The 1965–66 WHL season was the 14th season of the Western Hockey League. Six teams played a 72-game schedule, and the Victoria Maple Leafs were the Lester Patrick Cup champions, defeating the as Portland Buckaroos four games to three in the final series.[1]
| 1965–66 WHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of games | 72 |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Portland Buckaroos |
| Season MVP | Billy McNeill (Vancouver) |
| Top scorer | Cliff Schmautz (Portland) |
| Lester Patrick Cup | |
| Champions | Victoria Maple Leafs |
| Runners-up | Portland Buckaroos |
Billy McNeill of Vancouver was named the most valuable player, while Cliff Schmautz of Portland led the league in scoring.[2]
Final Standings
| R | Team | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Buckaroos | 72 | 43 | 24 | 5 | 271 | 218 | 91 |
| 2 | Victoria Maple Leafs | 72 | 40 | 28 | 4 | 260 | 243 | 84 |
| 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 72 | 33 | 35 | 4 | 252 | 233 | 70 |
| 4 | San Francisco Seals | 72 | 32 | 36 | 4 | 243 | 248 | 68 |
| 5 | Seattle Totems | 72 | 32 | 37 | 3 | 231 | 256 | 67 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Blades | 72 | 22 | 48 | 2 | 236 | 329 | 46 |
bold - qualified for playoffs
Playoffs
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Portland Buckaroos | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 3 | |||||||
| 1 | Portland Buckaroos | 3 | |||||||
| 2 | Victoria Maple Leafs | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Victoria Maple Leafs | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | San Francisco Seals | 3 | |||||||
The Victoria Maple Leafs defeated the Portland Buckaroos 4 games to 3 to win the Lester Patrick Cup.[1]
References
Bibliography
- Stott, Jon C. (2008), Ice Warriors: The Pacific Coast/Western Hockey League 1948–1974, Surrey, British Columbia: Heritage House Publishing, ISBN 978-1-894974-54-7