Junior ice hockey season
Sports season
Sports season
The 2002–03 WHL season was the 37th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Nineteen teams completed a 72-game season. The Kelowna Rockets won both the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the league's best regular season team and the President's Cup as playoff champion, both for the first time. The Rockets thus earned a berth in the 2003 Memorial Cup tournament.
Prince George Crosses over into U.S. Division playoffs Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Goaltending leaders [ edit ] 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
Conference quarterfinals [ edit ]
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
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 [ edit ]
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
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
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 festivities included a round robin between all-star squads from the three CHL leagues. On November 12, the WHL Eastern All-Stars defeated the QMJHL Lebel All-Stars 5–2 at Hull, Quebec before a crowd of 2,194. Then, 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. With the victories, the WHL won the Hershey Cup as champion of the round robin format all-star tournament.
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (Player of the Year): Josh Harding , Regina Pats
Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy (Scholastic Player of the Year): Brett Dickie, Brandon Wheat Kings
Scholastic Team of the Year: Prince Albert Raiders
Bob Clarke Trophy (Top scorer): Erik Christensen , Kamloops Blazers
Brad Hornung Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player): Boyd Gordon , Red Deer Rebels
Bill Hunter Trophy (Top Defenseman): Jeff Woywitka , Red Deer Rebels
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Matt Ellison , Red Deer Rebels
Del Wilson Trophy (Top Goaltender): Josh Harding , Regina Pats
Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (Coach of the Year): Marc Habscheid , Kelowna Rockets
Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy (Executive of the Year): Bruce Hamilton , Kelowna Rockets
Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (Best regular season record): Kelowna Rockets
Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy (Top Official): Steve Kozari
St. Clair Group Trophy (Marketing/Public Relations Award): Anne-Marie Hamilton, Kelowna Rockets , and Reid Pederson, Regina Pats
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian of the Year): Ryan Craig , Brandon Wheat Kings
WHL Plus-Minus Award : Matthew Spiller , Seattle Thunderbirds
WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player : Jesse Schultz , Kelowna Rockets
source: Western Hockey League press release List of first round picks in the bantam draft.