1981–82 WHL season
The 1981–82 WHL season was the 16th season of the Western Hockey League, featuring twelve teams completing a 72-game regular season. The Lethbridge Broncos won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for posting the best record during the regular season. In the playoffs, the Portland Winter Hawks became the first American-based club to win the President's Cup championship when they defeated the Regina Pats in the championship series. This also made the Winter Hawks the first American team to compete for the Memorial Cup at the 1982 tournament.
The season was the first for the Kamloops Junior Oilers, after the New Westminster Bruins relocated to Kamloops prior to the season. The season also marked the end of the Spokane Flyers organization, as it ceased operations on December 2, 1981, after playing only 26 games. As such, although the season began with thirteen teams, only twelve completed the season.
Team changes
- The New Westminster Bruins are relocated to Kamloops, British Columbia, becoming the Kamloops Junior Oilers.
Regular season
Final standings
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| x Lethbridge Broncos | 72 | 50 | 22 | 0 | 100 | 421 | 280 |
| x Regina Pats | 72 | 48 | 24 | 0 | 96 | 465 | 368 |
| x Saskatoon Blades | 72 | 44 | 26 | 2 | 90 | 450 | 343 |
| x Calgary Wranglers | 72 | 41 | 29 | 2 | 84 | 334 | 266 |
| x Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 34 | 38 | 0 | 68 | 372 | 413 |
| x Billings Bighorns | 72 | 27 | 44 | 1 | 55 | 369 | 432 |
| Medicine Hat Tigers | 72 | 25 | 46 | 1 | 51 | 308 | 446 |
| Winnipeg Warriors | 72 | 23 | 48 | 1 | 47 | 285 | 388 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| x Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 46 | 24 | 2 | 94 | 380 | 323 |
| x Victoria Cougars | 72 | 43 | 28 | 1 | 87 | 398 | 314 |
| x Seattle Breakers | 72 | 36 | 34 | 2 | 74 | 339 | 310 |
| x Kamloops Junior Oilers | 72 | 18 | 53 | 1 | 37 | 320 | 464 |
| Spokane Flyers1 | 26 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 102 | 196 |
1Folded mid-season
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Jock Callander | Regina Pats | 71 | 79 | 111 | 190 | 59 |
| Dave Michayluk | Regina Pats | 72 | 62 | 111 | 173 | 128 |
| Bruce Eakin | Saskatoon Blades | 66 | 42 | 125 | 167 | 120 |
| Jim McGeough | Billings Bighorns | 71 | 93 | 66 | 159 | 142 |
| Ken Yaremchuk | Portland Winter Hawks | 72 | 58 | 99 | 157 | 181 |
| Marc Habscheid | Saskatoon Blades | 55 | 64 | 87 | 151 | 74 |
| Dale Derkatch | Regina Pats | 71 | 62 | 80 | 142 | 92 |
| Kelly Glowa | Brandon Wheat Kings | 72 | 59 | 78 | 137 | 87 |
| Brian Shaw | Portland Winter Hawks | 69 | 56 | 76 | 132 | 193 |
| Wally Schreiber | Regina Pats | 68 | 56 | 68 | 124 | 68 |
| Mike Moller | Lethbridge Broncos | 49 | 41 | 81 | 122 | 38 |
1982 WHL Playoffs
First round
- Lethbridge defeated Billings 4 games to 1
- Regina defeated Brandon 4 games to 0
- Calgary defeated Saskatoon 4 games to 1
Division semi-finals
- Lethbridge earned a bye
- Regina defeated Calgary 3 games to 1
- Portland defeated Kamloops 4 games to 0
- Seattle defeated Victoria 4 games to 0
Division finals
- Regina defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 3
- Portland defeated Seattle 4 games to 2
WHL Championship
- Portland defeated Regina 4 games to 1