Hawks return to top of the league

For a team that three years earlier finished with the worst record in the Western Hockey League, the turnaround for the Portland Winterhawks was amazing as they reached the league championship series before losing just three wins short of the Memorial Cup.

Portland finished atop the Western Conference with 103 points, then blazed through playoff series with Everett, Kelowna and Spokane before losing to Kootenay of Cranbrook, B.C., four games to one.

Portland won 50 of its 72 regular-season games. The Hawks struggled in the middle of the season thanks to having the core of its team play in international tournaments. The Hawks swept Everett in the first round of the playoffs.

The Calgary Hitmen finished at the bottom of the WHL with 45 points. Portland finished at the bottom of the league in 2008 with 25 points, one year after scoring just 37 poitns.

The Hawks have played in the Cup four times - 1982, '83, '86 and '98, winning the title in '83 and '98, both years the team played host to the tournament. Portland has won the WHL title just twice - 1982 and '98. It advanced to the Cup in '83 as the host team and again in '86 as the runner-up to Kamloops, which played host to the Cup.

'The Ed Chynoweth Cup'

WHL Champions

2011 - Kootenay Ice

2010 - Calgary Hitmen
2009 - Kelowna Rockets
2008 - Spokane Chiefs*
2007 - Medicine Hat Tigers
2006 - Vancouver Giants
2005 - Kelowna Rockets
2004 - Medicine Hat Tigers
2003 - Kelowna Rockets
2002 - Kootenay Ice*
2001 - Red Deer Rebels*
2000 - Kootenay Ice
1999 - Calgary Hitmen
1998 - Portland Winter Hawks*
1997 - Lethbridge Hurricanes
1996 - Brandon Wheat Kings
1995 - Kamloops Blazers*
1994 - Kamloops Blazers*
1993 - Swift Current Broncos
1992 - Kamloops Blazers*
1991 - Spokane Chiefs*
1990 - Kamloops Blazers
1989 - Swift Current Broncos*
1988 - Medicine Hat Tigers *
1987 - Medicine Hat Tigers*
1986 - Kamloops Blazers
1985 - Prince Albert Raiders*
1984 - Kamloops Jr. Oilers
1983 - Lethbridge Broncos
1982 - Portland Winter Hawks
1981 - Victoria Cougars
1980 - Regina Pats
1979 - Brandon Wheat Kings
1978 - New Westminster Bruins*
1977 - New Westminster Bruins*
1976 - New Westminster Bruins
1975 - New Westminster Bruins
1974 - Regina Pats*
1973 - Medicine Hat Tigers
1972 - Edmonton Oil Kings
1971 - Edmonton Oil Kings
1970 - Flin Flon Bombers
1969 - Flin Flon Bombers
1968 - Estevan Bruins
1967 - Moose Jaw Canucks

* Won Memorial Cup