1978-79 WCLH Season

Standings

East Division

1. Fargo Owls

2. Kenora Pioneers

3. Saskatoon Cats

4. Brandon Buffalos

5. Swift Current Battalion

6. Portage la Prairie Magic

West Division

1. Abbotsford Forest Kings

2. Medicine Hat Hawks

3. Moose Jaw Wings

4. Nanaimo Sharks

5. Lethbridge Cougars

6. Billings Trains

Story:

October 16, 1978, is where the Billings Trains made their inaugural season opener against the defending Jade Trophy champion the Fargo Owls at the Star Sky Sports Complex in Billings, Montana. The game went well until the end of the third period when the Owls rookie forward Greg Pearce scored 2 goals to give Fargo a 4-2 win and ruined the Trains home opener. The Trains rebound from that loss winning just 12 victories out of 50 games, just 1 less win behind the Cougars in the west division.

As speaking for the west division, it has been lukewarm. Both Moose Jaw and Nanaimo struggled off the gate, and if it were not for the division split, both would be placed 9th and 10th overall. Abbotsford was the only good team in the west with a 35-11-4 record to finish 1st; overall, the Forest Kings placed 3rd.

October 20, 1978, after the team's first six games on the road, the Portage la Prairie Magic made their home opener at the Jaune Durocher Memorial Arena against the Kenora Pioneers. It was not a magical night for the Magic as they got blown out by the Pioneers with a score of 8-2. The Magic would finish last place overall with only just 9 wins out of 50 games.

Both the Fargo and Kenora battled back and forth for the top spot in the East division; in the end, it is all about head to head as the Owls top the Pioneers with the season series record of 3-1-1.

The Brandon Buffalos drama continues between Luke James and Paul Cole which has been hurting the team all season. What is bad about it is some players on the team demand to be traded to a different team. "This team has become a dysfunctional group. We tried to make peace between these two but to no avail. This morale we got now can't get any lower than it is; straight up, we don't deserve to be in this year's playoffs." Buffalos forward Fred Hale said in an interview after the Buffalos lost one of the worst games of the season to the Swift Current Battalion 9-2.

Many hockey fans and critics questioned the division alignment. Moose Jaw Wings is placed in the West and Swift Current Battalion in the East divisions. Moose Jaw is on the east side, while the Swift Current is on the west. WCLH President James Name explains the reason for it is that it was set by the birthplace of the owners' Moose Jaw owner Jack Green was born in Maidstone SK, while Swift Current owner Patrick Cox came from Yorkton SK to James is fitting to set the division like that.

As the 1978-79 season ended, the 8 teams that are in the playoffs will get a surprise as President James Name announced that the playoff format would be an international style meaning that the 1st seed east division Fargo Owls will battle against the 4th seed west division Nanaimo Sharks a rematch from last season Jade Trophy finals, 1st seed west Abbotsford Forest Kings vs. 4th seed east Brandon Buffalos, 2nd seed west Medicine Hat Hawks vs. 3rd seed east Saskatoon Cats and 2nd seed east Kenora Pioneers vs. 3rd seed west Moose Jaw Wings. "This year, playoffs are going to be fun to watch for everyone," James said at the press conference.