2002–03 WHL season

The 2002–03 WHL season was the 37th season for the Western Hockey League. 19 teams completed a 72 game season. The Kelowna Rockets won the President's Cup.

Contents

Regular season

Final standings

Eastern Conference

East Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
x Brandon Wheat Kings 72 43 17 9 3 98 258 187
x Moose Jaw Warriors 72 36 22 11 3 86 266 208
x Saskatoon Blades 72 40 27 5 0 85 234 205
x Regina Pats 72 25 28 14 5 69 171 217
Prince Albert Raiders 72 27 37 3 5 62 185 258
Central Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
x Red Deer Rebels 72 50 17 3 2 105 271 160
x Swift Current Broncos 72 38 24 7 3 86 240 215
x Medicine Hat Tigers 72 29 34 2 7 67 278 314
x Calgary Hitmen 72 27 36 7 2 63 240 260
Lethbridge Hurricanes 72 28 39 2 3 61 236 303

Western Conference

B.C. Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
x Kelowna Rockets 72 51 14 6 1 109 311 164
x Kamloops Blazers 72 39 27 5 1 84 261 222
x Kootenay Ice 72 36 25 6 5 83 234 202
x Vancouver Giants 72 26 37 5 4 61 217 292
x Prince George Cougars 72 26 41 3 2 57 257 317
U.S. Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
x Seattle Thunderbirds 72 44 22 3 3 94 280 224
x Spokane Chiefs 72 26 36 6 4 62 216 261
x Portland Winter Hawks 72 19 40 8 5 51 192 243
Tri-City Americans 72 20 44 3 5 47 240 335

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Erik Christensen Kamloops Blazers 67 54 54 108 60
Jesse Schultz Kelowna Rockets 72 53 51 104 47
Jeremy Jackson Lethbridge Hurricanes 65 44 58 102 83
Matt Ellison Red Deer Rebels 72 40 56 96 80
Chris St. Jaques Medicine Hat Tigers 70 31 65 96 78
Brooks Laich Seattle Thunderbirds 60 41 53 94 65
Jeremy Williams Swift Current Broncos 72 41 52 93 117
Dylan Stanley Tri-City Americans 72 34 59 93 60
David Bararuk Moose Jaw Warriors 66 29 64 93 44
Nigel Dawes Kootenay Ice 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

Player Team GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAA
Kelly Guard Kelowna Rockets 53 3018 39 10 3 97 6 .911 1.93
Geoff McIntosh Brandon Wheat Kings 23 1337 12 6 4 46 2 .914 2.06
Cam Ward Red Deer Rebels 57 3367 40 13 2 118 5 .920 2.10
Jeff Glass Kootenay Ice 35 1884 15 16 2 77 4 .909 2.45
Blake Grenier Moose Jaw Warriors 41 2356 23 8 8 100 5 .911 2.55

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 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

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference
Red Deer vs. Medicine Hat
Date Away Home
April 4 Medicine Hat 2 6 Red Deer
April 5 Medicine Hat 0 3 Red Deer
April 8 Red Deer 3 4 Medicine Hat
April 9 Red Deer 3 6 Medicine Hat
April 11 Medicine Hat 2 4 Red Deer
April 13 Red Deer 2 3 Medicine Hat 2OT
April 15 Medicine Hat 1 5 Red Deer
Red Deer wins series 4–3
Brandon vs. Moose Jaw
Date Away Home
April 4 Brandon 2 3 Moose Jaw
April 5 Brandon 2 1 Moose Jaw
April 9 Moose Jaw 5 3 Brandon
April 11 Moose Jaw 1 4 Brandon
April 12 Moose Jaw 1 2 Brandon
April 14 Brandon 6 7 Moose Jaw OT
April 16 Moose Jaw 3 7 Brandon
Brandon wins series 4–3
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Spokane
Date Away Home
April 4 Spokane 1 6 Kelowna
April 5 Spokane 1 5 Kelowna
April 9 Kelowna 4 1 Spokane
April 11 Kelowna 4 3 Spokane OT
Kelowna wins series 4–0
Seattle vs. Kootenay
Date Away Home
April 5 Kootenay 2 4 Seattle
April 7 Kootenay 0 4 Seattle
April 9 Seattle 5 0 Kootenay
April 10 Seattle 1 2 Kootenay 2OT
April 12 Kootenay 1 2 Seattle OT
Seattle wins series 4–1

Conference finals

Eastern Conference Western Conference
Red Deer vs. Brandon
Date Away Home
April 18 Brandon 1 5 Red Deer
April 19 Brandon 0 2 Red Deer
April 22 Red Deer 5 1 Brandon
April 23 Red Deer 1 2 Brandon
April 25 Brandon 1 3 Red Deer
Red Deer wins series 4–1
Kelowna vs. Seattle
Date Away Home
April 18 Seattle 4 5 Kelowna
April 19 Seattle 3 6 Kelowna
April 22 Kelowna 2 3 Seattle 2OT
April 23 Kelowna 4 0 Seattle
April 25 Seattle 2 4 Kelowna
Kelowna wins series 4–1

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

On November 12, the WHL Eastern All-Stars defeated the QMJHL Lebel All-Stars 5–2 at Hull, Quebec with a crowd of 2194.

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.

The WHL won the Hershey Cup as champion of the round robin format all-star tournament.

WHL awards

Player of the Year - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: Josh Harding, Regina Pats
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Brett Dickie, Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Erik Christensen, Kamloops Blazers
Most Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy: Boyd Gordon, Red Deer Rebels
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Jeff Woywitka, Red Deer Rebels
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Matt Ellison, Red Deer Rebels
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Josh Harding, Regina Pats
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Marc Habscheid, Kelowna Rockets
Executive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy: Bruce Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets
Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Kelowna Rockets
Top Official - Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy: Steve Kozari
Marketing/Public Relations Award - St. Clair Group Trophy: Anne-Marie Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets, and Reid Pederson, Regina Pats
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy - Ryan Craig, Brandon Wheat Kings
WHL Plus-Minus Award: Matthew Spiller, Seattle Thunderbirds
Playoff Most Valuable Player - airBC Trophy: Jesse Schultz, Kelowna Rockets

2003 Bantam draft

List of first round picks in the bantam draft.
# Player Nationality WHL Team
1 Jonathan Toews (C)  Canada Tri-City Americans
2 Ben Maxwell (C)  Canada Kootenay Ice (via Lethbridge)
3 Zach Hamill (C)  Canada Everett Silvertips
4 Ryan de Pape (RW)  Canada Prince Albert Raiders
5 Sasha Golin (RW)  Canada Portland Winter Hawks
6 Taylor Swyston (C)  Canada Prince George Cougars
7 Jason Reese (LW)  United States Vancouver Giants
8 Michael Reich (C)  Canada Spokane Chiefs
9 Keegan Dansereau (RW)  Canada Calgary Hitmen
10 Trevor Glass (D)  Canada Medicine Hat Tigers
11 Logan Pyett (D)  Canada Regina Pats
12 Todd Panchyson (D)  Canada Kootenay Ice
13 Victor Bartley (D)  Canada Kamloops Blazers
14 Justin McCrae (C)  Canada Saskatoon Blades
15 Brennan Wray (C)  Canada Moose Jaw Warriors
16 Kyle Bortis (LW)  Canada Swift Current Broncos
17 George Holloway (C)  Canada Seattle Thunderbirds
18 Mike Cann (D)  Canada Brandon Wheat Kings
19 Matthew Cline (C)  Canada Red Deer Rebels
20 Craig Cuthbert (C)  Canada Kelowna Rockets

See also

References

Preceded by
2001–02 WHL season		 WHL seasons Succeeded by
2003–04 WHL season