WHL Morning Skate: April 12
NEED TO KNOW
– Round Two features 37 active NHL prospects, 24 of whom have signed NHL Entry-Level Contracts
– Every Semifinal series features a team that has not won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in its current iteration
PREVIEWS
Saskatoon (1) vs. Red Deer (5)
Think there might be some bad blood here? Red Deer held a 3-0 series lead against Saskatoon in Round Two last year before the Blades stormed back with four straight wins.
No team that played Saskatoon more than once in the regular season has a winning record against the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy champs- but Red Deer did manage to win two of their four matches and dished Saskatoon its only shutout of the year with a 5-0 Rebels win on February 27.
Prince George (1) vs. Kelowna (5)
Put your scouting cap on. This series features two of the top prospects expected to be selected at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in June. Kelowna’s Tij Iginla is ranked 11th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, but Rookie of the Year nominee Terik Parascak is right behind him at 14th.
Prince George owned a 6-1-0-1 record against Kelowna in the regular season, though six of the games were decided by a single goal and three required overtime or a shootout.
Moose Jaw (3) vs. Swift Current (2)
Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie battled all the way to the WHL Championship Series as members of the Winnipeg Ice in 2023, but now the former teammates will go head-to-head in an all-Saskatchewan showdown.
The Warriors and Broncos split their regular season series with three wins each in six high-scoring contests. Moose Jaw and Swift Current both ranked in the top five for goals scored in the regular season.
Portland (2) vs.Everett (3)
It’s the U.S. Division matchup that keeps on giving. One year after Portland knocked out Everett, the Silvertips will look to enact some revenge.
The Winterhawks went 6-2-0-0 against the Silvertips in the 2023-24 regular season, though one win came in the shootout and Everett was one of only two teams to shut out Portland this season.
ON TAP
Loading ...