The stage is set for the teams competing in the finals; some schedules are coming out. The Spokane/Medicine Hat WHL Final for the Chynoweth Cup series will be played in a 2-3-2 format, which looks like it will be bus travel. The initial schedule has them playing Friday and Sunday in Medicine Hat, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday in Spokane, with games 6 and 7 if needed in Medicine Hat, and Sunday and Monday.
The schedule gets tighter now to allow the teams more rest when they travel to the Memorial Cup, which, if the matches extend past four games, will be less than a week from the Cup start.
The WHL also has the US Priority Draft and the Prospects draft. Penticton Vess will also announce the players selected to make up the team per the rundown discussed in the last column.
Livestream on Victory will be the first round of the Prospects Draft, and the US Priority Draft will be updated live through whl.ca. Portland will not draft in the first round of the Prospects draft, having traded to Brandon, who will pick 12th and 15th. Portland will draft starting in round 2 from the 12th position.
The Prospects draft will be split, with a livestream on Victory May 7 and then continuing following the US Priority draft, which will be on WHL.ca. The Vees roster draft will be a 1pm Pacific and Prospects draft will start on Victory at 3:30pm. Portland will draft 18th and 30th in the US Prospects draft. Players not selected in the two rounds of the US Priority draft are eligible starting in the second round of the Prospects draft, which has 12-13 rounds, depending on whether teams draft or not in later rounds.
With several players announcing intentions of going NCAA next year through the WHL website, it will be interesting if the reverse happens shortly.
The Ontario Hockey League schedule will see the London Knights host the Oshawa Generals with games on Thursday and Saturday, to Oshawa Monday and Tuesday, and alternate then on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday. These two teams will battle for the J Ross Robertson trophy.
The QMJHL finally got its contender for the Presidents Cup as Rimouski outlasted Shawinigan 4-3 in double overtime. Rimouski held a 3-0 lead, but saw that lead evaporate with under 4 minutes to go in the third period. Shawinigin nearly lost it after taking a major for checking to the head and game misconduct by overager Yoan Loshing, who Shawinigin acquired at the trade deadline. Rimouski didn’t score on the ensuing 5-minute powerplay, cut short due to an infraction of their own, both early in the extra period. The end came on Rimouski, flipping the puck out of their zone after heavy pressure and a mini breakaway by Eriks Mateiko, who went five-hole to win after just over 97 minutes of action.
The Moncton Wildcats and Rimouski Oceanic will start in Moncton on Saturday and Sunday, and in Rimouski on Wednesday and Thursday, with alternating towns on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. No planes will be used because they are a closer match than Shawinigan. They will also see a great deal of each other. Rimouski hosting the Cup will see Moncton as the QMJHL entry, even if they don’t win the series. They are the last team in the QMJHL and not the host, so they automatically have a berth. This series is a source of pride more than anything, and the right to call themselves QMJHL President Cup champions.
The Memorial Cup itself will begin May 23 and conclude June 3, and the winners of the WHL and OHL will represent their leagues, with the QMJHL having both the host team and representative.
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