BY Jonathan Huntington
REGINA – It’s hard to understate how important the Telus Cup West is to the four teams involved. It’s one chance to win the coveted ticket to the national tournament in Ontario.
It all comes down to one intense tournament inside the Co-operators Centre with the winner crowned on Sunday afternoon. Before the madness begins Thursday, here are 10 things you need to know.
- Regina is the favourite: No matter how you look at it – the Regina Pat Canadians are favoured to win. They have ridiculously talented forwards – Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue; puck-moving D-men; good goaltending. And don’t overlook the importance of feeding off the home crowd. The barn will be packed.
- Six in six: If Regina qualifies for the final on Sunday, it will be six games in six days for Schultz and Pue. Both played for the Regina Pats in the WHL playoffs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- The wild card: The Winnipeg Bruins are the most intriguing team arriving into Regina. At the beginning of the season, the whispers in Manitoba suggested the Bruins were the team to beat. Well, eight months later – those whispers were true and the Bruins look dangerous. There are 13 WHL draft picks on their roster, including seven players taken in the first three rounds. Mateo Ferreira – 1st round Kamloops; Antonio Correia – 2nd round Calgary; Owen Murray – 2nd round Everett; Brayden Gregg – 3rd round Wenatchee; Chace Gregg – 3rd round Victoria; Crewe Schimnowski – 3rd round Portland; Trevor Toyne – 3rd round Portland.
- A+ on the scouting report: One insider described the Bruins as a “quick and talented team… they are anchored by a solid goaltender, Logan German… they don’t rely on one guy or one line. They are well-coached and a very balanced team.”
- Starting with a bang: The tournament starts Thursday afternoon with an important game between Winnipeg and the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors. The loser will be forced to run the table the next three days to quality for nationals. The Warriors are no strangers to pressure – winning three elimination games in the post-season so far.
- The most important defensive pairing: Moose Jaw’s Braden Nowoselski (Saskatoon Blades prospect) and Wade Franks (Everett draft choice) will see mega-minutes while trying to keep Schultz and Pue off the scoreboard. That match-up is critical to Moose Jaw’s success.
- Malaki Martin magic: While most of the headlines focus elsewhere, Martin has emerged as a key figure in Regina’s roster. He led the U18AAA playoffs in goals with 10 in 11 games. When asked to describe Martin, Regina head coach Ryan Hodgins stated: “He’s a stud.” Super strong on his skates, Martin has break-away speed and quicker hands.
- OT rules change in tournament: If a game is tied at the end of regulation during the round-robin, there is a three-minute break followed by 3-on-3 for five minutes. If the game is still tied, then there is a shoot-out. In the championship final, if there is a tie at the end of the third period – there is a 16-minute intermission followed by 3-on-3 for up to 20 minutes. If the game is still undecided, it moves to a shoot-out.
- History repeating?: The last time the Thunder Bay Kings played in a Telus Cup West tournament in Saskatchewan, they shocked the Winnipeg Wild in OT in the round robin in Warman. The Kings will be the major underdog this weekend, but the games are played on the ice – not on paper.
- Between the pipes: Four games in four days – that’s the road to winning the tournament. It means it’s really helpful to have two goaltenders with experience in big games. This could be a distinct advantage for Regina as coach Hodgins has consistently rotated Adam Muntain and Ben Meyer the entire year.
(Photo credit: Britt Lanigan.)
