The 1978–79 WHL season was the 13th season of the Western Hockey League. Twelve teams completed a 72 game season. The Brandon Wheat Kings won the President's Cup.
League notes[]
- The league shortened its name to the Western Hockey League.
- The Flin Flon Bombers relocated to Edmonton, Alberta to become the second incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Regular season[]
Final standings[]
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 58 | 5 | 9 | 125 | 491 | 230 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 26 | 32 | 14 | 66 | 385 | 398 |
| x Edmonton Oil Kings | 72 | 17 | 43 | 12 | 46 | 288 | 403 |
| Regina Pats | 72 | 18 | 47 | 7 | 43 | 297 | 481 |
| Central Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Billings Bighorns | 72 | 38 | 23 | 11 | 87 | 378 | 302 |
| x Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 81 | 389 | 326 |
| x Calgary Wranglers | 72 | 28 | 38 | 6 | 62 | 349 | 392 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 15 | 50 | 7 | 37 | 270 | 479 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 49 | 10 | 13 | 111 | 432 | 265 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 34 | 27 | 11 | 79 | 318 | 295 |
| x New Westminster Bruins | 72 | 34 | 32 | 6 | 74 | 310 | 301 |
| Seattle Breakers | 72 | 21 | 40 | 11 | 53 | 299 | 334 |
Scoring leaders[]
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Propp | Brandon Wheat Kings | 71 | 94 | 100 | 194 | 127 |
| Ray Allison | Brandon Wheat Kings | 62 | 60 | 93 | 153 | 191 |
| Laurie Boschman | Brandon Wheat Kings | 65 | 66 | 83 | 149 | 215 |
| Duane Sutter | Lethbridge Broncos | 71 | 50 | 75 | 125 | 212 |
| Doug Morrison | Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 56 | 67 | 123 | 159 |
| Kelly Kisio | Calgary Wranglers | 70 | 60 | 61 | 121 | 73 |
| Mike Toal | Portland Winter Hawks | 71 | 38 | 83 | 121 | 32 |
| Brent Ashton | Saskatoon Blades | 62 | 64 | 65 | 119 | 180 |
| Perry Turnbull | Portland Winter Hawks | 70 | 75 | 43 | 118 | 191 |
| Gord Williams | Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 58 | 59 | 117 | 60 |
WHL Playoffs[]
Division semi-finals[]
Round robin format
- Brandon (7–1) advanced
- Saskatoon (3–5) advanced
- Edmonton (2–6) eliminated
- Lethbridge (5–3) advanced
- Calgary (4–4) advanced
- Billings (3–5) eliminated
- Portland (7–1) advanced
- Victoria (3–5) advanced
- New Westminster (2–6) eliminated
Division finals[]
- Brandon defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 0
- Lethbridge defeated Calgary 4 games to 3
- Portland defeated Victoria 4 games to 3
League semi-finals[]
Round Robin format
- Brandon (3–1) advanced
- Portland (3–1) advanced
- Lethbridge (0–4) eliminated
WHL Championship[]
- Brandon defeated Portland 4 games to 2
All-Star Game[]
There was no All-Star game in 1978–79.
WHL awards[]
All-Star Teams[]
Team Photos[]
Game Ads[]
Exhibition @ Edmonton
Edmonton
Exhibition @ New Westminster
Division semi finals @ New Westminster
Division semi finals @ Calgary
Edmonton ad from http://www.vintageedmonton.com
References[]
- whl.ca
- 2005–06 WHL Guide
| Preceded by 1977–78 WCHL season |
WHL seasons | Succeeded by 1979–80 WHL season |