1979–80 WHL season

The 1979–80 WHL season was the 14th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). It featured eleven teams completing a 72-game regular season. The Portland Winter Hawks became the first American-based club to top the regular season standings, capturing the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. In the playoffs, the Regina Pats won their second President's Cup, defeating the Victoria Cougars in the championship final.

The season was the first for the Great Falls Americans, after the Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Great Falls prior to the season. However, the team lasted only 28 games before ceasing operations on December 16, 1979, for the remainder of the season. Thus while twelve teams opened the season, only eleven played it through to completion.

League notes

• The WHL changed its divisional format, opting for a two division format of eight teams in the East and four in the West over the previous three division format.

Team changes

• The Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Great Falls, Montana, becoming the Great Falls Americans.

Regular season

Final standings

¹Folded mid-season

Scoring leaders

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

1980 WHL Playoffs

First round

• Regina defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 0
• Brandon defeated Calgary 4 games to 3
• Medicine Hat defeated Billings 4 games to 3

Division semi-finals

Round Robin format

• Medicine Hat (3–1) advanced
• Regina (2–2) advanced
• Brandon (1–3) eliminated
• Victoria (5–3) advanced
• Seattle (4–4) advanced
• Portland (3–5) eliminated

Division finals

• Regina defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 1
• Victoria defeated Seattle 4 games to 0

WHL Championship

• Regina defeated Victoria 4 games to 1

WHL awards

All-Star teams

See also

• 1980 Memorial Cup
• 1980 NHL entry draft
• 1979 in sports
• 1980 in sports

References

• 2005–06 WHL Guide