The Road to the 2009 WHL Playoffs

 

Calgary, AB — With just four weeks remaining in the 2008-09 Western Hockey League regular season, the race for the post-season is heating up.

Only seven teams have locked up playoff spots, leaving much to be decided as the 2008-09 WHL season enters the stretch run.

This season, the WHL’s Eastern and Western Conferences will use a Conference playoff format. 

The first place teams in the two Divisions in each Conference will receive the top two playoff seeds based on regular season points. The next six Clubs in each Conference, based on regular season points, will receive the 3rd – 8th playoff positions. The Clubs will be paired 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5 in a best-of-seven series.

The first place Clubs in each Division will be guaranteed the top two playoff seeds in the first round. As in previous seasons, the format for the remaining three rounds of the WHL Playoffs will remain the same. The four Clubs winning first round series in each Conference will advance to the second round, where they will be ranked in order of regular season points. The Clubs will be paired 1 vs. 4, and 2 vs. 3 in best of seven series.

The two Clubs winning the second round series in each Conference will advance to the third round (WHL Conference Championships), where they will be ranked in order of regular season points. The Clubs will be paired 1 vs. 2 in a best of seven series.

The Eastern and Western Conference Champions will advance to the best of seven WHL Championship Series, with the Club having the most regular season points receiving home ice advantage

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

X denotes clinched playoff spot, *denoted Division leader

1) Calgary Hitmen* X                51-7-3-1,    106pts,  10 games remaining

2) Saskatoon Blades* X            42-14-3-1,    88pts,  12 games remaining

3) Brandon Wheat Kings X        39-16-3-1,    82pts,  13 games remaining

4) Medicine Hat Tigers              31-22-4-3,    69pts,  12 games remaining

5) Swift Current Broncos          33-25-1-1,    68pts,  12 games remaining

6) Lethbridge Hurricanes         30-25-3-2,    65pts,  12 games remaining

7) Kootenay Ice                      28-23-2-6,    64pts,  13 games remaining

8) Prince Albert Raiders           26-31-3-1,    56pts,  11 games remaining

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9) Edmonton Oil Kings              25-31-2-4,    56pts,  10 games remaining

10) Regina Pats                        23-31-1-5,    52pts,  12 games remaining

11) Red Deer Rebels                 19-31-1-8,    47pts,  13 games remaining

12) Moose Jaw Warriors            16-39-1-2,    35pts,  14 games remaining

Three Eastern Conference teams have locked up playoff spots, leaving five post-season berths up for grabs over the final four weeks of the regular season.

The Calgary Hitmen continue to lead the Eastern Conference standings with an 18-point cushion over second-placed Saskatoon.  The Hitmen have already clinched the Central Division title as well – their second straight Division crown – meaning they are guaranteed the first or second seed in the opening round of the post-season.  

Calgary can clinch the Eastern Conference title with any combination of wins and Saskatoon losses totaling three.  The Blades are in Calgary to face the Hitmen on Wednesday.

Saskatoon holds a six-point lead over Brandon for first place in the East Division, but the Wheaties hold a game in hand on the Blades.  The Blades host the Ice on Saturday, while the Wheat Kings are in Swift Current on Tuesday and Medicine Hat on Wednesday before hosting the Broncos on Saturday.

Only five points separates fourth place from seventh place in the Eastern Conference, with the Medicine Hat Tigers currently occupying fourth spot.  

The Tigers host Brandon on Wednesday before a critical home-and-home series versus the sixth-placed Lethbridge Hurricanes on the weekend.

The Swift Current Broncos occupy fifth place in the Conference – one point behind Medicine Hat and three points up on Lethbridge – and could clinch a post-season berth with any combination of wins and Regina losses totaling four.  The Broncos host the Wheat Kings on Tuesday and Kootenay on Friday before heading to Brandon on Saturday.

The Kootenay Ice hold an eight-point lead for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, and trail fourth-placed Medicine Hat by five points.  The Ice are on the road this weekend with stops in Swift Current on Friday, Saskatoon on Saturday, and Prince Albert on Sunday.

The Prince Albert Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings share eighth place in the Eastern Conference, with the Raiders holding a game in hand on the Oil Kings.  Both teams sit four points ahead of 10^th-placed Regina.

The Raiders play a pair of contests versus Moose Jaw on Wednesday and Saturday before hosting Kootenay on Sunday.  The Oil Kings are in Prince George for two games on Friday and Saturday.  The Pats host the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday, then visit the Warriors on Sunday.

The 11^th-placed Red Deer Rebels sit nine points out of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference, but hold at least two games in hand on both Prince Albert and Edmonton.

The Moose Jaw Warriors currently sit 21 points behind the Riders and Oil Kings for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.  Any combination of Raiders’ wins and Warriors’ losses totaling four will eliminate the Warriors from playoff contention.

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) Vancouver Giants* X            48-5-1-3,    100pts,  15 games remaining

2) Tri-City Americans* X           39-16-0-3,    81pts,  14 games remaining

3) Spokane Chiefs X                 48-16-0-3,    79pts,  15 games remaining

4) Kelowna Rockets X                35-20-1-2,    73pts,  14 games remaining

5) Kamloops Blazers                 27-29-1-4,    59pts,  11 games remaining

6) Seattle Thunderbirds            37-28-1-3,    58pts,  13 games remaining

7) Everett Silvertips                  24-26-7-2,    57pts,  13 games remaining

8) Prince George Cougars          23-35-0-2,    48pts,  12 games remaining

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9) Portland Winter Hawks          15-38-2-2,    34pts,  15 games remaining

10) Chilliwack Bruins                14-40-2-4,    34pts,  12 games remaining

Four teams have cemented playoff spots in the Western Conference, with four post-season spots still up for grabs.

The Vancouver Giants currently lead the Western Conference by 19 points over second-placed Tri-Cities, and can clinch their fourth straight B.C. Division title with one more point or if Kelowna drops a point.  The Giants also sit six points back of the Calgary Hitmen in the race for the Scotty Munro Trophy, but hold five games in hand on the Hitmen.  The Giants host Kelowna on Friday before road games in Kamloops on Saturday and Seattle on Sunday.

The tightest race in the WHL currently involves the battle for the U.S. Division title.  Tri-Cities currently leads Spokane by two points, but the Chiefs hold a game in hand.  The Americans and Chiefs meet up four more times over the final four weeks of the season.

The Kelowna Rockets currently sit 14 points clear for fourth place in the Western Conference, but trail Spokane by six points for third place.  The Rockets play Chilliwack twice this week – on Wednesday at home, and Sunday in Chilliwack – and also visit Vancouver on Friday and Everett on Saturday.

Only two points separated fifth from seventh place in the Western Conference, with the Kamloops Blazers currently holding fifth spot.  The sixth-placed Seattle Thunderbirds and seventh-placed Everett Silvertips both hold two games in hand on the Blazers.

Kamloops is in Chilliwack on Friday before Sunday’s contest versus the visiting Giants.  The Thunderbirds play two of their three remaining road games this week – Wednesday in Spokane, and Saturday in Portland – while also hosting the Chiefs on Friday and the Vancouver Giants on Sunday.  Meantime, the Silvertips host Portland on Wednesday, visit Tri-Cities on Friday and host Kelowna on Saturday.

The Prince George Cougars hold a comfortable 14-point lead over both Portland and Chilliwack for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but trail seventh-placed Everett by nine points.  The Cougars host Edmonton on Friday and Saturday.

The Winter Hawks and Bruins share ninth place in the Western Conference, with the Hawks having three games in hand on the Bruins.  Any combination of Prince George wins or Chilliwack losses totaling six will eliminate the Bruins from the post season, while a P.G-win/Portland-loss total of nine will eliminate the Winter Hawks.

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