2008 Memorial Cup Preview
The 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament kicks off on Friday, May 16th, in Kitchener, ONT.
The CHL’s Championship tournament, which wraps up with the Championship game on Sunday, May 25th, features four teams – the host and OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers, the WHL Champion Spokane Chiefs, the OHL Runners-up Belleville Bulls and the QMJHL Champion Gatineau Olympiques – who will battle for the storied Memorial Cup trophy.
The tournament format sees each team play one another in a round-robin format. The team with the best record after the round-robin advances directly to the Championship game, while the second and third-placed teams play a semi-final game to determine the other tournament finalist. If there is a tie for third place after the round-robin, a tiebreaker game will be played to determine the second semi-finalist.
Here’s a look at the four teams who will be vying for the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup:
SPOKANE CHIEFS (WHL Champions)
Head Coach: Bill Peters
General Manager: Tim Speltz
2007-08 Record: 50-15-1-6, 107pts, GF: 251 GA: 160
2007-08 CHL Final Ranking: 2
2008 Playoff Record: 16-5 GF: 61 GA: 32
-Defeated Everett Silvertips 4-0 in first round
-Defeated Vancouver Giants 4-2 in second round
-Defeated Tri-City Americans 4-3 in Western Conference Championship series
-Defeated Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-0 in WHL Championship series
2008 Playoffs Top Scorers:
LW – Drayson Bowman 21gp-11g-9a-20pts
LW – Ondrej Roman 21gp-9g-11a-20pts
C – Judd Blackwater 21gp-10g-8a-18pts
C – David Rutherford 21gp-9g-9a-18pts
The Spokane Chiefs are making their third appearance at the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament, and first since 1998. The Chiefs won the Memorial Cup in 1991, and finished third as the host team for the 1998 tournament.
Up Front: The Chiefs possess some top-end offensive talent with elite players like Drayson Bowman and Ondrej Roman. However, it is their depth up front that has helped them succeed during the playoffs. Veterans Judd Blackwater, Chris Bruton and David Rutherford have provided plenty of secondary scoring while maintaining a physical presence, and young players like Mitch Wahl and Tyler Johnson have both provided offense at key times during the team’s post-season run. The Chiefs confidently roll four lines who all play with the same defensively responsible, up-tempo style.
On The Blue Line: The WHL’s second-best defense during the regular season only got better during the playoffs. Spokane’s defense corps, led by experienced playoff veteran Trevor Glass, has been near impenetrable during the playoffs, allowing only 32 goals in 21 games. They may not be flashy or provide offensive flair, but the Chiefs’ rearguards give up very little in the way of offensive chances to their opponents. Having shut down some of the best offensive players and teams in the WHL during the playoffs, Spokane’s defense is able to adapt to and excel at any style of play they’ve faced so far.
Goaltending: 18-year-old Dustin Tokarski has been very solid for the Chiefs during the 2008 playoffs. The Watson, SK, product posted an incredible 1.38 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage in 21 post-season contests, and allowed three or more goals on only three occasions during the playoffs. Tokarski may not have been called upon to steal too many games for the defensively-stingy Chiefs, he’s always managed to be solid and reliable when called upon.
KITCHENER RANGERS (Host Team / OHL Champions)
Head Coach / General Manager: Peter DeBoer
2007-08 Record: 53-11-1-3, 110pts, GF: 289 GA: 174
2007-08 Final CHL Ranking: 1
2008 Playoff Record: 16-4 GF: 92 GA: 49
-Defeated Plymouth Whalers 4-0 in first round
-Defeated Sarnia Sting 4-0 in second round
-Defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-1 in Western Conference Championship series
-Defeated Belleville Bulls 4-3 in OHL Championship series
2008 Playoffs Top Scorers:
C – Justin Azevedo 20gp-10g-26a-36pts
RW – Mikkel Boedker 20gp-9g-26a-35pts
RW – Matt Halischuk 20gp-16g-16a-32pts
LW – Nick Spaling 20gp-14g-16a-30pts
The Kitchener Rangers are making their sixth appearance at the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament, having won the Memorial Cup in 1982 and 2003. The Rangers are the Host team for the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament.
Up Front: The Rangers have a deep and dynamic offense, led by OHL Most Outstanding Player of the Year and playoff MVP Justin Azevedo. The 20-year-old was the OHL and CHL top scorer during the regular season, and has piled up 36 points in the OHL playoffs. Matt Halischuk, a veteran of Canada’s 2008 World Junior team, Mikkel Boedker, Nazem Kadri, Nick Spaling and Mike Duco all put up 20 or more points during the OHL playoffs. The Rangers’ offense has averaged almost five goals per game during the post-season.
On The Blue Line: During the 2007-08 OHL regular season, only Sault Ste. Marie allowed fewer goals than the Rangers. Led by Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Yannick Weber, the Rangers boast three NHL-drafted players on their blue line. Weber, who is Swiss, provides great puck movement and offense from the point, while Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect Ben Shutron plays a strong offensive game and doesn’t shy away from being physical. The Rangers’ defense has already shut down some of the OHL’s top guns like Sarnia’s Steve Stamkos and Plymouth’s Chris Terry during the post-season.
Goaltending: Having lost World Junior hero and Columbus Blue Jackets’ prospect Steve Mason in the second round of the OHL playoffs, the rangers have relied on 18-year-old Josh Unice to carry them through the latter rounds of the post-season. Unice, a Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect, posted a 30-6-3 record during the regular season before the Rangers acquired Mason, and has posted a 11-3-1 record in 15 appearances in the post-season. Unice has shown he can carry the heavy expectations of the Host team if Mason isn’t yet ready to play when the Memorial Cup tournament begins.
BELLEVILLE BULLS (OHL Runners-up)
Head Coach / General Manager: George Burnett
2007-08 Record: 48-14-4-2, 102pts, GF: 280 GA: 175
2007-08 Final CHL Ranking: 3
2008 Playoff Record: 15-6 GF: 84 GA: 54
-Defeated Peterborough Petes 4-1 in first round
-Defeated Barrie Colts 4-0 in second round
-Defeated Oshawa Generals 4-1 in Eastern Conference Championship series
-Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4-3 in OHL Championship series
2008 Playoffs Top Scorers:
LW – Matt Beleskey 21gp-12g-21a-33pts
C – Jan Mursak 21gp-9g-15a-24pts
D – P.K. Subban 21gp-8g-15a-23pts
LW – Adam Perry 21gp-7g-11a-18pts
The Belleville Bulls are making their second appearance at the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament. The Bulls appeared in the 1999 Memorial Cup tournament as OHL champions, losing to the host and eventual Memorial Cup Champion Ottawa 67s in the semi-final.
Up Front: The Bulls boast some talented forwards up front with the likes of Canadian World Junior team veteran Shawn Matthias, speedy Slovenian playmaker Jan Mursak, and leading post-season scorer Matt Beleskey. However, they have also shown great depth up front with eight forwards who tallied 10 or more points in the OHL playoffs. Matthias played four NHL games with the Florida Panthers this season, and scored twice. However, the 20-year-old power forward missed all but the final game of the 2008 OHL playoffs. Having Matthias back and healthy will greatly enhance the Bulls’ offense.
On The Blue Line: Canadian World Junior team member P.K. Subban leads a strong Bulls blue line. The 19-year-old provides great offense from the blue line, leading all OHL defensemen in playoff scoring, and has sharpened up his defensive game during the post-season. Along with Colorado Avalanche prospect Nigel Williams, the Bulls boast two of the top rearguards in the OHL. Belleville’s defense was a combined +31 during the 2008 OHL playoffs.
Goaltending: The Bulls’ Mike Murphy was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year, and certainly lived up to the honor during the post-season. After posting a League-best 2.24 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in the regular season, Murphy went on to record a 14-3-1 record in the playoffs with a 2.32 GAA and a .927 save percentage. With Murphy in the net, the Bulls know they have a goaltender capable of backstopping them to a Cup championship.
GATINEAU OLYMPIQUES (QMJHL Champions)
Head Coach / General Manager: Benoit Groulx
2007-08 Record: 43-19-6-2, 94pts, GF: 272 GA: 209
2007-08 Final CHL Ranking: 9
2008 Playoff Record: 16-3 GF: 94 GA: 53
-Defeated Shawinigan Cataractes 4-1 in first round
-Defeated Quebec Remparts 4-1 in second round
-Defeated Halifax Mooseheads 4-0 in Semi-Final series
-Defeated Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4-1 in QMJHL Championship series
2008 Playoffs Top Scorers:
RW – Claude Giroux 19gp-17g-34a-51pts
C – Paul Byron 19gp-21g-11a-32pts
RW – Matthew Pistilli 19gp-11g-17a-28pts
D – Patrik Prokop 19gp-2g-26a-28pts
The Gatineau Olympiques are making their sixth appearance at the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament, and third in the last six years. The Hull Olympiques, as they were known then, won the 1997 Memorial Cup, defeating the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-1 in the Championship game.
Up Front: The Olympiques’ post-season run has been led by right-wing Claude Giroux who has been, perhaps, the best forward in the CHL during the playoffs. Giroux, a veteran of Canada’s World Junior squad, piled up an incredible 51 points, including 17 goals, in 19 post-season contests, earning the MVP of the QMJHL playoffs. Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Paul Byron notched a CHL-best 21 goals during the playoffs, while Jean-Philip Chabot and Matthew Pistilli also topped the 10-goal plateau in the playoffs. The aforementioned four players combined for 63 of the Olympiques’ 94 post-season goals.
On The Blue Line: Puck-moving Czech rearguard Patrik Prokop leads a strong Olympiques defense corps that allowed the second-fewest number of goals of any QMJHL team during the regular season. Prokop is a tremendous asset on the power play, and also posted a solid +22 rating during the post-season. L.A. Kings prospect Joey Ryan, 17-year-old Steven Delisle and 16-year-old rookie standout Hubert Labrie round out a young but solid Olympiques’ defense.
Goaltending: Veteran goaltender Ryan Mior provides the Olympiques with plenty of QMJHL experience – 270 games worth, counting regular-season and playoff contests. Mior, a 20-year-old, posted a 2.56 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage during the 2008 QMJHL playoffs, while posting a 16-2 record in 19 appearances.
2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup Schedule:
Round Robin
Game 1 – Gatineau vs Kitchener; Friday, May 16; 7:00pm ET
Game 2 – Belleville vs Spokane; Saturday, May 17; 4:00pm ET
Game 3 – Kitchener vs Spokane; Sunday, May 18; 4:30pm ET
Game 4 – Belleville vs Gatineau; Monday, May 19; 7:00pm ET
Game 5 – Spokane vs Gatineau; Tuesday, May 20; 7:00pm ET
Game 6 – Kitchener vs Belleville; Wednesday, May 21; 7:00pm ET
Tie-Breaker (If Necessary); Thursday, May 22; 7:00pm ET
Semi-Final; Friday, May 23; 7:00pm ET
Memorial Cup Championship Game; Sunday, May 25; 4:30pm ET
