1970–71 WCHL season
The 1970–71 WCHL season was the fifth season of the Western Canada Hockey League, known in the present day as the Western Hockey League. Ten teams completed a 66 game season, with the Edmonton Oil Kings winning the President's Cup.
League notes
- The Regina Pats returned to the WCHL, and joined the East division.
- The Medicine Hat Tigers joined the league and played in the West division.
- The regular season was expanded to 66 games from 60.
Regular season
Final standings
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Estevan Bruins | 66 | 41 | 20 | 5 | 87 | 283 | 201 |
| x Flin Flon Bombers | 66 | 41 | 23 | 2 | 84 | 306 | 224 |
| x Winnipeg Jets | 66 | 31 | 32 | 3 | 65 | 278 | 269 |
| x Regina Pats | 66 | 28 | 36 | 2 | 58 | 202 | 246 |
| Brandon Wheat Kings | 66 | 20 | 46 | 0 | 40 | 247 | 387 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x Edmonton Oil Kings | 66 | 45 | 20 | 1 | 91 | 346 | 258 |
| x Calgary Centennials | 66 | 37 | 22 | 7 | 81 | 244 | 175 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 66 | 29 | 36 | 1 | 59 | 295 | 299 |
| x Swift Current Broncos | 66 | 24 | 40 | 2 | 50 | 229 | 290 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers | 66 | 22 | 43 | 1 | 45 | 271 | 352 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Arnason | Flin Flon Bombers | 66 | 79 | 84 | 163 | 152 |
| Orest Kindrachuk | Saskatoon Blades | 61 | 49 | 100 | 149 | 103 |
| Lorne Henning | Estevan Bruins | 66 | 64 | 66 | 130 | 41 |
| Laurie Yaworski | Saskatoon Blades | 57 | 73 | 54 | 127 | 104 |
| Wayne Chernecki | Winnipeg Jets | 65 | 50 | 73 | 123 | 56 |
| Dan Spring | Edmonton Oil Kings | 65 | 43 | 79 | 122 | 44 |
| Don Kozak | Edmonton Oil Kings | 66 | 60 | 61 | 121 | 122 |
| Stan Weir | Medicine Hat Tigers | 66 | 52 | 59 | 111 | 88 |
| Gene Carr | Flin Flon Bombers | 62 | 36 | 68 | 104 | 105 |
| Brian Carlin | Medicine Hat Tigers | 65 | 44 | 56 | 100 | 46 |
1971 WCHL Playoffs
Quarterfinals
- Winnipeg defeated Estevan 4 games to 2 with 1 tie
- Flin Flon defeated Regina 4 games to 1 with 1 tie
- Edmonton defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 1
- Calgary defeated Swift Current 3 games to 0 with 2 ties
Semifinals
- Flin Flon defeated Winnipeg 5 games to 2
- Edmonton defeated Calgary 4 games to 1
Finals
- Edmonton defeated Flin Flon 4 games to 1 with 1 tie
All-Star game
The 1970–71 WCHL All-Star Game was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the WCHL All-stars defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4–3 before a crowd of 3,543.
Awards
| Most Valuable Player: Ed Dyck, Calgary Centennials |
| Top Scorer: Chuck Arnason, Flin Flon Bombers |
| Most Sportsmanlike Player: Lorne Henning, Estevan Bruins |
| Defenseman of the Year: Ron Jones, Edmonton Oil Kings |
| Rookie of the Year: Stan Weir, Medicine Hat Tigers |
| Goaltender of the Year: Ed Dyck, Calgary Centennials |
| Coach of the Year: Pat Ginnell, Flin Flon Bombers |
| Regular Season Champions: Edmonton Oil Kings |
See also
References
- whl.ca
- 2005–06 WHL Guide
| Preceded by 1969–70 WCHL season |
WHL seasons | Succeeded by 1971–72 WCHL season |