One To Watch: New Jersey Devils

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From the outside looking in, it feels like New Jersey is midway through a era change. New ownership, the eventual end of Martin Brodeur's fantastic career, the NHL retirement of Ilya Kovalchuk... Only Lou Lamoriello seems like the only constant in New Jersey. 

I still don't agree with the team's decision to use the 2012 1st round pick, 29th overall, knowing they had to forfeit a 1st rounder by 2014. It's not hindsight to suggest it was clear the odds were against the Devils ever picking later than that. Plus, it's not like Stefan Matteau is worth more than the pick they will now be forced to give up in 2014 as a result.

I don't get it but perhaps someone will fill me in on why that isn't horrible asset management. 

2012 Choice: Jon Merrill - The defenceman was looking to put 2011-12 behind him but faced a new challenge; injury. Merrill's season didn't begin until January thanks to a cracked vertebrae. Once he got back in action at Michigan he helped stabilize the club which had struggled mightily for most of the year. Merrill finished the year in the AHL with Albany and had 8 points in 12 games. 

My New Jersey choice for One To Watch in 2013-14 is after the jump. 

A Break for the Badgers

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After the past couple of years most people just assumed that Nic Kerdiles was going to jump ship and join the Kelowna Rockets instead of serving his 10 game suspension at the University of Wisconsin for an NCAA violation.

Those folks might have been stunned today then when the freshman forward decided to stay with the Badgers.

Sorting things out in the Nic of time

Tuesday night we welcomed one of our favourite guests to the show as Chris Peters from United States of Hockey joined Guy and I to talk NCAA eligibility.

Yes it's a fascinating subject and it never seems to get old.  While it would have been great to discuss Northeastern's great start or Penn States first 2 games of division 1, the big story is whether or not Nic Kerdiles will win his appeal and be allowed to play at Wisconsin this year or not.

Buffalo Signs Girgensons

Just breaking on Twitter, the Buffalo Sabres have reportedly signed 2012 1st round selection Zemgus Girgensons to a 3-year entry level contract. 

2 Players Confirm College Intentions

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This weekend two high profile players went on the record confirming that their planned path to the NHL still runs through the NCAA. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal but in light of the "Summer of the CHL" and the recent comments from one very influential WHL General Manager, it's news certainly worth mentioning.

Tuesday Recap: August 23rd

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After one of the best episodes of The Pipeline Show last weekend the only way we could possibly follow it up was with another stellar line up of guests and that's what we were able to come up with for last night's show. A league commissioner made his TPS debut, we got the no-B.S. insight on the Plymouth Whalers and their off-season activities, one of last year's top NCAA freshmen joined us, a NHL GM kicked off hour 2, we hit Kelowna for a pre-season update and ended the show in the midst of a hot debate.

If you caught this edition of TPS, we know you were entertained.

WHL Playoffs: Portland Advances, Chiefs Take Lead

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Two big games in the WHL playoffs tonight as one club faced elimination while two others went to overtime looking to take control of their series. Things didn't work out for Kelowna or Tri-City though as Portland dumped the Rockets 4-2 and move on to the Western Final. The Americans now travel to Spokane down 3-2 to the Chiefs with the last two games coming at the Veterans Memorial Arena.

WHL Playoffs: Rockets Strike Back

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The Portland Winterhawks may have outshot their opponent 55-38 but it was the Kelowna Rockets who scored the winner in extra time to force a 6th game in their second round WHL playoff series. Jessey Astles had 4 goals after two seasons in the WHL but he's got 3 in just 9 playoff games this Spring, the biggest one coming on Friday night.

Saturday Morning Special - March 12

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This was another one of those shows that kind of came together late in the week as a player we had lined up had to cancel yesterday and a couple other guests were tough to track down and get confirmations from. In the end, we did what we always do; we talked CHL with one of the best play-by-play guys in the game, looked more at the 2011 NHL Draft, checked in on the NCAA playoffs, talked Calder Trophy and also updated listeners on the CIS playoffs.

Blazers Ranford Cross Checks Official Vs. Rockets

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We are getting reports that Kamloops forward Brendan Ranford was kicked out of the Blazers game tonight with Kelowna for Cross checking a linesman. Midway through the 2nd period, Ranford, a Flyers 2010 draft pick was given a 2 minute slashing penalty and a game misconduct.

Rich Preston: "Loses His Temper"

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Last night's game between Lethbridge and Kelowna was highlighted by a 3rd period incident centering around 'Canes head coach Rich Preston. The play-by-play voices from both teams have done a great job of painting the picture on their blogs so instead of me recapping the scene, here is the Lethbridge and Kelowna perspectives.

The video of the incident has now made its way to YouTube. That and my thoughts after the jump...

Cowen signs deal with Sens, Scary incident in Oil Kings/Rockets game, and Team USA adding 2 blueliners

Jared Cowen has inked an entry level deal with the Ottawa Senators. He was the 9th overall pick in the 2009. Cowen played a big role in the Spokane Chiefs Memorial Cup victory in 2008 when he was +27 with 62 penalty minutes in 68 games. Cowen did suffer a knee injury the next season and while some think he still hasn't recovered, after struggling during the 2010 World Juniors, the Senators seem convinced. Read the release here

Also, things sounded a bit scary in Kelowna as Graham Skilliter was injured and needed help off the ice. No word on his condition. Maybe Rockets play by play man Regan Bartell will have an update. I missed what happen, but heard the voice of the Oil Kings AJ Jakubec talking about it. Maybe it AJ's out there he could let us know in the comments section? The game finished with the two linesman calling it and Kelowna won it in a shoot out.

Team USA is adding 2 defencemen to replace the injured Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin, according Chris Botta. Tim Gleason getting mentioned as one. I was impressed with him Monday, there's not a ton of muscle on the Canes, but Gleason has toughness. Gleason you might remember was picked up from the Canes for Jack Johnson.
(Photo courtesy Claus Anderson/Getty Images)

Simpson is Sioux Bound

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Over the weekend Dillon Simpson committed to the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The 16 year old rookie defenceman with the Spruce Grove Saints has 8 goals and 34 points this year in 47 games with the number one ranked Junior A team in the country.

Simpson has heated up recently with 7 points in his past 4 games. He was an 8th round choice of the Kelowna Rockets in the 2008 WHL bantam draft, but would have gone much higher, possibly in the first round had he not been leaning towards the NCAA.

Simpson is the son of former NHLer and current Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Craig Simpson and is following in his father's skate strides, albeit to a different school. Craig attended and played at Michigan State. Like his father, Dillon will graduate high school a year early and could play at UND as a 17 year old next year (he turns 17 on February 10th) but I've been told that that will be up to the Fighting Sioux.

Windsor Wins 2009 Memorial Cup

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The Windsor Spitfires haev captured their first Memorial Cup win their franchise's history on the strength of an early first period onslaught that powered them to a 4-1 win over Kelowna.

No team had ever lost their first two games at the tournament and gone on to win the Memorial Cup but that is what Windsor managed to do on Sunday. The Rockets had a chance to eliminate the Spitfires from the tournament on Tuesday but couldn't get it done and it came back to haunt them. Windsor defeated Rimouski in the tie breaker and then Drummondville in the semi-final before taking it to the WHL champs in the title game.

The first period was about as bad as it gets if you're on the side of the Kelowna Rockets. First, Mikael Backlund's lackadaisical breakout was broken up by fellow Flames prospect Greg Nemisz who stripped the Swede and fed Adam Henrique who wired a shot past Mark Guggenberger.

A minute and a half later, Dale Mitchell's routine shot from the sideboards somehow eluded Guggenberger up high on the short side and suddenly Windsor was up 2-0.

Kelowna coach Ryan Huska immediately called a time out to try and calm down his troops and slow the momentum of the Spitfires. It didn't work.

With Kyle St. Denis in the box for a knee on Mark Cundari, Windsor would strike again. Rob Kwiet converted on an opportunity with Andrei Loktionov and Henrique picking up assists on the goal.

Mark Guggenberger was given the hook after allowing 3 goals on 3 shots and in came 17-year-old Adam Brown who hadn't started a game since March 14th and that was the his only action in that month. Brown (pictured above) was immediately tested as Mitchell barreled in alone on a breakaway but the youngster made two saves to get his first feel of the game. Brown saw 6 shots in the period and stopped them all.

Kelown'a bad luck wasn't limited to their poor goaltending; three key players went down to injury and although all of them returned to play they were clearly a little worse for wear. Jamie Benn went down hard after missing Taylor Hall with what would have been a huge hit. Hall was able to duck under Benn who collided into the boards hurting his tailbone.

Tyler Myers bloked a shot on his the inside of his knee and skated off awkwardly and missed his next shift. Captain Colin Long was taken out by an aggressive Lane MacDermid right at the end of the 1st period and had to be helped off the ice.

Windsor outshot Kelowna 9-5 in the first period although scoring chances may actually have been in favor of the Rockets.

However, the Rockets burst out of the gate to start the second period and scored just 8 second in as Long made good on the power play. Kelowna had a bunch of momentum at that point and had several more scoring chances but couldn't beat Andrew Engelage.

The momentum wouldn't last forever though and when Ryan Ellis hammered a point blast off the post and behind Brown, the Spitfires appeared to assume complete control.

There was one scary moment as Jamie Benn slashed Mark Cundari in the mouth and received a double-minor for the high stick. Windsor failed to capitalize on the 4-minute man advantage but they did carry the 4-1 lead into the final period.

There was no scoring in the final frame as Windsor sunk into defensive mode and a deflated looking Rockets squad couldn't muster any offence.

The final shots in the game were 28-22 in favor of the new CHL champs. Adam Henrique, a New jersey Devils 3rd round pick in 2008, and Jamie Benn of the Rockets led the tournament in scoring with 9 points each. Taylor Hall of the Spitfires was chosen as the tournament MVP.

The image of seeing the team posing for the traditional photo with Mickey Renaud's #18 jersey draped around the trophy... fans of any team would have to admit that it was a great moment.

It was the first time since 2002 that the host league was not represented in the Memorial Cup final. It was also the first time since 2003 that the host team was not playing in the final game either.

Next year the Brandon Wheat Kings will host the tournament.

'Big Benn' Puts Kelowna in Final

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The Kelowna Rockets have advanced to Sunday's Memorial Cup Final after a 5-point performance from forward Jamie Benn.

Kudos to Sportsnet voice Peter Loubardias for the title of this blog entry but it sure is fitting - 4 goals and an assist for Dallas Stars prospect Jamie Benn were more than Drummondville could handle on Monday night. It's incredible to think that Benn was a 5th round draft pick considering the growth in his development over the last two years since joining the Rockets in the WHL.

Kelowna also received a 2-goal performance from Cody Almond which means the Rockets scored six times but only had two goal scorers... that's something you don't see everyday.

Benn got things going in the first period when he broke up a play in the neutral zone, went in alone and tucked the puck beneath Drummondville goalie Marco Cousineau (ANH) just before his own momentum knocked the net off its moorings. The goal was a double whammy for the Voltigeurs who had carried most of the play to that point but more so because they were on the power play.

For the next several minutes the Rockets took over the game as the goal seemed to deflate Drummondville. However, the deadliest of the Voltigeurs got going after being held off the score sheet again st Windsor on Saturday. Yannick Riendeau scored at 14:27 with a harmless looking shot from a ridiculously bad angle catching Kelowna goalie Mark Guggenberger by surprise.

Riendeau, recently signed by Boston, picked up an assist on a late goal by Marc-Olivier Vachon and the Q-league champs carried a 2-1 lead into the second period.

Almond scored his first of the game to tie the game but the Voltigeurs answered back right away and re-established their lead. Benn went back to work and scored with just over a minute left in the period which set up a great third period with both teams knotted up at 3 goals apiece. It was one of the prettiest goals on the tournament so far with Tyler Myers (BUF) starting a tic-tac-toe play as he feathered a pass to the front of the net for Colin Long (PHX) who chose not to shoot as expected but passed to Benn who snapped it in from a sharp angle.

Drummondville took the lead again for the third and final time as Vachon netted his second of the night, it was Riendeau's 4th point of the contest and 33 in his last 15 games.

Kelowna would reply on the power play with Benn picking up the hat trick. Two minutes later Benn would score a rather weak goal that put Kelowna ahead to stay. The red-hot Rocket eluded a pair of defenders then sent a hope and a prayer towards Cousineau who somehow let it slip under his left pad and into the net.

Drummondville put up a good fight at the end but even with the extra pressure Cody Almond was able to snipe another goal through a defenceman and Cousineau's legs making the final score 6-4.

Benn nearly equaled a Memorial Cup record of 5-goals in a single game when he fired the puck from his own end in the dying second only to see it clank off the iron of Drummondville's empty net.

The players of the game were pretty obvious tonight; Benn's 5 points and Riendeau's goal and three helpers in the loss showed that each team's best players were on their game. Kelowna defenceman Tyson Barrie continued his strong tournament with a 3-assist game and captain Colin Long also had 3 assists on the night.

Neither goalie was tremendously impressive to me as both allowed an absolute stinker of a goal. In the end, Kelowna outshot Drummondville 23-22, much closer than it appeared in my opinion. The Voltigeurs were better than Rimouski was on opening night, it would have been hard to have been worse, but I also didn't think Kelowna played as well either. (Outside of Benn who was obviously Jame Bond - could do nothing wrong.)

Kelowna's win vaults them directly into the Memorial Cup title game on Sunday even though they'll still play 0-2 Windsor tomorrow night.

Drummondville and Rimouski now sit a 1-1 with a head-to-head match on Wednesday.

Rockets Sink Rimouski

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The 2009 Memorial Cup got underway on Friday and featured a convincing 4-1 Kelowna victory over their hosts from Rimouski.

The Oceanic, well rested but obviously rusty, were never in this game as right from the opening faceoff they were out-hustled, outplayed and outscored by the Rockets. If not for the play of netminder Maxim Gougeon, the score could have easily been 5-0 after the first period alone.

Kelowna struck for their first goal of the night at the 6:33 mark when Tyler Myers (BUF) fired a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Gougeon high to the blocker side. That was a popular target for Kelowna shooters who looked to expose the 5'10 netminder and it worked early on.

The Oceanic were outshot 17-8 in the first period and blew a glorious extended 5-on-3 opportunity in the process.

Jamie Benn (DAL), the WHL's leading playoff scorer, got on the board in the second when he was Johnny-on-the-spot standing to the side of the Rimouski goal in perfect position for the rebound of a Mikael Backlund (CGY) shot. Gougeon could do nothing on the play.

The Rockets kept coming and again it was Backlund picking up an assist. The Swede broke up a neutral zone play and lifted a pass to a streaking Ian Duval who had got behind Rimouski's defence. Duval was able to knock the puck down and went in alone to put the Rockets up 3-0 just 6 minutes into the middle frame.

Rimouski blew away another 5-on-3 chance by not getting a single shot on goal and the Rockets carried the 3-goal lead with them into the third period. Kelowna outshot Rimouski by a 15-4 margin in the second.

1:29 into the final period Kelowna struck again. Lucas Bloodoff potted his first of the tournament and the route appeared to be on.

At times in the later stages of the game it seemed to me that the Rockets had taken their foot off the pedal, a dangerous plan in a tournament where goals for and against can come in to play. For example, Jamie Benn and Tyler Myers had a 2-on-2 where the sniper tried to force a pass across to the big blueliner instead of taking the clear shot.

The Rimouski fans finally got something to cheer about when Philippe Cornet (EDM) snapped a shot that beat Mark Guggenberger and erased his shutout bid.

Overall I was fairly disappointed with the Oceanic. For a team that boasts as many recognizable names as they do, they had absolutely nothing going on. Keven Veilleux (PGH) was invisible. I don't know if I even heard Peter Loubardias mention Logan MacMillan's (ANH) name. Patrice Cormier (NJ)? Jordan Caron?

The only Rimouski forward that impressed me at all was #97, Swiss product Luca Cunti (TBY) who has terrific speed.

I'll accept the argument that they were rusty but holy cow... show some life.

It's not going to get any easier for Rimouski. The loss to Kelowna means they pretty much have to beat Windsor, the #2 ranked team in the country, and Drummondville, the club that swept them in 4-straight games during the QMJHL playoffs.

Say good-bye to Rimouski.

Kelowna looked great as they dominated from start to finish. I wasn't overly impressed with Guggenberger who always seemed to take forever to get to his feet after going into his butterfly (which is all the time). He looked both injured and exhausted and I'm sure he was neither so...

Tyson Barrie was very impressive. I noticed him a lot more tonight than I did during the WHL final against Calgary. Sam Cosentino wondered out loud if he might still be there when Tampa Bay picks early in the second round... he might not be if he keeps playing like this but I have to admit to have been envisioning the same thing. Could Barrie end up playing for his dad's team in the Sunshine State?

The Rockets are back in action on Monday when they take on Drummondville. Rimouski is off until Sunday when they will play Windsor.

The next game of the tournament goes tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) at 2:30 PM Mountain time when the OHL champion Windsor Spitfires collide with the QMJHL winners from Drummondville. All games can be seen in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet and in the United States on the NHL Network.

Memorial Cup Head-to-Head: Defences

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Like yesterday's examination of the four goaltenders at the Memorial Cup, here is a comparison of the defences that will be on display.

Rimouski Oceanic

Offensively, the Oceanic have a pair of defencemen that recorded at least 60 points during the regular season. Sebastien Piché led the blueline in scoring with 72 points including 23 goals. Marc-Andre Bourdon, a 3rd round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, was acquired during the year and he contributed 60 points combined between Rimouski and Rouyn-Noranda. 5'9 Emmanuel Boudreau also factored in the scoring with 10 goals and 31 points.

Bourdon has kept pace in the playoffs but Piché's production has stalled.

Defensvively, most of Rimouski's blueliners ended the regular season on the good side of the +/- rating. The injured Maxime Ouimet, who came over from Baie-Comeau, posted an impressive +22 in just 27 games with the Oceanic. (He had a -22 rating with the Drakkar). He won the Kevin Lowe trophy as the league's top defenceman so his absence will be felt.

Looking at their roster sheet, the first thing that jumps out at me is their size. It's like the old Wendy's commercial: "Where's the Beef!?"

The biggest Oceanic defenceman is Bourdon who checks in at a solid 6'0 and 215 lbs. That's fine and dandy but there is no one else that cracks the 200 lb plateau (according to their roster).

Drummondville Voltigeurs

For the Voltigeurs it probably starts with 2009 eligible Dmitri Kulikov who led the team's defenders in scoring with 62 points - as a 17-year-old just getting used to North America. 20-year-old Marc-Antoine Desnoyers came next in scoring with 42 points, a pretty big dropoff from Kulikov's numbers but decent on its own. Outside of those two there isn't a lot of flash from the backend in Drummondville.

In the playoffs Kulikov has been a point-per-game player with 19 points. Desnoyers has chipped in 12 points and veteran Czech import Patrik Prokop has upped his production slightly with 8 points in 19 post season games.

The Volts were one of four teams that surrendered fewer than 200 goals during the regular season (189) while Rimouski allowed 223.

Size is going to be a concern as like Rimouski, there is no one that will pose much of a physical threat. Desnoyers is 6'1 and 190 lbs but he's the tallest and the only +200 lb player is Andrew Randazzo who tilts the scale at 215 lbs but stands just 5'10. But a fire hydrant can pack a punch although Randazzo's 40 PIM this year don't suggest an overly aggressive player.

None of Drummondville's defencemen have NHL ties although we know that will change in June as Kulikov is predicted to go in the top 15.

Windsor Spitfires

Ryan Ellis was tops in the OHL for scoring by a defenceman with 89 points, 13 more than the next closest player. His 67 assists were tops in the entire league regardless of position. He finished a single point behind Taylor Hall atop his team in scoring, a club with a celebrated offence. Not enough can be said about what Ellis brings to the table from an offensive standpoint.

Rob Kwiet had a great year with 67 points and Ben Shutron (CHI) provides another veteran punch although the latter is being counted on much more for his defensive play.

The main job of Windor's blueline group, outside of Ellis and maybe Kwiet, is to take care of their own end. The Spitfires have so much firepower up front that they don't really need to do much offensively except get the puck up to their attackers.

Compared to their Quebec-based opponents, the Spitfires defencemen look big. Certainly Harry Young, at 6'4 and 205 lbs, woould be big on any team. Kwiet is 6'1 and nearly 220 lb, while the rest of the group (sans Ellis) hovers near around the 195 lb mark.

Kelowna Rockets

Tyson Barrie is the Rockets' version of Kulikov or Ellis - a smallish, 2009 eligible offensive minded defenceman who more than makes up for his lack of size with his abundance of production. He had 52 points during the regular season.

Converted forward Brandon McMillan (ANH) has been terrific since making the switch to the backend. His offensive instincts are still there but his greatest asset is his speed - he won the fastest skater competition at the 2008 Top Prospects Game in Edmonton.

The biggest name on Kelowna's d-line might be the biggest player in the CHL, from a literal perspective. Tyler Myers (BUF) stands 6'7 on dry land and weighs in at 211 pounds. He is to the WHL what Zdeno Chara is to the NHL. Myers had 42 points during the regular season but has stepped it up in the playoffs with 20 more in just 22 games.

Colin Bowman has a chance at making the Memorial Cup a family affair after his brother Drayson won the trophy last year with Spokane. Bowman is a 2009 eligible prospect.

No question that this is the biggest defensive group in the tournament. Bowman is 6'2, Tysen Dowzak is 6'5 and 212 lbs and then of course there is Myers.

Comparisons

The head-to-head match up between Kulikov and Ellis will be front and center. Both are considered top 15 caliber players for the 2009 draft so all eyes will be on them in this tournament. My co-host wonder aloud on Tuesday if Tyson Barrie might be a "poor man's Ryan Ellis" for Kelowna and I think it's a valid statement. How much will a strong tournament here raise his draft stock, especially if he is able to out perform and possibly outscore his counterparts?

Kelowna has a size advantage but without seeing all of the teams in action this year it would be impossible to argue which 7-man unit is more defensively sound or potent at the other end of the ice.

My hunch is that if there was a coach poll done asking which defensive unit, as a whole, is best over all aspects of the game... that Kelowna's would come out on top. All have offence, all have veteran leadership, all have good two-way puck movers but only the Rockets have the size to match the biggest forwards at the Memorial Cup.

Wednesday Re-Set

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Our 4th Annual Memorial Cup Coach's Show was last night and although we weren't able to speak with all four coaches, due to the late Game 7 in the Q, it was a great preview for the upcoming tournament.

We began the program talking about a few different things: Could Kelowna hope to match the offensive prowess of a team like Windsor? Will they have to follow Spokane's successful plan of smothering defensive play with an effective counter attack? Are we disappointed not to see the Calgary vs Windsor dream match up? Who are the 2009 eligible players in the tournament that we'll be watching for?

Our first coach of the night was the host, Clement Jodoin of the Rimouski Oceanic. It was Jodoin's second time on our program after leading Lewiston to the 2007 QMJHL title and joining us before the tournament in Vancouver that year.

Jodoin answered questions about Logan MacMillan and his lack of offence, Philippe Cornet, what his team has been doing for the last three weeks, if the layoff is a positive because they are well rested or a negative because they'll be rusty and what being swept by Drummondville meant for his team. Coach Jodoin was also asked if his goaltending was good enough and that produced one of his most memorable answers of the night and generated a nice story as well.

We then played some Bad Ass Trivia with an obvious focus on the Memorial Cup.

At the top of the second hour we welcomed in the GM of the Windsor Spitfires, Warren Rychel. Coach Bob Boughner was unable to join us so the GM stepped in to take his place, perhaps not wanting to chance the bad karma.

Rychel discussed a number of his players including Taylor Hall, Andrei Laktionov, Greg Nemisz, Ryan Ellis and others. we asked him to tell us if it was an easy decision to not play Josh Unice in net, a goalie with Memorial Cup experience, and go with an undrafted overager in Andrew Engelage instead. Engelage had a fantastic regular season though and Rychel quickly put any goalie controversy to rest.

After a bit of phone tag we then hooked up with Kelowna Rockets coach Ryan Huska (who is in this picture but currently sports a shaved head and glasses). The big hit on Mikael Backlund and his impressive fortitude to recover and stay in the game was an early subject. Coach Huska's recounting of the hit and Backlund's version of it was memorable. We also talked about netminder Mark Guggenberger's sudden rise to fame, how Kelowna's offence is underrated and then we got into some specific players like Tyler Myers, Cody Almond, Colin Long and Tyson Barrie.

Our final coach of the night couldn't make it as Guy Boucher and the Voltigeurs had finally finished off the resilient Shawinigan Cataractes in Game 7 about 40 minutes before the end of our show. Dean and I did our best to talk about some of the key players the Volts will showcase in Rimouski like Yannick Riendeau, Chris Didomenico and Dmitri Kulikov.

At the end of each coach interview Dean asked: "If your team is successful and you win, try not to break (or 'Spokane') the trophy". It was a joke comment that drew different reactions from our guests. Two openly chuckled but one took it quite seriously and showed that he's already got his game face on.

The Memorial Cup gets going on Friday with Rimouski taking on Kelowna, Drummondville and Windsor square off on Saturday. All games can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet with our pals Peter Loubardias and Sam Cosentino painting the audio pictures.

If you missed it live, click the archive... HERE!

Kelowna Captures WHL Title

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Tyson Barrie's power play marker at 8:13 of the first overtime period of Game 6 was the goal that sealed the deal and made Kelowna the 2009 WHL Champions.

In what was one of the most entertaining games I've seen all year in any league, the Rockets put an end to the resurgent Calgary Hitmen with a complete effort from start to finish . The Hitmen deserve a lot of credit for staging a late comeback to force the extra session and netminder Martin Jones had the game of his life (as Dean Millard said on Global TV tonight) but it wasn't enough.

It might be a cliché but tonight it was true; this game had everything.

Huge hits including one that won't soon be forgotten by anyone who saw it. Calgary Flames prospect Mikael Backlund was absolutely crushed by Hitmen defender Michael Stone (PHX) with a devastating open ice hit that sent chucks of the Swede flying in all directions. Backlund's helmet, stick, glove and mouthpiece all ended up scattered across the ice surface but give the import credit, not only did he get up and make his way to the bench but he'd be back in the game soon after and looked no worse for wear.

The Bloodoff brothers (Evan and Lucas) went to work shortly after and started hammering Hitmen left and right. Alex Plante and Curt Gogol exchanged body checks and there was just a constant snarl to every play for most of the second half of the game.

Maybe it's goaltending you like? Mark Guggenberger was really strong in the first few games of the series and Martin Jones has been much better as the series has gone on. Both were on top of their game on Saturday making some 12-bell saves and at critical times in the game.

The first goal of the night went to Bostjan Golicic who had just stepped out of the penalty box to accept a breakaway pass from the Calgary end. He went in and beat Guggenberger and the pressure was squarely on Kelowna. It was a costly turnover in the offensive zone by Tyler Myers (BUF) that Kyle Bortis converted into the pass to Golicic.

The 1st period goal held up until the mid point of the middle frame when Colin Long (pictured) evened the score. Just minutes after a Rockets goal was disallowed because the net was bumped off its mooring, Long deftly wired a shot from the circle to Jones' right that found its way through several pairs of legs and into the back of the net.

Two minutes later the Rockets would get a flukey one to take the lead. Jamie Benn's behind the back blind pass to the slot bounced off the leg of Lucas Bloodoff and careened past a helpless Jones. It was the type of goal that you just pitied the netminder for because it was a broken play that inexplicably ended up behind him.

Kelowna dominated Calgary in shots, it was 31-18 after two periods, so you know the Hitmen were desperate just to get rubber at Guggenberger in the third. Calgary's power play finally clicked when Brett Sonne's centering pass was intercepted but fumbled by Myers (not a great night for him) and ended up on the stick of 53-goal man Joel Broda who promptly fired it into the twine.

Game tied and headed to overtime with neither team really having momentum over the other and the outcome very much in doubt.

Calgary had an opportunity when Bostjan Golicic tried to catch a bouncing puck at the side of Kelowna's net, mishandled it, the puck bounced to another Hitmen forward behind the net (I think it was Broda) who banked it in off of Guggenberger and in for the win... only to see the referee wave it off because of a glove pass. It was hardly a pass but it did hit Golicic's glove so it was the right call.

Unfortunately for Calgary the next referee call would also go against them. Former Hitmen Ian Duval and Alex Plante jostled behind Calgary's net for a loose puck and the Oilers prospect hauled the smaller forward down. Whether Duval embellished it or not, it was a play that would be called at any point in regulation time but probably not in overtime but wasn't ignored by the officials tonight.

With Plante in the box the Rockets called a time out then proceeded to set up the eventual Tyson Barrie goal that will send them to Rimouski to play for the Memorial Cup.

The shots ended up 50-26 in favor of Kelowna who deserved to win the game and the series with the way they played. I don't know if the Hitmen deserved a 7th game but WHL fans who were fortunate enough to have been watching this series live in person or on Shaw TV definitely did.

The Rockets received two inspired performances from Jamie Benn and Kyle St. Denis, both returning to the line up after missing the last few games. St. Denis was a catalyst using his speed to create offensive chances. Benn is a constant threat who was instrumental in setting up the winning goal but also woke up his team when he jumped Michael Stone after he leveled Mikael Backlund. Cody Almond (pictured) was one of the Rockets I noticed a lot in this series, not as much tonight, but at times I thought he was one of their best players.

The 2009 Memorial Cup starts on Friday May 15th and will feature the host Rimouski Oceanic taking on the Kelowna Rockets. The OHL champion Windsor Spitfires will play their first game of the tournament on the 16th against the QMJHL champion which is yet to be determined. The Shawinigan Cataractes and the Drummondville Voltigeurs are headed to Game 6 with the Volts up 3-2.

The 2009 Memorial Cup Coach's Show airs this Tuesday night on The Pipeline Show from 7-9 PM Mountain time (9-11 PM Eastern time) and can be heard on the TEAM 1260 or via the web at www.thepipelineshow.com

Power Plante

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The Calgary Hitmen appear to be back to form after a dominating 6-1 win over the Kelowna Rockets tonight in Cowtown and one of the players who has elevated his game is Oilers prospect Alex Plante.

In talking with some smart people about the Hitmen, one consensus thought is that the key to their success lay on the back end and specifically with Atlanta prospect Paul Postma. While I tend to agree and believe that the turn around Calgary has made in this series against Kelowna is due largely to the play of the defence corps, Postma isn't the guy standing out for me right now.

I really like what I'm seeing from Alex Plante.

If you haven't been watching the series or weren't aware that it's on TV (Shaw TV, channel 10) then you're missing some terrific junior playoff hockey. I know most hockey fans are watching the NHL playoffs instead right now but I'm in the minority that is hooked on the junior level of the game.

Plante, an Edmonton 2007 1st rounder (15th overall), has been terrific. We know that he has his limitations, he's not the most mobile guy back there, but he's got much more ticks under 'pros' than 'cons' right now.

He scored Calgary's first goal in game 4, a point blast that beat netminder Mark Guggenberger to the glove side. Tonight he scored again and he showed some keen hockey sense while doing it. He'd just thrown a big hit in the offensive corner and, as he's supposed to do, headed back to the blueline. However, he did so while keeping an eye on the developing play which included a loose puck that had skittered out to about the hash marks. Plante made a quick read, went to where the puck was sliding and quickly wired it past Guggenberger.

We already knew that he excels at playing the body; at nearly 6'5 and 225 lbs he'd better be able to lay some junior kids out like Brandon's Matt Calvert above. Well he is... and then some. In the opening round he absolutely cranked Oil Kings forward Brendan Dowd and kept the rest of the Edmonton forwards looking over their shoulders too. In front of the net he's aggressive, sort of reminiscent of Derian or Kevin Hatcher, big bruising defenders who were also "hampered" by their lack of foot speed during their lengthy NHL careers.

Plante is showing more hockey sense than I thought he had, he's using his booming shot, putting opponents on their butts or through the boards and he's logging a ton of ice time. Coach Dave Lowry is throwing him out with Keith Seabrook, Paul Postma and Michael Stone as much as possible and in every situation.

Thus far Plante has compiled 6 goals and 9 helpers for 15 points - tops on the team from the blueliners. He's also showing a +13 and has only been a minus player in 3 of the Hitmen's 17 post season games. His regular season points-per-game mark of .66 has jumped to .88 in the playoffs. He's getting it done in the post season and this isn't the first time - as a rookie he scored at a .85/ppg clip.

One nice tidbit about Plante is that he recently set a new Hitmen franchise record for playoff games. After the second game of the current series he had upped his career total to 66, that's now obviously increased to 69. When you consider where he was mentally at the start of the year, demanding a trade out of Calgary, to where he and the organization are today... it's a credit to the coaching staff to let bygones be bygones but also to Plante for sucking it up and just concentrating on playing the game. I thought it a pretty telling gesture when Plante was named as one of the club's alternate captains this year.

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Plante's career is back on track after the injury plagued 2008-09 season and that he'll have a future with the Oilers at the NHL level. He won't be ready for a few more years but Steve Tambellini's quest for size and toughness should include Alex Plante's name for a few seasons from now.

Edmonton must get Plante's signature on a contract by june 1st or he will re-enter the NHL draft. As listeners to The Pipeline Show heard Assistant GM Kevin Prendergast emphatically tell us, Plante will definitely be signed.

The Hitmen and the Rockets are headed to game 6, on Saturday in Kelowna with Calgary on a complete roll haveing scored 12 goals in the last two games. Kelowna is clearly missing Jamie Benn (suspected concussion) but even though they are reeling right now... that's a talented club too so anything can still happen.

(Photos Courtesy: Calgary Hitmen, WHL, Calgary Herald)