancouver 2
3 Everett
Everett wins series 4–2
Conference finals [ ]
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Medicine Hat vs Red Deer
Date
Away
Home
April 16
Red Deer 1
0 Medicine Hat
April 17
Red Deer 2
4 Medicine Hat
April 20
Medicine Hat 1
3 Red Deer
April 21
Medicine Hat 2
1 Red Deer
April 23
Red Deer 3
4 Medicine Hat
April 25
Medicine Hat 4
2 Red Deer
Medicine Hat wins series 4–2
Kelowna vs Everett
Date
Away
Home
April 16
Everett 3
2 Kelowna
April 17
Everett 1
2 Kelowna
April 20
Kelowna 2
1 Everett
April 22
Kelowna 4
3 Everett
April 24
Everett 1
0 Kelowna
OT
April 26
Kelowna 1
2 Everett
OT
April 27
Everett 2
1 Kelowna
OT
Everett wins series 4–3
WHL Championship [ ]
Medicine Hat vs Everett
Date
Away
Home
April 30
Everett 1
4 Medicine Hat
May 1
Everett 0
3 Medicine Hat
May 4
Medicine Hat 3
0 Everett
May 5
Medicine Hat 4
2 Everett
Medicine Hat wins series 4–0
On November 26, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 4–1 in Calgary, Alberta before a crowd of 7,844.
On November 27, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 7–1 in Brandon, Manitoba before a crowd of 4,908.
WHL awards [ ]
Player of the Year - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy : Cam Ward , Red Deer Rebels
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy : Devan Dubnyk , Kamloops Blazers
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy : Tyler Redenbach , Swift Current Broncos
Most Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy : Nigel Dawes , Kootenay Ice
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy : Dion Phaneuf , Red Deer Rebels
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy : Gilbert Brule , Vancouver Giants
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy : Cam Ward , Red Deer Rebels
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy : Kevin Constantine , Everett Silvertips
Executive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy : Kelly Kisio , Calgary Hitmen
Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy : Kelowna Rockets
Top Official - Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy : Rob Matsuoka
Marketing/Public Relations Award - St. Clair Group Trophy : Mark Stiles , Calgary Hitmen
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy - Braydon Coburn , Portland Winter Hawks
WHL Plus-Minus Award : Andrew Ladd , Calgary Hitmen
Playoff Most Valuable Player - airBC Trophy : Kevin Nastiuk , Medicine Hat Tigers
All-Star Teams [ ]
2004 Bantam Draft [ ]
The 2004 WHL Bantam Draft was held at the WHL's head office in Calgary on April 29th]], 2004.
List of first round picks in the bantam draft.
Team Photos [ ]
References [ ]