As the Western Hockey League season enters its final week, the league is abuzz over all the playoff possibilities that still exist. Although all 16 teams to make the playoffs have long been decided, not a single team has yet determined its first-round fate.
At the top there’s still a three-way race between Western Conference teams for the Scotty Munro Trophy for the league’s best record. Spokane and Tri-City are tied for first with 102 points, with Vancouver right on their heels with 100.
Spokane is technically in the driver’s seat as the Chiefs have four games remaining while both the Americans and Giants have just three. However, one of those games sees Spokane travel to Tri-City on Saturday.
Should teams end up being tied, the first tiebreaker is total wins. Tri-City currently has 49, Spokane 48 and Vancouver 46. Therefore, Tri-City still controls its own destiny. By winning out, including a victory over the Chiefs, the Americans will finish as the top seed. Vancouver will need help in order to finish first.
As crazy as things are in the Western Conference, they may be even crazier in the Eastern Conference. With all eight playoff teams within 10 points, it’s still possible for a team to jump from eighth to second, and vice versa.
The biggest issue is in the East Division, where all four playoff teams have between 90 and 85 points. Regina is in good position with 90 points, Moose Jaw is at 86, Brandon and Swift Current are both at 85. All three teams still have three games remaining, so theoretically the four could finish in any order.
What makes it more interesting is that it’s possible for all four Central Division playoff teams to finish with better records than any East Division team. Because winning a division automatically guarantees a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, the eventual East Division winner may catapult several positions in the standings in determining first-round matchups. It also means it’s possible that the only way an East Division team can earn home ice in the first round is to win the division.
So plenty of drama still remains, and it’s likely little will be known until Sunday is over.
Around the WHL: Red Deer owner Brent Sutter squashed rumors he was going to sell the team. Sutter, who was also the team’s general manager and head coach before being named coach of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils before the season, told the Red Deer Advocate, “Bottom line is the team is not for sale.” … Spokane signed head coach Bill Peters to a three-year contract extension. Peters’ contract now runs through the 2010-11 season. … The expansion Edmonton Oil Kings had the first hat trick in franchise history when Jeff Lee scored three goals in Edmonton’s 6-3 loss to Medicine Hat last Wednesday. … Brandon left wing Matt Calvert was named the WHL Player of the Week. Calvert had three goals and six assists in four games as the Wheat Kings went 1-2-1-0.
League leaders: Points — Colin Long (Kelowna) 96; goals — Colton Yellow Horn (Tri-City) 47; assists — Mark Santorelli (Chilliwack) 70; penalty minutes — Benn Olson (Seattle) 237; wins — Chet Pickard (Tri-City) 43; goals against average — Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver) 1.91; save percentage — Dustin Tokarski (Spokane) .923.
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