2006–07 WHL season explained
The 2006–07 WHL season was the 41st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Twenty-one teams completed a 72-game season, with the Chilliwack Bruins competing in their inaugural season. The Everett Silvertips won their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular season record. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup, defeating the Vancouver Giants in seven games.[1] However, the Giants captured the 2007 Memorial Cup as tournament hosts, defeating the Tigers in the championship game.[2]
League notes
- The Chilliwack Bruins joined the WHL as an expansion team, playing in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference. The Kootenay Ice returned to the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, while the Swift Current Broncos moved to the East Division of the Eastern Conference.
- On October 23, three players with the Moose Jaw Warriors were struck by a suspected drunk driver while returning home following a road trip. Two players were treated and released from hospital; however, Garrett Robinson was critically injured in the accident, leaving him in a coma.[3] After the accident, the Warriors established the Garrett Robinson Recovery Fund to provide financial assistance to Robinson's family.[4]
- The WHL announced at the Memorial Cup tournament that the league's championship trophy—until then, known as the President's Cup—would be renamed in honour of Ed Chynoweth, who served as WHL president from 1972 until 1995.[5] The Tigers' championship was thus the last one played for the President's Cup under that name.
Final standings
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Goaltending leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout losses ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | Team | GP | Min | W | L | SOL | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|
| | 51 | 3047 | 31 | 14 | 8 | 91 | 10 | .915 | 1.79 |
| | 48 | 2802 | 34 | 10 | 2 | 87 | 11 | .929 | 1.86 |
| | 31 | 1796 | 21 | 9 | 0 | 59 | 3 | .917 | 1.97 |
| | 55 | 3304 | 30 | 15 | 9 | 117 | 5 | .917 | 2.12 |
| | 48 | 2831 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 102 | 5 | .919 | 2.16 |
|
2007 WHL Playoffs
Overview
- Note: In the first round, the first place team in each division plays the fourth place team; the second place team faces the third. After the first round, the four remaining teams in each conference are re-seeded by regular season record.
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern Conference
| Brandon vs. Prince Albert |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Prince Albert 3 | 4 Brandon | OT | | March 24 | Prince Albert 2 | 3 Brandon | OT | | Mar 28 | Brandon 0 | 2 Prince Albert | | Mar 29 | Brandon 7 | 3 Prince Albert | | Mar 31 | Brandon 4 | 2 Prince Albert | | Brandon wins 4–1 | |
| | Regina vs. Swift Current |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Swift Current 0 | 4 Regina | | March 24 | Swift Current 4 | 3 Regina | | March 27 | Regina 5 | 4 Swift Current | | March 28 | Regina 5 | 2 Swift Current | | March 30 | Swift Current 3 | 2 Regina | | April 1 | Regina 2 | 1 Swift Current | OT | | Regina wins 4–2 | |
|
| Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Red Deer 6 | 2 Medicine Hat | | March 24 | Red Deer 0 | 5 Medicine Hat | | March 27 | Medicine Hat 5 | 3 Red Deer | | March 28 | Medicine Hat 4 | 6 Red Deer | | March 30 | Red Deer 0 | 4 Medicine Hat | | April 1 | Medicine Hat 5 | 6 Red Deer | | April 3 | Red Deer 0 | 2 Medicine Hat | | Medicine Hat wins 4–3 | |
| | Kootenay vs. Calgary |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Calgary 2 | 1 Kootenay | | March 24 | Calgary 2 | 4 Kootenay | | March 28 | Kootenay 2 | 3 Calgary | | March 29 | Kootenay 4 | 5 Calgary | OT | | March 31 | Calgary 0 | 4 Kootenay | | April 2 | Kootenay 4 | 3 Calgary | | April 4 | Calgary 3 | 2 Kootenay | OT | | Calgary wins 4–3 | |
| |
Western Conference
| Vancouver vs. Chilliwack |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Chilliwack 4 | 5 Vancouver | OT | | March 24 | Chilliwack 3 | 1 Vancouver | | March 27 | Vancouver 4 | 0 Chilliwack | | March 28 | Vancouver 5 | 1 Chilliwack | | March 30 | Chilliwack 1 | 3 Vancouver | | Vancouver wins 4–1 | |
| | Kamloops vs. Prince George |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Prince George 3 | 2 Kamloops | OT | | March 24 | Prince George 5 | 4 Kamloops | OT | | March 27 | Kamloops 3 | 4 Prince George | | March 28 | Kamloops 3 | 4 Prince George | OT | | Prince George wins 4–0 | |
|
| Everett vs. Spokane |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Spokane 2 | 4 Everett | | March 24 | Spokane 2 | 3 Everett | OT | | March 27 | Everett 2 | 3 Spokane | | March 28 | Everett 1 | 3 Spokane | | March 30 | Spokane 1 | 5 Everett | | April 1 | Everett 4 | 1 Spokane | | Everett wins 4–2 | |
| | Tri-City vs. Seattle |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| March 23 | Seattle 2 | 0 Tri-City | | March 24 | Seattle 1 | 2 Tri-City | | March 27 | Tri-City 1 | 3 Seattle | | March 28 | Tri-City 0 | 2 Seattle | | March 30 | Seattle 4 | 5 Tri-City | OT | | March 31 | Tri-City 2 | 7 Seattle | | Seattle wins 4–2 | |
| |
WHL Championship
| Vancouver vs. Medicine Hat |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|
| May 4 | Vancouver 1 | 0 Medicine Hat | | May 5 | Vancouver 2 | 3 Medicine Hat | | May 8 | Medicine Hat 3 | 2 Vancouver | OT | | May 9 | Medicine Hat 0 | 4 Vancouver | | May 11 | Medicine Hat 0 | 3 Vancouver | | May 13 | Vancouver 3 | 4 Medicine Hat | | May 14 | Vancouver 2 | 3 Medicine Hat | 2OT | | Medicine Hat wins 4–3 | |
| |
Memorial Cup
See main article: 2007 Memorial Cup.
The Vancouver Giants hosted the 2007 Memorial Cup tournament, which also featured the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers. The Plymouth Whalers represented the Ontario Hockey League, and the Lewiston Maineiacs represented the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Tigers earned a spot in the Championship game with a 2–1 round robin record, falling 3–1 to the Maineiacs before defeating the Whalers 4–1, and the Giants 1–0. The Giants also finished 2–1, defeating Plymouth 4–3 in overtime and Lewiston 2–1. Their loss to Medicine Hat dropped them into a semifinal game. The Giants prevailed in the semifinal to meet the Tigers in the final, and defeated Medicine Hat 3–1 to take the title.
On November 29, the WHL defeated the Russian Selects 5–3 before a crowd of 4,404 at Chilliwack, British Columbia.
On November 30, the WHL defeated the Russian Selects 8–1 before a crowd of 4,136 at Kamloops, British Columbia.
WHL awards
All-Star Teams
- source: Western Hockey League press release
2007 Bantam draft
The 2007 WHL Bantam Draft was the 18th Bantam Draft. It was hosted by the Stampede Park Round-Up Centre on Thursday May 3, 2007, via the internet.
List of first round picks in the bantam draft.
See also
Notes and References
- News: 2007-05-24 . Dorsett sends Tigers to Memorial Cup final . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240514224440/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/dorsett-sends-tigers-to-memorial-cup-final-1.633522 . 2024-05-14 . 2024-05-14 . CBC Sports.
- News: 2007-05-27 . Giants capture franchise's first Memorial Cup . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513222333/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/giants-capture-franchise-s-first-memorial-cup-1.680739 . 2024-05-13 . 2024-05-13 . CBC Sports.
- News: 2006-10-30 . Critically injured hockey player opens eyes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240607233024/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/critically-injured-hockey-player-opens-eyes-1.613226 . 2024-06-07 . 2024-06-07 . CBC News.
- News: Maki . Allan . 2006-11-08 . Rallying around Garrett Robinson . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240607233153/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/rallying-around-garrett-robinson/article1109338/ . 2024-06-07 . 2024-06-07 . The Globe and Mail.
- News: Vanstone . Rob . 2017-01-29 . Ed Chynoweth was an early architect of Canadian junior hockey . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170205000900/https://leaderpost.com/sports/hockey/ed-chynoweth-was-an-early-architect-of-canadian-junior-hockey . 2017-02-05 . 2024-06-07 . Regina Leader-Post.
