# 1999–2000 WHL season

The 1999–2000 WHL season was the 34th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The season featured eighteen teams and a 72-game season. The Calgary Hitmen won their second consecutive Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for having the league's best regular season record. In the playoffs, the Kootenay Ice won the franchise's first President's Cup in just their second season playing in Cranbrook, British Columbia.

## League notes

* The WHL followed the lead of the National Hockey League and adopted both 4-on-4 overtime and a standings format that saw teams losing in overtime earn one point.

## Regular season
### Final standings

| East Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| x Swift Current Broncos | 72 | 47 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 101 | 257 | 170 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 34 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 79 | 216 | 223 |
| x Regina Pats | 72 | 32 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 75 | 234 | 255 |
| x Prince Albert Raiders | 72 | 26 | 33 | 6 | 7 | 65 | 221 | 257 |
| x Moose Jaw Warriors | 72 | 25 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 63 | 221 | 259 |
| Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 25 | 38 | 4 | 5 | 59 | 212 | 260 |
| Central Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| x Calgary Hitmen | 72 | 58 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 120 | 313 | 182 |
| x Kootenay Ice | 72 | 44 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 102 | 275 | 200 |
| x Red Deer Rebels | 72 | 32 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 73 | 227 | 229 |
| Lethbridge Hurricanes | 72 | 25 | 38 | 4 | 5 | 59 | 220 | 250 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 21 | 39 | 6 | 6 | 54 | 222 | 295 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| x Spokane Chiefs | 72 | 47 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 100 | 272 | 191 |
| x Prince George Cougars | 72 | 43 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 95 | 279 | 228 |
| x Seattle Thunderbirds | 72 | 34 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 80 | 250 | 221 |
| x Kamloops Blazers | 72 | 36 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 78 | 244 | 228 |
| x Kelowna Rockets | 72 | 25 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 57 | 193 | 228 |
| x Tri-City Americans | 72 | 24 | 39 | 7 | 2 | 57 | 231 | 288 |
| Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 16 | 49 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 173 | 296 |

### Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Brad Moran | Calgary Hitmen | 72 | 48 | 72 | 120 | 84 |
| Pavel Brendl | Calgary Hitmen | 61 | 59 | 52 | 111 | 91 |
| Radek Duda | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 69 | 42 | 64 | 106 | 190 |
| Layne Ulmer | Swift Current Broncos | 71 | 50 | 54 | 104 | 66 |
| Justin Mapletoft | Red Deer Rebels | 72 | 39 | 57 | 96 | 135 |
| Tim Smith | Spokane Chiefs | 71 | 26 | 70 | 96 | 61 |
| Trent Hunter | Prince George Cougars | 67 | 46 | 49 | 95 | 47 |
| Mike G. Green | Kootenay Ice | 69 | 43 | 49 | 92 | 63 |
| Zdenek Blatny | Seattle/Kootenay | 68 | 47 | 44 | 91 | 131 |
| Jeremy Reich | Swift Current Broncos | 72 | 33 | 58 | 91 | 167 |

### Goaltending leaders

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 |
| Bryce Wandler | Swift Current Broncos | 56 | 3257 | 37 | 15 | 2 | 112 | 6 | .919 | 2.06 |
| Brent Krahn | Calgary Hitmen | 39 | 2316 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 92 | 4 | .912 | 2.38 |
| Dan Blackburn | Kootenay Ice | 51 | 3004 | 34 | 8 | 7 | 126 | 3 | .912 | 2.52 |
| Tyler MacKay | Saskatoon/Spokane | 42 | 2357 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 109 | 2 | .883 | 2.77 |
| Cam Ondrik | Medicine Hat/Saskatoon | 58 | 3381 | 30 | 24 | 4 | 159 | 4 | .908 | 2.82 |

## 2000 WHL Playoffs

* Top eight teams in the Eastern Conference (East and Central divisions) qualified for playoffs
* Top six teams in the Western Conference (division) qualified for the playoffs
| First round | First round | First round | Division Semi-Finals | Division Semi-Finals | Division Semi-Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | | WHL Championship | WHL Championship | WHL Championship |
| C1 | Calgary | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Moose Jaw | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Moose Jaw | 0 | C1 | Calgary | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | E2 | Saskatoon | 0 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Saskatoon | 4 | E2 | Saskatoon | 0 | | | | | | | |
| E3 | Regina | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E3 | Regina | 3 | | | | C1 | Calgary | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | C2 | Kootenay | 4 | | | | |
| C2 | Kootenay | 4 | | | | | | | C2 | Kootenay | 4 | | | | |
| C3 | Red Deer | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| C3 | Red Deer | 0 | C2 | Kootenay | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | E1 | Swift Current | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E1 | Swift Current | 4 | E1 | Swift Current | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Prince Albert | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Prince Albert | 2 | | | | | | | | C2 | Kootenay | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | W1 | Spokane | 2 |
| W1 | Spokane | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | Spokane | 2 |
| W6 | Tri-City | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Tri-City | 0 | W1 | Spokane | bye | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | W1 | Spokane | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | | W2 | Prince George | 1 | | | | |
| W2 | Prince George | 4 | | | | | | | W2 | Prince George | 1 | | | | |
| W5 | Kelowna | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Kelowna | 1 | W2 | Prince George | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | W3 | Seattle | 0 | | | | | | | |
| W3 | Seattle | 4 | W3 | Seattle | 0 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Kamloops | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Conference quarterfinals
#### Eastern Conference

Calgary vs. Moose Jaw :
| Date | Away | Home |
| March 29 | Moose Jaw 4 | 5 Calgary | OT |
| March 30 | Moose Jaw 3 | 6 Calgary |
| April 1 | Calgary 4 | 2 Moose Jaw |
| April 2 | Calgary 8 | 2 Moose Jaw |
| Calgary wins series 4–0 ||||
Kootenay vs. Red Deer :
| Date | Away | Home |
| March 30 | Red Deer 4 | 7 Kootenay |
| March 31 | Red Deer 0 | 8 Kootenay |
| April 2 | Kootenay 7 | 4 Red Deer |
| April 3 | Kootenay 2 | 1 Red Deer | OT |
| Kootenay wins series 4–0 ||||
Swift Current vs. Prince Albert :
| Date | Away | Home |
| March 30 | Prince Albert 3 | 2 Swift Current |
| March 31 | Prince Albert 2 | 6 Swift Current |
| April 2 | Swift Current 4 | 2 Prince Albert |
| April 3 | Swift Current 2 | 5 Prince Albert |
| April 5 | Prince Albert 3 | 6 Swift Current |
| April 7 | Swift Current 4 | 3 Prince Albert |
| Swift Current wins series 4–2 ||||
Saskatoon vs. Regina :
| Date | Away | Home |
| March 29 | Regina 6 | 4 Saskatoon |
| March 31 | Saskatoon 1 | 6 Regina |
| April 1 | Regina 0 | 3 Saskatoon |
| April 3 | Saskatoon 6 | 3 Regina |
| April 5 | Regina 0 | 4 Saskatoon |
| April 7 | Saskatoon 2 | 7 Regina |
| April 8 | Regina 1 | 5 Saskatoon |
| Saskatoon wins series 4–3 ||||

#### Western Conference

Spokane vs. Tri-City :
| Date | Away | Home |
| March 29 | Tri-City 1 | 8 Spokane |
| March 31 | Spokane 6 | 2 Tri-City |
| April 1 | Spokane 3 | 2 Tri-City |
| April 5 | Tri-City 0 | 2 Spokane |
| Spokane wins series 4–0 ||||
Seattle vs. Kamloops :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 1 | Kamloops 2 | 5 Seattle |
| April 2 | Kamloops 2 | 7 Seattle |
| April 4 | Seattle 3 | 2 Kamloops |
| April 5 | Seattle 5 | 2 Kamloops |
| Seattle wins series 4–0 ||||
Prince George vs. Kelowna :
| Date | Away | Home |
| March 31 | Kelowna 4 | 2 Prince George |
| April 1 | Kelowna 0 | 4 Prince George |
| April 4 | Prince George 4 | 1 Kelowna |
| April 5 | Prince George 4 | 2 Kelowna |
| April 7 | Kelowna 3 | 4 Prince George | OT |
| Prince George wins series 4–1 ||||

### Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference :
Calgary vs. Saskatoon :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 10 | Saskatoon 0 | 7 Calgary |
| April 11 | Saskatoon 2 | 6 Calgary |
| April 13 | Calgary 6 | 2 Saskatoon |
| April 14 | Calgary 4 | 2 Saskatoon |
| Calgary wins series 4–0 ||||
Kootenay vs. Swift Current :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 10 | Swift Current 2 | 1 Kootenay |
| April 11 | Swift Current 2 | 6 Kootenay |
| April 13 | Kootenay 1 | 2 Swift Current |
| April 14 | Kootenay 4 | 2 Swift Current |
| April 16 | Swift Current 1 | 6 Kootenay |
| April 18 | Kootenay 3 | 1 Swift Current |
| Kootenay wins series 4–2 ||||
Western Conference :
Prince George vs. Seattle :
| Date | Away | Home |
| April 13 | Seattle 2 | 5 Prince George |
| April 14 | Seattle 0 | 7 Prince George |
| April 16 | Prince George 4 | 2 Seattle |
| Prince George wins series 3–0 ||||

### Conference finals

| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
| Calgary vs. Kootenay DateAwayHome April 21Kootenay 23 Calgary April 22Kootenay 32 Calgary April 25Calgary 23 Kootenay April 26Calgary 23 Kootenay April 29Kootenay 65 CalgaryOT Kootenay wins series 4–1 | Prince George vs. Spokane DateAwayHome April 23Prince George 45 Spokane April 24Prince George 34 Spokane April 25Spokane 03 Prince George April 28Spokane 43 Prince GeorgeOT April 29Spokane 42 Prince George Spokane wins series 4–1 |

### WHL Championship

Kootenay vs. Spokane :
| Date | Away | Home |
| May 5 | Spokane 3 | 2 Kootenay |
| May 6 | Spokane 3 | 2 Kootenay |
| May 9 | Kootenay 3 | 2 Spokane |
| May 10 | Kootenay 4 | 1 Spokane |
| May 12 | Spokane 1 | 2 Kootenay |
| May 13 | Kootenay 1 | 0 Spokane |
| Kootenay wins series 4–2 ||||

## All-Star game

On January 19, the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 10–9 at Kelowna, British Columbia before a crowd of 5,420.

## WHL awards

* Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (Player of the Year): Brad Moran, Calgary Hitmen
* Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy (Scholastic Player of the Year): Chris Nielson, Calgary Hitmen
* Scholastic Team of the Year: Portland Winterhawks
* Bob Clarke Trophy (Top scorer): Brad Moran, Calgary Hitmen
* Brad Hornung Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player): Trent Hunter, Prince George Cougars
* Bill Hunter Trophy (Top Defenseman): Micki Dupont, Kamloops Blazers
* Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Dan Blackburn, Kootenay Ice
* Del Wilson Trophy (Top Goaltender): Bryce Wandler, Swift Current Broncos
* Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (Coach of the Year): Todd McLellan, Swift Current Broncos
* Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy (Executive of the Year): Tim Speltz, Spokane Chiefs
* Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (Best regular season record): Calgary Hitmen
* Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy (Top Official): Mike Hasenfratz
* St. Clair Group Trophy (Marketing/Public Relations Award): Mike Jenkins, Prince Albert Raiders
* WHL Humanitarian of the Year: Chris Nielson, Calgary Hitmen
* WHL Plus-Minus Award: Kenton Smith, Calgary Hitmen
* WHL Playoff Most Valuable Player: Dan Blackburn, Kootenay Ice

## All-Star Teams

Eastern Conference :
| | First Team | First Team | Second Team | Second Team |
| Goal | Bryce Wandler | Swift Current Broncos | Dan Blackburn | Kootenay Ice |
| Defense | Steve McCarthy | Kootenay Ice | Barret Jackman | Regina Pats |
| Defense | Lawrence Nycholat | Swift Current Broncos | Matt Kinch | Calgary Hitmen |
| Forward | Justin Mapletoft | Red Deer Rebels | Zdenek Blatny | Kootenay Ice |
| Forward | Brad Moran | Calgary Hitmen | Pavel Brendl | Calgary Hitmen |
| Forward | Layne Ulmer | Swift Current Broncos | Mike Green | Kootenay Ice |
| Western Conference |||||
| | First Team | First Team | Second Team | Second Team |
| Goal | Kevin Swanson | Kelowna Rockets | unknown | unknown |
| Defense | Micki DuPont | Kamloops Blazers | unknown | unknown |
| Defense | Garry Toor | Prince George Cougars | unknown | unknown |
| Forward | Trent Hunter | Prince George Cougars | unknown | unknown |
| Forward | Tyler Bouck | Prince George Cougars | unknown | unknown |
| Forward | Tim Smith | Spokane Chiefs | unknown | unknown |