1982-83 WCLH Playoffs

 Round 1

1 west: Lethbridge Cougars vs. 4 east: Moose Jaw Wings

The Cougars showed no mercy on the Wings, as they would win the series in four games to add more salt to the wound. The Wings couldn’t score as they became the first team in the WCLH best-of-seven-game series era to get swept without scoring a goal. The Cougars wins the series 4-0.

2 west: Billings Trains vs. 3 east: Fargo Owls

The Billings Trains had high hopes to move on to the second round, but the Fargo Owls had other ideas as both went back and forth all the way to game seven, where the Trains led 3-1 going into the second period as they did everything they can to hold on to that lead and the defence duo of Drew Eastwood and Glen Sasakamoose really gave the Owls offence a hard time all game, in the third period the Trains added two more goals to win game seven 5-1. The Trains wins the series 4-3.

1 east: Swift Current Battalion vs. 4 west: Abbotsford Forest Kings

The Battalion did not waste any time and took the Forest Kings down within 5 games, as the only loss for the Battalion was in game four in overtime; Eric Wilcox made 9 goals and 12 points in that series, which was the best he showed after going through last playoffs on a cold streak. The Battalion wins the series 4-1.

2 east: Portage la Prairie Magic vs. 3 west: Medicine Hat Hawks

The Magic had everything going their way, winning the first two games over the Hawks. However, in game three, the Magic lost Zachary Natyshak (knee) and Mark Daneyko (upper body) to injury. The Hawks took an advantage and won four straight to move on to the second round. The Hawks won the series 4-2.

Round 2

1 west: Lethbridge Cougars vs. 3 west: Medicine Hat Hawks

The battle between the undefended Cougars and the Valor Cup Host the Hawks. The Cougars got the sweep, but all those four games were overtimes including a 5-4 overtime win where the Cougars came back from a 4-2 behind late in the third period, Jack Burk got the hat-trick on that game including the overtime win. The Cougars wins the series 4-0.

1 east: Swift Current Battalion vs. 2 west: Billings Trains

With being the only east division team still in the playoffs, things were not looking suitable for the Battalion as the Trains took the first three games of the series until the Battalion won game four in overtime and would win two more games to force a game seven, ultimately Frank Colton scored the overtime winner as the Billings Trains is going to the Jade Trophy finals for the first time in the club history. The Trains wins the series 4-3.

Jade Trophy Finals

1 West: Lethbridge Cougars vs. 2 West: Billings Trains

The Lethbridge Cougars kept their foot on the gas pedal as they dominated all four games, even being behind by two goals and coming back and winning game two. The Trains got no answers at all; as the clock hit zero in game four, the Lethbridge Cougars won the Jade Trophy for the third time in a row, becoming the second team to pull it off; the last team to do so was the Saskatoon Cats (1966,1967,1968) including their 1966-67 season were perfect. As the Cougars players hoist the trophy, the coaches are putting together strategies for the grand prize, the Valor Cup.

1982-83 WCLH Season

 

History is made by the Lethbridge Cougars as the unthinkable became for real as they went perfect 50 wins, no losses, no ties, and 100 points; they became the first team in the CIHA era to pull it off, and the Cougars became the third team to do it. The first was the 1955-56 Lethbridge Cougars and the 1966-67 Saskatoon Cats that did it, but both those seasons were only 30 games at that time.

Tragedy stuck on January 16, 1983, at 3:40 left into the third between the Moose Jaw Wings and the Kenora Pioneers, where Wings forward Paul Phillips went too fast to get the puck only to fall onto the ice and crash to boards badly that left him on a stretcher ending the game. A week later, it was announced that Paul suffered an injury that put him in a wheelchair, ending his hockey-playing career. Since then, the NIHA, a pro hockey league that used the Lite-sonic pants, decided to ban them from their league; with that, the WCLH will follow along with it, and hopefully, the rest will, too.

The East division was a tight race in the first 25 games, but the last 25 it was far apart as the Swift Current Battalion took first place with 87 points, the team’s highest in history, a big thanks to their highest 18-game unbeaten streak (16-0-2) and for the first time since 1967-68 season (formerly North Battleford Crusaders) that a player is on the top ten goal scorer in the league and Eric Wilcox made that happen, with his 14 points (6G-8A) in the last ten games to be placed in 7th. Portage la Prairie Magic took second place by winning 18 of their first 25 games. They stayed as close they could behind the Battalion but lost the season series to Swift Current four in a row. However, the Magic would get some good numbers of critical wins to keep their momentum high come playoff time. Finishing third place was a surprise to many of the Fargo Owls after a challenging rebuild; the Owls had a rough start in the first half, but they turned it around and won 10 of the last 15 games to take the spot. After four years of finishing 4th in both the west and east divisions, the Wings had good momentum, thinking that they would finish third place for the first time since the 78-79 season, but losing 15 of the last 20 games to make things worse for them they finished forth just 8 points behind the Owls even thou the Wings swept Fargo in season series but lost too many critical games down the stretch. Rounding out the East division are the Kenora Pioneers, their first playoff miss in team history, the Brandon Buffalos, and the Saskatoon Cats.

The Lethbridge Cougars top both the West division and the league with a perfect 50 wins in 50 games a history in the making as they have the confidence to go all the way. The Billings Trains improved from third to second place in the West with the right players at the right time, hoping that it would lead to a deep playoff run. The host of the 1983 Valor Cup tournament, the Medicine Hat Hawks, takes third after finishing the last intense 15 games (10-3-2) to keep their momentum going into the playoffs; the fans hope that this team keeps their “A” game for the tournament if they get an exit out of this season playoffs. The Abbotsford Forest Kings may be short one win behind the Hawks, but finishing fourth is good enough for them. It is also lucky for them that they are in a playoff format and did not have to face the Cougars. The last 3 spots are Chilliwack, Surrey, and Nanaimo.