HEADLINE
2010 CJHL Playoff Update
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The 2010 Canadian Junior Hockey League Playoffs have reached the final stages across the Country and over the coming week the League Champions will advance to their respective Regional Championships.
The 2010 RBC Cup host Dauphin Kings have captured the Manitoba Junior Hockey League Title and continue to prove they deserve one of five spots in the 2010 RBC Cup. The Pacific, Western, Central and Eastern Champions, and the RBC Cup Host Team, will compete for the National Junior A Championship from May 1st - 9th in Dauphin, MB.
Over 115 teams began the 2009-2010 season with hopes of capturing the RBC Cup as National Champion, and now only 18 teams remain in the hunt.
Pacific Champion - The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) Champions battle the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Champions in the Doyle Cup for the title of Pacific Champion.
The AJHL and BCHL Finals are both tied at 2-2 following Tuesday night's games. The Spruce Grove Saints and Fort McMurray Oil Barons are in competition for the AJHL title, while the Powell River Kings and Vernon Vipers are the final two teams remaining in the BCHL.
The Vernon Vipers and Powell River Kings are competing for the BCHL Championship for a second consecutive season. The Vipers completed the regular season first overall in the BCHL and lost just six times in regulation. The River Kings were second in the Coastal Conference and 5th overall in the BCHL standings.
The defending RBC Cup Champion Vipers eliminated Quesnel and Penticton following a first round bye to advance to the League Final. The River Kings defeated Cowichan Valley, Langley and Alberni Valley to arrive at the BCHL Final. The League Final resumes on Thursday with Game 5.
BCHL scoring leaders Daniel Carr, Matt Garbowsky and Mat Bodie of Powell River have amassed 78 points in 20 post-season games. Vipers forwards Connor Jones and Kellen Jones are amongst the Top Ten in Playoff Scoring with 15 post-season points apiece. Powell River Kings goaltender Josh Watson (14-6-0) recorded a shutout in Game 3 of the series and has a 1.86 GAA, second only to Vipers goalie Graeme Gordon (9-5-0) with a 1.76 GAA. Watson and Gordon have both achieved 4 shutouts in the 2010 playoffs.
The Spruce Grove Saints and Fort McMurray Oil Barons are in a tight battle for the 2010 AJHL Title. The Spruce Grove Saints were the top ranked team in the CJHL throughout the 2009-2010 season and won the AJHL Regular Season Championship. T he Fort McMurray Oil Barons completed the Regular Season 3rd in the North Division and 4th overall.
The Saints earned a bye in the first round of the 2010 AJHL playoffs, swept the Bonnyville, and eliminated the Camrose Kodiaks to earn their spot in the Final. The Oil Barons swept the St. Albert Steel, upset the Grande Prairie Storm and defeated the South Division Champion Okotoks Oilers to advance to the 2010 AJHL Finals.
With two victories over the Saints, the Oil Barons become only the second team to defeat the Saints on multiple occasions in the 2009-2010 season. The Saints lost just 4 games in regulation during the regular season and were 8-1 entering the League Final series.
Five of the Top Ten players in the 2010 AJHL Playoff Scoring Race are members of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Adam Henderson is the lone Saint amongst the Top Ten. Branden Gracel (Oil Barons) continues to lead the Playoff Scoring Race with 22 points. The top two goaltenders in the AJHL post-season are both from the Saints roster, Vincenzo Marozzi (1.33 GAA) and Travis Rolheiser (1.97 GAA). Game 5 of the Championship series will go on Friday.
Western Champion - The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Champions will meet the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Champions in the Anavet Cup and compete for the title of Western Champion.
Just three teams remain in the battle to represent the Western region at the 2010 RBC Cup, including the MJHL Champion Dauphin Kings, and the La Ronge Ice Wolves and Yorkton Terriers of the SJHL.
The Dauphin Kings wrapped up their first MJHL championship since 1993 with a 4 game sweep of the Winnipeg Saints. The final series featured three one-goal games, including a pair of 1-0 overtime decisions. Next for the Kings is the Anavet Cup match-up versus the SJHL champions, either the Yorkton Terriers or the La Ronge Ice Wolves. As Dauphin is the host team for the RBC Cup, the SJHL Champion will automatically have a berth into the 2010 National Championship no matter the outcome in the series with the Kings.
The first placed Dauphin Kings set a franchise record for victories in the 2009-2010 regular season and posted a 12-1 playoff record. The Top 3 players in MJHL Playoff Scoring are members of the Kings. Steven Shamanski (Kings) is the MJHL Player of Year and the Top Scorer with 22 points. Joe Caliqiuri (Dauphin) led the League with a 1.70 GAA and .930 SV%.
The Yorkton Terriers upset the League leading Weyburn Red Wings and the Kindersley Klippers enroute to the SJHL Finals. The La Ronge Ice Wolves defeated Humboldt then eliminated the top ranked team in the SJHL's Bauer Conference with a series victory over the Flin Flon Bombers on their path to the Championship series. LaRonge leads the SJHL Final 2-1, with Game 4 resuming on Wednesday. Two of three games have already entered OT.
The LaRonge Ice Wolves were 4th in the Bauer Division, while the Terriers were 5th in the Sherwood Conference during regular season play. La Ronge's playoff record is 12-4, Yorkton is 11-6.
The Washington Capitals recently signed SJHL Player of the Year Dustin Stevenson (Ice Wolves) to a three-year entry-level contract. He leads all SJHL defensemen with 18 points in 18 playoff games. Troy Smukowich (Terriers) leads the SJHL Scoring Race with 25 points. The Ice Wolves and Terriers have five players apiece in the Top Ten of the SJHL Playoff Scoring Race.
Adam Moar of the Yorkton Terriers was the SJHL Player of the Week for the week ending April 5th. Moar made his presence known against his former team as with two goals in a game one victory for Yorkton. He also scored in game two and finished the week with 4 points in 3 games played. SJHL Goaltender of the Week, Joel Danyluk of the La Ronge Ice Wolves, made a surprise start in game two of the Credit Union Cup final and turned away 36-of-37 shots in recording a victory against his former team. Danyluk and Moar were traded for each other on December 1st, 2009.
Head Coach Bob Beatty of the La Ronge Ice Wolves has been voted the SJHL Coach of the Year in this his sixth season with the La Ronge Ice Wolves. Beatty took the Ice Wolves from an 11-42-3 finish in 2008-09 to a 29-21-8 record in 2009-2010, a 41-point improvement from the previous year.
Central Champion - The Superior International Hockey League (SIJHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey league (NOJHL), Ontario Junior A Hockey League (OJAHL) and Central Canadian Hockey League (CCHL) Champions, plus the Dudley Hewitt Cup Host Team, play off for the Dudley Hewitt Cup and the title of Central Champion.
Only five teams remain in the battle to compete in the 2010 Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL are guaranteed a spot in the Dudley Hewitt Cup as the 2010 Host Team. The Fort William North Stars have also advanced to the Dudley Hewitt Cup after capturing the SIJHL Championship on Tuesday.
The North Stars succeeded to the SIJHL Final with a sweep over the Sioux Lookout Flyers then eliminated the Dryden Ice Dogs. Dryden and Fort William were the top two teams following the Selection Series at the onset of the SIJHL Playoffs. The North Stars finished the regular season number one overall.
Ryan Magill of the North Stars completed the SIJHL Playoffs with a League leading 14 points. Goaltender Guillaume Piche (North Stars) led the League with a 1.61 GAA and a record of 10-1-2 in the post-season.
The Soo Thunderbirds were undefeated heading into the NOJHL Final, but now trail the first-placed Abitibi Eskimos 2-1 in the NOJHL Final series. The Top 4 Scorers in the NOJHL Scoring Race are members of the Eskimos roster, with nine of the Top Ten Scorers competing in the NOJHL Final.
The Eskimos eliminated Temiscaming and Sudbury to advance to the Final series, while the Thunderbirds swept Manitoulin and the Soo Eagles. The Thunderbirds are the defending NOJHL Champions. With the Thunderbirds as the host team of the Dudley Hewitt Cup, Abitibi has already guaranteed its entry as the NOJHL finalist in the Dudley Hewitt Cup.
The OJAHL Champion and the CCHL Champion compete in a best of seven series for the Buckland Cup and the right to advance to the Dudley Hewitt Cup as the OHA Champion. The Newmarket Hurricanes and Oakville Blades are tied 1-1 in the Buckland Cup Championship series, which resumes on Wednesday.
The Newmarket Hurricanes were second overall in the CCHL West Division and moved past St. Michael's, Hamilton, Burlington and Bowmanville to reach the CCHL Final. The Blades completed the regular season second overall and defeated Aurora, Georgetown and Kingston in their quest for the OJAHL title. The Hurricanes defeated the Bowmanville Eagles 4-2 in the CCHL Championship; the Blades eliminated the Kingston Voyageurs 4-3 to capture the OJAHL title.
Chad Sumsion (Hurricanes) led the CCHL with 28 post-season points. Sumsion also leads the Buckland Cup series with 4 goals in 2 games played. Blades forward Ryan Murphy led the OJAHL playoffs with 27 points. Goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant completed the CCHL playoffs with a League leading 1.46 GAA. The goaltending team of Mike Morissette and Daniel Savelli (Oakville) led the OJAHL with a 2.12 and 2.50 GAA.
Eastern Champion - The Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Quebec (LHJAAAQ), Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL), and Maritime Junior A Hockey league (MJAHL) Champions, plus the Fred Page Cup Host Team, compete for the Fred Page Cup and the title of Eastern Champion.
The Brockville Braves and Pembroke Lumber Kings finished 1-2 in the regular-season standings, with Brockville edging Pembroke by a single point. The CJHL Championship series opened on Tuesday night with Pembroke stealing a 3-2 overtime victory versus Brockville in Game 1. The Braves entered the Final undefeated in the post-season
Both teams have earned a spot in the Fred Page Cup as the Brockville Braves will host the Fred Page Cup and as such are guaranteed a spot in the Championship series. The Lumber Kings are looking to earn their league-record fourth consecutive playoff crown.
The Brockville Braves swept the Kemptville 73's and Ottawa Jr. Senators to earn a spot in the CJHL Championship. The Lumber Kings eliminated Cumberland then defeated the Cornwall Colts in Game 6 to advance to the CJHL Final. Shayne Stockton (Braves) leads the CJHL with 19 points in the 2010 playoffs. Damian Cross is the leading scorer for Pembroke with 17 points, second overall. Braves goaltender Clarke Saunders is 7-0-0-1 and has a League leading 1.72 GAA. Since October 25th, 2009, the Braves are 54-2-1-2.
The College Francais de Longueuil swept the Titan de Princeville in the LHJAAAQ Semi-Final and now face the Cobras de Terrebonne in the League Final. Terrebonne took a 1-0 series lead with a 7-1 victory on Tuesday night. Game two is scheduled for Thursday.
Longueuil was undefeated at 8-0 in the post-season after a sweep of the Condors de Kahnawake and the Titan de Princeville. Longueuil completed the regular season third overall. The Cobras de Terrebonne were the first placed seed in the regular season.
The Woodstock Slammers completed a first-place finish in the MJAHL regular season and now face the fifth placed Weeks Crushers in the MJAHL Final. The pennant-winning Slammers set a league record with 92 regular-season points and a 45-3-1-1 record.
The Slammers eliminated the Summerside Western Capitals in the MJAHL Semi-Final after a first round sweep of the Dieppe Commandos. The Crushers defeated the Truro Bearcats in Game 6 of the MJAHL Semi-Final and also eliminated the Halifax Lions in their post-season quest.
The Woodstock Slammers lead the Weeks Crushers 2-0 in the MJAHL Championship series going into Game 3 on Thursday. Nick Huard (Slammers) leads the MJAHL Playoff Scoring Race with 23 points. Slammers goaltender Tyler Piercy leads the MJAHL with a .923 SV%.
