2004–05 WHL season explained

The 2004–05 WHL season was the 39th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Twenty teams completed a 72-game schedule. The Kootenay Ice won their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for posting the league's best regular season record. The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings in the championship series of the playoffs to win their second President's Cup in three seasons and advance to the 2005 Memorial Cup tournament.

Regular season

Eastern Conference

East Division	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA
x Brandon Wheat Kings	72	45	21	5	1	96	255	199
x Saskatoon Blades	72	37	23	6	6	86	234	215
x Prince Albert Raiders	72	31	32	5	4	71	185	191
x Moose Jaw Warriors	72	14	47	10	1	39	182	282
Regina Pats	72	12	50	4	6	34	154	285

Central Division	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA
x Medicine Hat Tigers	72	45	21	4	2	96	234	143
x Lethbridge Hurricanes	72	39	20	12	1	91	222	162
x Calgary Hitmen	72	34	23	9	6	83	200	183
x Red Deer Rebels	72	36	26	6	4	82	206	200
Swift Current Broncos	72	22	41	6	3	53	135	218

Western Conference

B.C. Division	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA
x Kootenay Ice	72	47	15	7	3	104	218	137
x Kelowna Rockets	72	45	13	12	2	104	215	139
x Vancouver Giants	72	34	30	4	4	76	212	205
x Kamloops Blazers	72	26	37	7	2	61	161	211
Prince George Cougars	72	26	41	3	2	57	158	223

U.S. Division	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA
x Seattle Thunderbirds	72	43	24	2	3	91	204	144
x Portland Winter Hawks	72	35	27	5	5	80	204	198
x Everett Silvertips	72	33	28	9	2	77	167	149
x Tri-City Americans	72	26	34	8	4	64	172	196
Spokane Chiefs	72	24	38	8	2	58	192	230

Scoring leaders

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

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
		71	59	52	111	91
		70	33	66	99	127
		70	39	48	87	169
		71	29	58	87	43
		70	35	51	86	40
		68	42	38	80	26
		71	28	50	78	32
		69	34	43	77	104
		63	50	26	76	30
		70	37	37	74	122

Leading goaltenders

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
Matt Keetley	Medicine Hat Tigers	32	1845	21	5	3	51	6	.933	1.66
Jeff Glass	Kootenay Ice	51	3060	34	11	5	91	8	.931	1.78
Bryan Bridges	Seattle Thunderbirds	58	3381	36	20	2	103	13	.926	1.83
Derek Yeomans	Kelowna Rockets	54	3277	33	13	8	100	6	.923	1.83
Michael Wall	Everett Silvertips	56	3190	24	22	8	102	10	.931	1.92

2005 WHL playoffs

Conference quarterfinals

(U2) Portland Winterhawks vs. (U3) Everett Silvertips

Conference semifinals

(U1) Seattle Thunderbirds vs. (B2) Kelowna Rockets

Conference finals

(B1) Kootenay Ice vs. (B2) Kelowna Rockets

WHL Championship

(E1) Brandon Wheat Kings vs. (B2) Kelowna Rockets

ADT Canada-Russia Challenge

On December 1, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 6–0 in Red Deer, Alberta before a crowd of 6,443.

On December 2, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 5–2 in Lethbridge, Alberta before a crowd of 5,152.

WHL awards

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (Player of the Year): Eric Fehr, Brandon Wheat Kings
Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy (Scholastic Player of the Year): Gilbert Brule, Vancouver Giants
Scholastic Team of the Year: Vancouver Giants
Bob Clarke Trophy (Top scorer): Eric Fehr, Brandon Wheat Kings
Brad Hornung Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player): Kris Russell, Medicine Hat Tigers
Bill Hunter Trophy (Top Defenseman): Dion Phaneuf, Red Deer Rebels
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Tyler Plante, Brandon Wheat Kings
Del Wilson Trophy (Top Goaltender): Jeff Glass, Kootenay Ice
Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (Coach of the Year): Cory Clouston, Kootenay Ice
Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy (Executive of the Year): Jeff Chynoweth, Kootenay Ice
Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (Best regular season record): Kootenay Ice
Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy (Top Official): Rob Matsuoka
St. Clair Group Trophy (Marketing/Public Relations Award): Roger Lemire, Vancouver Giants
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian of the Year): Colin Fraser, Red Deer Rebels
WHL Plus-Minus Award James Cherewyk, Kootenay Ice
WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player Shea Weber, Kelowna Rockets

All-Star Teams

Eastern Conference
	First Team		Second Team
Goal				Medicine Hat Tigers
Defense				Medicine Hat Tigers
				Lethbridge Hurricanes
Forward				Calgary Hitmen
				Saskatoon Blades
				Lethbridge Hurricanes
Western Conference
	First Team		Second Team
Goal				Seattle Thunderbirds
Defense				Vancouver Giants
				Tri-City Americans
Forward				Portland Winter Hawks
				Spokane Chiefs
				Kootenay Ice

• source: Western Hockey League press release

2005 Bantam Draft

The 2005 WHL Bantam Draft was the 16th annual draft into the WHL. It was held at the WHL head office in Calgary, on May 5, 2005.

List of first round picks in the bantam draft.

	Player	Nationality	WHL Team
1	Colten Teubert (D)		Regina Pats
2	Geordie Wudrick (LW)		Swift Current Broncos
3	Dale Hunt (RW)		Prince George Cougars
4	Mitch Wahl (C)		Spokane Chiefs
5	Neal Prokop (C)		Moose Jaw Warriors
6	Tyler Shattock (RW)		Kamloops Blazers
7	Eric Mestery (D)		Tri-City Americans
8	Jordan Trach (LW)		Prince Albert Raiders
9	James Wright (C)		Vancouver Giants
10	Kyle Beach (C)		Everett Silvertips
11	Thomas Frazee (C)		Portland Winter Hawks
12	Cassidy Mappin (C)		Red Deer Rebels
13	Brendon Rowinski (C)		Calgary Hitmen
14	Teigan Zahn (D)		Saskatoon Blades
15	Travis Bobbee (D)		Lethbridge Hurricanes
16	Cody Hanson (RW)		Seattle Thunderbirds
17	Sanfred King (C)		Brandon Wheat Kings
18	Jordan Hickmott (C)		Medicine Hat Tigers
19	Tyler Myers (D)		Kelowna Rockets
20	Jordan Wilkins (D)		Kootenay Ice

See also

• 2005 NHL Entry Draft
• 2004 in sports
• 2005 in sports