Blades hold on to Memorial Cup hopes
By Aaron Bell
The Saskatoon Blades know that they have their work cut out for them but they are still very focused on accomplishing their season goal of winning the MasterCard Memorial Cup on home ice later this month.
The Blades have been idle since late March after losing their first round playoff match-up against the Medicine Hat Tigers. They haven’t played a game in six weeks but after a two week break, the Blades got back to the business of getting ready for the tournament, which opens next Friday.
“We have to work hard and do everything with a purpose on here on out,” captain Brenden Alker told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “That’s what we’re going to do. I think everyone has a positive outlook on this.”
The Blades will undoubtedly come into the tournament as the underdog but head coach and general manager Lorne Molleken said that the Blades will have one thing going for them that the three league champions won’t – home ice advantage.
Last year he saw the Shawinigan Cataractes win the Memorial Cup on home ice, despite not winning the QMJHL championship first.
“Shawinigan really fed off the home crowd,” Molleken said. “They created tremendous atmosphere. We’re hoping that come Game 1, our fans do that for us because it plays such an important part of getting off to a quick start.
“We need that seven man to help us. Our fans have shown that throughout the year and we need to take it to a new level, just like we need to take it to a new level as a team.”
The Blades do have some recent history on their side. In 2004, the Kelowna Rockets won the Memorial Cup on home ice and three years later, the Vancouver Giants did the same thing. In fact, WHL teams won seven straight tournaments that were hosted in their league from 1989 through 2007. The Windsor Spitfires finally stopped that streak when they won their second straight Memorial Cup in Brandon in 2010.
Molleken said that a quick start to the tournament is necessary for his team. They open the Memorial Cup on Friday against the OHL champions.
“There’s a purpose behind everything that we’re doing,” he said. “The biggest thing is the guys want to work hard. That’s the key right there.”
The championship series in each of the three leagues across the CHL are currently underway to determine who will join the Blades in the national championship tournament.
In the WHL, the Portland Winterhawks lead the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1. Edmonton took the series opener on the road on Friday but Portland tied the series at home on Saturday and then took the lead with a 3-1 win in Game 3 on Tuesday. After a 2-1 win on the road on Wednesday, the Winterhawks are one win away from the Ed Chynoweth Cup returning home for Game 5 on Friday.
In the OHL, the Barrie Colts lead the London Knights 3-1. Barrie took the opening game in London on Friday before the Knights tied the series with a win at home on Sunday. The Colts took Game 3 at home on Monday and then won again on Wednesday by a 6-4 score. They look to wrap up the series and capture the Robertson Cup in London on Friday in a game that will be featured on Sportsnet Friday Night Hockey.
And in the QMJHL, the Halifax Mooseheads lead the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-1. The Mooseheads won the first two games of the series on home ice last weekend before the Drakkar rallied for a 3-1 win on home ice on Tuesday to hand the Mooseheads their first loss of the post-season. The Mooseheads prevailed in Game 4 in Baie-Comeau by a 7-4 score and can win the President Cup on home ice Friday night.