There were eight.
Now there are two: the Dauphin Kings and the Northern Manitoba Blizzard. The Blizzard advanced to the Turnbull Cup final after beating Neepawa in five games and Winkler in four. The Kings, meanwhile, downed Waywayseecappo in five games and ousted Portage in six games.
Doug Hedley has led the Kings to the league's championship series for the second time in the past four years, and he's proud of the group.
"Yeah, it's definitely a good feeling. It's something you work for all year, you want a chance to play in the championship series," said Hedley. "We have taken care of business so far, but haven't won anything yet. We have to stay in the moment, take it shift to shift, and game to game."
Havryil Simchuk was the hero on Monday night as he took a pass from Gabriel Bugeaud and beat Mitchell Kathler through the five-hole to send Dauphin to their first league final since winning it all in 2022. It was Simchuk's fourth goal of the playoffs, and second of the game.
"Even the last two months of the season, he was very good, one of our best," said Hedley. "He's hungry to score, loves taking the puck to the net, and really protects the puck well. We've been very happy with him this year."
On Monday night, Simchuk was paired with Bugeaud and Ethan Stewart, and the tremendous trio was buzzing all night. They combined for five points.
"They were definitely our best line in the last couple of games of the series," continued Hedley. "We're keeping them together, they like playing with each other, and they feed off each other. All three guys complement each other very well."
Dauphin will begin the final on Friday without hometown star Madden Murray. He left game six early and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He also missed the last month and a half of the regular season with an upper-body injury before returning late in round one against Waywayseecappo. He had one goal and one assist in seven playoff games.
As Hedley says, it's a tough blow for a young man trying to find his game after missing so much time.
"He's had a great year for us; he was one of our top guys at times throughout the season," commented Hedley. "He is one of the fastest players in the league, and what separates him from many players is that he plays fearlessly. We're hoping to get him in this series at some point to see what he can do."
Hedley credits the entire lineup for getting this far.
"Everyone has contributed, everyone should be proud of their efforts," said Hedley.
Northern Manitoba vs Dauphin:
They battled in an unforgettable series last year. Game six needed five overtimes, and game seven required another three. There was also a single overtime and a double overtime game. They played six games against each other this year and went blow for blow.
Dauphin won the first two games before the Blizzard won three of the next four. They split their season series with Northern Manitoba, outscoring them 14-13. If last year's marathon series and this year's regular season series are any indication of how this year's final will go, fans should settle in for a thriller.
It all starts Friday evening at Credit Union Place at 7:30.
"We're looking forward to it, for sure. You go back to the seven-game series last year, it's two teams that are hungry, and want to raise the Turnbull Cup," offered Hedley. "When you have energy, emotion, and the will that both teams have, it's going to be a great series."
Dauphin enters the series with six straight home wins at Credit Union Place in the playoffs. Fans have come out and are cheering on the boys. Now they're in the Turnbull Cup final, and it's time to pack the stands again and cheer on the Kings as they battle the Blizzard.
"We're playing very well at home, getting the breaks, and finding ways to get it done," ended Hedley.
