1979–80 WHL season

The 1979–80 WHL season was the 14th season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). It featured eleven teams completing a 72-game regular season. The Portland Winter Hawks became the first American-based club to top the regular season standings, capturing the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. In the playoffs, the Regina Pats won their second President's Cup, defeating the Victoria Cougars in the championship final.

The season was the first for the Great Falls Americans, after the Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Great Falls prior to the season. However, the team lasted only 28 games before ceasing operations on December 16, 1979, for the remainder of the season. Thus while twelve teams opened the season, only eleven played it through to completion.

League notes

 * The WHL changed its divisional format, opting for a two division format of eight teams in the East and four in the West over the previous three division format.

Final standings
1Folded mid-season

Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes

First round

 * Regina defeated Lethbridge 4 games to 0
 * Brandon defeated Calgary 4 games to 3
 * Medicine Hat defeated Billings 4 games to 3

Division semi-finals
Round Robin format


 * Medicine Hat (3–1) advanced
 * Regina (2–2) advanced
 * Brandon (1–3) eliminated
 * Victoria (5–3) advanced
 * Seattle (4–4) advanced
 * Portland (3–5) eliminated

Division finals

 * Regina defeated Medicine Hat 4 games to 1
 * Victoria defeated Seattle 4 games to 0

WHL Championship

 * Regina defeated Victoria 4 games to 1