He played junior hockey for the Oshawa Generals from 1970 to 1972. The Minnesota North Stars chose him 92nd overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft. West turned pro with the Cleveland Barons in 1972-73 and won the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the leading scorer in the American Hockey League with the New Haven Nighthawks in 1973-74. He then jumped to the Michigan Stags of the World Hockey Association in 1974-75. He played in the WHA through 1978-79 with the Stags, Baltimore Blades, Houston Aeros, and the Winnipeg Jets. West won the Avco World Trophy with the Jets in 1979.