2005–06 WHL season

The 2005–06 WHL season was the 40th season of the Western Hockey League. Twenty teams completed a 72 game schedule. The Vancouver Giants won the President's Cup. 
==League notes==
The WHL announced that it would adopt many of the new rules put in place by the NHL this season to increase scoring. They are:
*Shootouts: Ties no longer count in the standings, and are replaced with the shootout. Shootout losses will count as one point in the standings.
*Tighter standard of officiating, especially as it relates to obstruction fouls.
*Goaltender restriction zone or the "trapezoid", will be employed. Goaltenders will be forbidden from playing the puck in the corners behind the goal line. A violation will merit a two minute delay of game penalty.
*Tag-up Offside rule will be used.
*The centre ice red line will no longer be considered for the purpose of determining an offside (two-line) pass.
*Any player who shoots the puck over the glass and out of play from their defensive zone will receive a delay of game penalty.
*Any team called for icing the puck from within their defensive zone will not be permitted a line change. Unlike the NHL, any team that ices the puck from their half of the neutral zone will be permitted to change.
It is worth noting that the WHL did not move the goal and blue lines to increase the size of the offensive zones like the NHL, as the league felt that the teams did not have enough time to modify their arenas. Thus, only the Calgary Hitmen, who share an arena with the Calgary Flames play using the new alignment. The new standard will be employed by the remaining teams beginning in 2006–07.
==Regular season==
===Final standings===
===Eastern Conference===
East Division 	GP	W 	L 	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF 	GA
x Moose Jaw Warriors 	72	44	20	5 	3 	96 	278	205
x Saskatoon Blades 	72	41	25	2 	4 	88 	232	217
x Regina Pats 	72	40	27	1 	4 	85 	236	234
x Brandon Wheat Kings	72	30	32	6 	4 	70 	218	259
Prince Albert Raiders	72	25	36	1 	10 	61 	167	228
Central Division 	GP	W 	L 	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF 	GA
x Medicine Hat Tigers 	72	47	16	1 	8 	103	257	171
x Calgary Hitmen 	72	47	18	3 	4 	101	195	155
x Lethbridge Hurricanes	72	27	36	3 	6 	63 	195	250
x Swift Current Broncos	72	24	34	6 	8 	62 	175	242
Red Deer Rebels 	72	26	40	1 	5 	58 	166	220
===Western Conference===
B.C. Division 	GP	W 	L 	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF 	GA
x Vancouver Giants 	72	47	19	0 	6 	100	252	156
x Kelowna Rockets 	72	46	22	1 	3 	96 	243	188
x Kootenay Ice 	72	45	23	1 	3 	94 	233	177
x Prince George Cougars	72	35	31	2 	4 	76 	195	195
Kamloops Blazers 	72	34	33	2 	3 	73 	179	196
U.S. Division 	GP	W 	L 	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF 	GA
x Everett Silvertips 	72	40	27	2 	3 	85 	203	158
x Seattle Thunderbirds 	72	35	31	1 	5 	76 	186	211
x Portland Winter Hawks	72	32	32	3 	5 	72 	204	258
x Tri-City Americans 	72	30	35	4 	3 	67 	188	221
Spokane Chiefs 	72	25	39	5 	3 	58 	193	254
===Scoring leaders===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Troy Brouwer 	Moose Jaw Warriors 	72	49	53	102	122
Adam Cracknell 	Kootenay Ice 	72	42	51	93 	85
Ian McDonald 	Tri-City Americans 	71	37	55	92 	16
Dustin Boyd 	Moose Jaw Warriors 	64	48	42	90 	34
Justin Keller 	Kelowna Rockets 	72	51	37	88 	82
Blair Jones 	Moose Jaw Warriors 	72	35	50	85 	85
Devin Setoguchi	Saskatoon Blades 	65	36	47	83 	69
Darren Helm 	Medicine Hat Tigers	70	41	38	79 	37
Ryan Russell 	Kootenay Ice 	72	33	42	75 	30
Chad Klassen 	Spokane/Saskatoon 	68	27	48	75 	61
===Goaltending leaders===
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Total ice time; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout losses ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player 	Team 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	SOL	GA 	SO	SV% 	GAA
Justin Pogge 	Calgary Hitmen 	54	3237	38	12	4 	93 	11	.926	1.72
Dustin Slade 	Vancouver Giants 	55	3319	36	13	5 	105	11	.912	1.90
Leland Irving	Everett Silvertips 	67	3791	37	23	3 	121	4 	.925	1.91
Matt Keetley 	Medicine Hat Tigers	62	3741	42	14	5 	130	6 	.916	2.09
Taylor Dakers	Kootenay Ice 	47	2671	30	15	1 	94 	8 	.926	2.11
==WHL Playoffs==
===Overview===
===Conference quarterfinals===
====Eastern Conference====
{| class="wikitable"	Moose Jaw vs. Brandon	Moose Jaw vs. Brandon	Moose Jaw vs. Brandon	Moose Jaw vs. Brandon
Date 	Away 	Home 	 	
March 24 	Brandon 1 	5 Moose Jaw 	 	
March 25 	Brandon 2 	1 Moose Jaw 	 	
March 27 	Moose Jaw 2 	3 Brandon 	 	
March 30 	Moose Jaw 4 	1 Brandon 	 	
April 2 	Brandon 0 	1 Moose Jaw 	 	
April 4 	Moose Jaw 5 	0 Brandon 	 	
Moose Jaw wins 4–2	Moose Jaw wins 4–2 	Moose Jaw wins 4–2 	Moose Jaw wins 4–2 	
====Western Conference====
{| class="wikitable"	Vancouver vs. Prince George	Vancouver vs. Prince George	Vancouver vs. Prince George	Vancouver vs. Prince George
Date 	Away 	Home 	 	
March 24 	Prince George 0 	3 Vancouver 	 	
March 25 	Prince George 2 	0 Vancouver 	 	
March 28 	Vancouver 6 	0 Prince George 	 	
March 29 	Vancouver 3 	2 Prince George 	OT 	
April 1 	Prince George 2 	5 Vancouver 	 	
Vancouver wins 4–1	Vancouver wins 4–1 	Vancouver wins 4–1 	Vancouver wins 4–1 	
===Conference semifinals===
Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable"	Medicine Hat vs. Saskatoon	Medicine Hat vs. Saskatoon	Medicine Hat vs. Saskatoon	Medicine Hat vs. Saskatoon
Date 	Away 	Home 	 	
April 7 	Saskatoon 1 	5 Medicine Hat 	 	
April 8 	Saskatoon 3 	4 Medicine Hat 	3OT 	
April 11 	Medicine Hat 3 	2 Saskatoon 	OT 	
April 12 	Medicine Hat 3 	1 Saskatoon 	 	
Medicine Hat wins 4–0	Medicine Hat wins 4–0 	Medicine Hat wins 4–0 	Medicine Hat wins 4–0 	
Western Conference	Western Conference 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable"	Kelowna vs. Everett	Kelowna vs. Everett	Kelowna vs. Everett	Kelowna vs. Everett
Date 	Away 	Home 	 	
April 7 	Everett 5 	3 Kelowna 	 	
April 9 	Everett 2 	3 Kelowna 	 	
April 11 	Kelowna 0 	2 Everett 	 	
April 12 	Kelowna 2 	3 Everett 	 	
April 14 	Everett 2 	3 Kelowna 	2OT 	
April 16 	Kelowna 2 	6 Everett 	 	
Everett wins 4–2 	Everett wins 4–2 	Everett wins 4–2 	Everett wins 4–2 	
===Conference finals===
Eastern Conference	Western Conference 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable"	Medicine Hat vs. Moose Jaw	Medicine Hat vs. Moose Jaw	Medicine Hat vs. Moose Jaw	Medicine Hat vs. Moose Jaw
Date 	Away 	Home 	 	
April 21 	Moose Jaw 3 	2 Medicine Hat 	 	
April 22 	Moose Jaw 4 	3 Medicine Hat 	OT 	
April 25 	Medicine Hat 5 	3 Moose Jaw 	 	
April 26 	Medicine Hat 1 	3 Moose Jaw 	 	
April 28 	Moose Jaw 4 	3 Medicine Hat 	OT 	
Moose Jaw wins 4–1	Moose Jaw wins 4–1 	Moose Jaw wins 4–1 	Moose Jaw wins 4–1 	
===WHL Championship===
{| cellspacing="10"
|-
| valign="top" |
Vancouver vs. Moose Jaw	Vancouver vs. Moose Jaw	Vancouver vs. Moose Jaw	Vancouver vs. Moose Jaw
Date 	Away 	Home 	
May 5 	Moose Jaw 1 	5 Vancouver 	
May 6 	Moose Jaw 5 	7 Vancouver 	
May 8 	Vancouver 2 	1 Moose Jaw 	
May 9 	Vancouver 6 	3 Moose Jaw 	
Vancouver wins 4–0 	Vancouver wins 4–0 	Vancouver wins 4–0 	Vancouver wins 4–0
==ADT Canada-Russia Challenge==
On November 30, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 9–2 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan before a crowd of 5,572.
On December 1, Team WHL defeated the Russian Selects 3–1 in Regina, Saskatchewan before a crowd of 4,662.
The WHL has an all time record of 6–0 against the Russian Selects since the tournament began in 2003–04.
==WHL awards==
Player of the Year - Four Broncos Memorial Trophy: Justin Pogge, Calgary Hitmen
Scholastic Player of the Year - Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy: Brennen Wray, Moose Jaw Warriors
Top Scorer - Bob Clarke Trophy: Troy Brouwer, Moose Jaw Warriors
Most Sportsmanlike Player - Brad Hornung Trophy: Kris Russell, Medicine Hat Tigers
Top Defenseman - Bill Hunter Trophy: Kris Russell, Medicine Hat Tigers
Rookie of the Year - Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy: Peter Mueller, Everett Silvertips
Top Goaltender - Del Wilson Trophy: Justin Pogge, Calgary Hitmen
Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy: Will Desjardins, Medicine Hat Tigers
Executive of the Year - Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy: Scott Bonner, Vancouver Giants
Regular season Champions - Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy: Medicine Hat Tigers
Top Official - Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy: Kyle Rehman
Marketing/Public Relations Award - St. Clair Group Trophy: Dave Andjelic, Medicine Hat Tigers
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy - Wacey Rabbit, Saskatoon Blades
WHL Plus-Minus Award: Paul Albers, Vancouver Giants
Playoff Most Valuable Player - airBC Trophy: Gilbert Brule, Vancouver Giants
==All-Star Teams==
{| BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" width="100%"
|- bgcolor="#EEEEEE " align="center" 
05-06BraWK.jpg|Brandon Wheat Kings
05-06EveSil.jpg|Everett Silvertips
==References==
*whl.ca
WHL
Category:Western Hockey League seasons