Sports season
2007–08 WHL season League Western Hockey League Sport Hockey Duration Preseason August 29, 2007 – September 15, 2007 Regular season September 20, 2007 – March 16, 2008 Playoffs March 21, 2008 – May 7, 2008Number of teams 22 TV partner(s) Shaw TV Finals champions Spokane Chiefs (2)
The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL).[1] The regular season began on September 20, 2007,[2] and ended on March 16, 2008.[3] The WHL Playoffs began on March 21, 2008,[4] and ended on May 7, 2008.[5]
A new expansion team, the Edmonton Oil Kings , joined the league bringing the WHL to 22 teams that played a 72-game season. The Spokane Chiefs won the Ed Chynoweth Cup , defeating the Lethbridge Hurricanes in four games. Spokane would go on to capture the Memorial Cup .
League notes [ edit ] The Oil Kings joined the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, bringing the Eastern Conference to twelve teams, while the Western Conference remained at ten. The new team in Alberta 's capital is the fourth WHL team to represent the city of Edmonton, preceded by the original Oil Kings franchises that played in the 1960s and 1970s, and later the Edmonton Ice , who played two seasons from 1996 to 1998 before relocating to the Kootenays . The playoff format was revised so that the top eight teams in the conference qualify for the playoffs, as opposed to the top four in each division. Division winners are guaranteed a top two seed in each conference. Final standings [ edit ] Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; x = Clinched playoff berth; y = Clinched conference title
Eastern Conference [ edit ] Western Conference [ edit ] Scoring leaders [ edit ] Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Leading goaltenders [ edit ] 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
2008 WHL Playoffs [ edit ] Overview [ edit ] Conference quarter-finals [ edit ] Eastern Conference [ edit ] Moose Jaw vs. Calgary Date Away Home March 21 Moose Jaw 1 5 Calgary March 23 Moose Jaw 4 2 Calgary March 25 Calgary 8 3 Moose Jaw March 26 Calgary 3 1 Moose Jaw March 28 Moose Jaw 4 2 Calgary March 30 Calgary 4 2 Moose Jaw Calgary wins 4–2
Swift Current vs. Regina Date Away Home March 21 Swift Current 1 2 Regina March 22 Swift Current 5 3 Regina March 25 (OT) Regina 4 3 Swift Current March 26 Regina 4 5 Swift Current (2OT) March 28 Swift Current 6 3 Regina March 29 Regina 2 5 Swift Current Swift Current wins 4–2
Brandon vs. Lethbridge Date Away Home March 21 Brandon 1 2 Lethbridge March 22 Brandon 3 4 Lethbridge March 25 Lethbridge 4 3 Brandon March 26 Lethbridge 1 5 Brandon March 28 Lethbridge 3 4 Brandon March 30 Brandon 0 4 Lethbridge Lethbridge wins 4–2
Kootenay vs. Medicine Hat Date Away Home March 21 Kootenay 5 2 Medicine Hat March 22 (OT) Kootenay 4 3 Medicine Hat March 25 Medicine Hat 1 2 Kootenay March 26 Medicine Hat 5 3 Kootenay March 28 Kootenay 3 1 Medicine Hat Kootenay wins 4–1
Western Conference [ edit ] Kamloops vs. Tri-City Date Away Home March 21 Kamloops 1 6 Tri-City March 22 Kamloops 1 4 Tri-City March 25 Tri-City 4 3 Kamloops March 26 Tri-City 6 2 Kamloops Tri-City wins 4–0
Chilliwack vs. Vancouver Date Away Home March 21 Chilliwack 1 2 Vancouver March 22 Chilliwack 2 3 Vancouver March 25 (3OT) Vancouver 4 3 Chilliwack March 26 Vancouver 2 1 Chilliwack Vancouver wins 4–0
Everett vs. Spokane Date Away Home March 21 Everett 2 5 Spokane March 22 Everett 1 4 Spokane March 26 Spokane 4 1 Everett March 28 (OT) Spokane 3 2 Everett Spokane wins 4–0
Kelowna vs. Seattle Date Away Home March 21 Kelowna 3 2 Seattle March 22 Kelowna 3 1 Seattle March 24 (OT) Seattle 3 2 Kelowna March 25 Seattle 6 4 Kelowna March 27 Kelowna 2 6 Seattle March 29 Seattle 3 4 Kelowna (OT) April 1 Kelowna 2 4 Seattle Seattle wins 4–3
Conference semi-finals [ edit ] Eastern Conference Swift Current vs. Calgary Date Away Home April 4 Calgary 2 3 Swift Current April 5 Calgary 5 2 Swift Current April 8 Swift Current 5 6 Calgary (2OT) April 9 Swift Current 2 3 Calgary April 11 Swift Current 5 2 Calgary April 12 Calgary 8 4 Swift Current Calgary wins 4–2
Kootenay vs. Lethbridge Date Away Home April 4 Kootenay 3 2 Lethbridge April 5 Kootenay 4 5 Lethbridge (OT) April 8 Lethbridge 5 2 Kootenay April 9 (2OT) Lethbridge 2 1 Kootenay April 11 Kootenay 0 3 Lethbridge Lethbridge wins 4–1
Western Conference Vancouver vs. Spokane Date Away Home April 4 Vancouver 4 1 Spokane April 6 Vancouver 1 4 Spokane April 9 Spokane 3 2 Vancouver April 11 Spokane 1 3 Vancouver April 12 Spokane 4 0 Vancouver April 14 Vancouver 1 3 Spokane Spokane wins 4–2
Seattle vs. Tri-City Date Away Home April 4 Seattle 7 1 Tri-City April 5 Seattle 0 4 Tri-City April 8 Tri-City 3 2 Seattle April 9 (OT) Tri-City 3 2 Seattle April 11 Seattle 0 4 Tri-City Tri-City wins 4–1
Conference finals [ edit ] Eastern Conference Western Conference Lethbridge vs. Calgary Date Away Home April 17 Lethbridge 5 2 Calgary April 18 (OT) Lethbridge 4 3 Calgary April 22 Calgary 0 6 Lethbridge April 23 Calgary 2 4 Lethbridge Lethbridge wins 4–0
Spokane vs. Tri-City Date Away Home April 18 (2OT) Spokane 1 0 Tri-City April 20 Spokane 0 1 Tri-City (2OT) April 21 Tri-City 0 2 Spokane April 22 (OT) Tri-City 3 2 Spokane April 26 (2OT) Spokane 4 3 Tri-City April 28 (OT) Tri-City 2 1 Spokane April 29 Spokane 4 1 Tri-City Spokane wins 4–3
WHL Championship [ edit ] Lethbridge vs. Spokane Date Away Home May 2 Lethbridge 1 4 Spokane May 3 Lethbridge 2 5 Spokane May 6 (OT) Spokane 2 1 Lethbridge May 7 Spokane 4 1 Lethbridge Spokane wins 4-0
Memorial Cup [ edit ] The 90th MasterCard Memorial Cup was held in Kitchener , Ontario .[6] It began on May 16, and concluded on May 25, 2008.
WHL awards [ edit ] All-Star Teams [ edit ] source: Western Hockey League press release 2008 Bantam Draft [ edit ] First round [7]
^ "Edmonton Expansion Franchise Opens 2007-08 WHL Season" . WHL. September 20, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ] ^ "WHL and SHAW Announce 2007-08 Schedule" . WHL. September 20, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ] ^ "HAWKS END SEASON ON WINNING NOTE" . WHL. March 17, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ] ^ "WHL Announces 2008 Playoffs Opening-Round Schedule" . WHL. March 18, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ] ^ "SPOKANE CHIEFS CAPTURE ED CHYNOWETH CUP" . WHL. March 18, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ] ^ "Kitchener Rangers to Host 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup" . Ontario Hockey League (OHL). May 9, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2008 .[dead link ] ^ "2008 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 1" . WHL. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008 . See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] External links [ edit ]