2002–03 WHL season explained
The 2002–03 WHL season was the 37th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Nineteen teams completed a 72-game season. The Kelowna Rockets won both the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the league's best regular season team and the President's Cup as playoff champion, both for the first time. The Rockets thus earned a berth in the 2003 Memorial Cup tournament.
Regular season
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
- Prince George Crosses over into U.S. Division playoffs
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|
| | 67 | 54 | 54 | 108 | 60 |
| | 72 | 53 | 51 | 104 | 47 |
| | 65 | 44 | 58 | 102 | 83 |
| | 72 | 40 | 56 | 96 | 80 |
| Chris St. Jaques | | 70 | 31 | 65 | 96 | 78 |
| | 60 | 41 | 53 | 94 | 65 |
| | 72 | 41 | 52 | 93 | 117 |
| Dylan Stanley | | 72 | 34 | 59 | 93 | 60 |
| | 66 | 29 | 64 | 93 | 44 |
| | 72 | 47 | 45 | 92 | 54 |
|
Goaltending leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
2003 WHL Playoffs
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern Conference
| Brandon vs. Regina |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 21 | Regina 1 | 3 Brandon | | March 22 | Regina 2 | 1 Brandon | OT | | March 25 | Brandon 3 | 1 Regina | | March 26 | Brandon 2 | 1 Regina | OT | | March 28 | Regina 2 | 4 Brandon | | Brandon wins series 4–1 | |
| | Moose Jaw vs. Saskatoon |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 21 | Saskatoon 3 | 0 Moose Jaw | | March 22 | Saskatoon 4 | 5 Moose Jaw | | March 25 | Moose Jaw 3 | 5 Saskatoon | | March 26 | Moose Jaw 3 | 2 Saskatoon | OT | | March 29 | Saskatoon 1 | 3 Moose Jaw | | March 31 | Moose Jaw 5 | 3 Saskatoon | | Moose Jaw wins series 4–2 | |
|
| Red Deer vs. Calgary |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 21 | Calgary 0 | 2 Red Deer | | March 22 | Calgary 2 | 3 Red Deer | | March 25 | Red Deer 4 | 2 Calgary | | March 26 | Red Deer 1 | 2 Calgary | | March 29 | Calgary 3 | 4 Red Deer | | Red Deer wins series 4–1 | |
| | Swift Current vs. Medicine Hat |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 21 | Medicine Hat 3 | 2 Swift Current | OT | | March 22 | Medicine Hat 4 | 2 Swift Current | | March 25 | Swift Current 3 | 6 Medicine Hat | | March 26 | Swift Current 1 | 7 Medicine Hat | | Medicine Hat wins series 4–0 | |
| |
Western Conference
| Kelowna vs. Vancouver |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 22 | Vancouver 0 | 10 Kelowna | | March 23 | Vancouver 3 | 4 Kelowna | 2OT | | March 26 | Kelowna 2 | 0 Vancouver | | March 27 | Kelowna 8 | 2 Vancouver | | Kelowna wins series 4–0 | |
| | Kamloops vs. Kootenay |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 21 | Kootenay 2 | 1 Kamloops | OT | | March 22 | Kootenay 0 | 1 Kamloops | | March 25 | Kamloops 2 | 3 Kootenay | 2OT | | March 26 | Kamloops 1 | 4 Kootenay | | March 29 | Kootenay 6 | 7 Kamloops | | March 31 | Kamloops 1 | 2 Kootenay | 2OT | | Kootenay wins series 4–2 | |
|
| Seattle vs. Prince George |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 22 | Prince George 1 | 4 Seattle | | March 23 | Prince George 3 | 7 Seattle | | March 26 | Seattle 2 | 4 Prince George | | March 27 | Seattle 3 | 1 Prince George | | March 29 | Prince George 3 | 4 Seattle | | Seattle wins series 4–1 | |
| | Spokane vs. Portland |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 21 | Spokane 2 | 4 Portland | | March 23 | Spokane 1 | 3 Portland | | March 26 | Portland 3 | 4 Spokane | OT | | March 28 | Portland 2 | 1 Spokane | 2OT | | March 29 | Portland 3 | 8 Spokane | | March 31 | Spokane 3 | 2 Portland | OT | | April 2 | Portland 2 | 4 Spokane | | Spokane wins series 4–3 | |
| |
WHL Championship
| Kelowna vs. Red Deer |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| May 2 | Red Deer 1 | 5 Kelowna |
| May 3 | Red Deer 2 | 5 Kelowna |
| May 5 | Kelowna 2 | 6 Red Deer |
| May 6 | Kelowna 1 | 2 Red Deer |
| May 8 | Red Deer 2 | 5 Kelowna |
| May 10 | Kelowna 2 | 0 Red Deer |
| Kelowna wins series 4–2 | |
All-Star game
All-Star festivities included a round robin between all-star squads from the three CHL leagues. On November 12, the WHL Eastern All-Stars defeated the QMJHL Lebel All-Stars 5–2 at Hull, Quebec before a crowd of 2,194. Then, on November 19, the WHL Western All-Stars defeated the OHL Eastern All-Stars 7–3 at Vancouver, British Columbia before a crowd of 7,046. With the victories, the WHL won the Hershey Cup as champion of the round robin format all-star tournament.
WHL awards
| Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (Player of the Year): Josh Harding, Regina Pats |
| Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy (Scholastic Player of the Year): Brett Dickie, Brandon Wheat Kings |
| Scholastic Team of the Year: Prince Albert Raiders |
| Bob Clarke Trophy (Top scorer): Erik Christensen, Kamloops Blazers |
| Brad Hornung Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player): Boyd Gordon, Red Deer Rebels |
| Bill Hunter Trophy (Top Defenseman): Jeff Woywitka, Red Deer Rebels |
| Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Matt Ellison, Red Deer Rebels |
| Del Wilson Trophy (Top Goaltender): Josh Harding, Regina Pats |
| Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (Coach of the Year): Marc Habscheid, Kelowna Rockets |
| Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy (Executive of the Year): Bruce Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets |
| Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (Best regular season record): Kelowna Rockets |
| Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy (Top Official): Steve Kozari |
| St. Clair Group Trophy (Marketing/Public Relations Award): Anne-Marie Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets, and Reid Pederson, Regina Pats |
| Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian of the Year): Ryan Craig, Brandon Wheat Kings |
| WHL Plus-Minus Award Matthew Spiller, Seattle Thunderbirds
|
| WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player Jesse Schultz, Kelowna Rockets
| |
All-Star Teams
- source: Western Hockey League press release
2003 Bantam draft
List of first round picks in the bantam draft.
See also
References
