Two stars from Swan River are one win away from heading to Calgary to compete in the national championships.
The Melfort Mustangs took care of business on Thursday night as they beat the Weyburn Red Wings, 5-1, to take a commanding three games to one series lead in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) final.
It was Melfort's third straight win in the series, after the Red Wings earned a 2-1 victory in game one. Bo Eisner and Will Munro are a driving force on this year's team. Eisner helped the team beat the Flin Flon Bombers in the final last year and is putting together a nice playoff run. The former Parkland Ranger has three goals and five points. Munro, meanwhile, who started the season in his hometown with the Stampeders, is tied for fourth in team scoring with five goals and nine points.
Munro, Eisner, and the Mustangs can lock up their second straight Canterra Seeds Cup and book their berth to the Centennial Cup in Calgary from May 8 to 18 on Sunday night when they host game five at the Northern Lights Palace.
Around the country, every league has entered the championship series as the Centennial Cup nears.
Alberta Junior Hockey League:
The Calgary Canucks needed just four games to complete a sweep against the Grande Prairie Storm, who featured former Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Nick Jones. The Canucks scored 29 goals in the league final and lost only one playoff game.
The Storm will represent the AJHL at the Centennial Cup. The Canucks will be the host team.
Superior International Junior Hockey League:
Ben Hackl competed in the 2022 Centennial Cup with the Dauphin Kings. Three years later, he's looking to be at the big dance as a coach. The former King is an assistant coach and general manager with the Dryden Ice Dogs, however, the Ice Dogs have plenty of work to do.
After they were shut out on Thursday, 2-0, against the Kam River Fighting Walleye, the Ice Dogs are down three games to one in the final. It's a battle between the top two teams in the regular season, and the Fighting Walleye are just one win away from the Centennial Cup.
Maritimes Hockey League:
It wasn't even close. The Edmundston Blizzard spent nearly the whole year in the top three in the CJHL's top 20 rankings, and they made it look easy in the playoffs.
They completed a four-game sweep of the Pictou County Weeks Crushers in the league final, losing just one game during the playoff run. They finished with 10 straight wins and scored 67 goals in 13 playoff games. They'll play the Central Canada Hockey League champions in their first game at the Centennial Cup on Thursday, May 8.
Quebec Junior Hockey League:
The Braves de Valleyfield won the championship series in six games over College Francais De Longueuil. Their first game in Calgary is Friday, May 9, against the CCHL champions.
Central Canada Hockey League:
The Rockland Nationals, who spent a number of weeks as the top-ranked team in the country, are in a very good spot in the CCHL final against the Carleton Place Canadians.
They won game one, 3-1, and game two, 3-2, to bring themselves two wins away from a league title. They have a chance to go up three games to nothing on Friday when they host the Canadians in game three, game four is Sunday afternoon in Carleton Place.
The winner plays their first game against the Edmundston Blizzard on Thursday, May 8.
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League:
They've been a force all season, and on Friday, they can punch their ticket to Calgary.
The Greater Sudbury Cubs are one win away from a league championship, and on Friday, they'll be on home ice trying to lock it up. They lost the first game of the series against the Hearst Lumberjacks, but have dominated since. After a 5-4 overtime win in game two, the Cubs have outscored the Lumberjacks, 11-2, in the past two games.
If the Cubs prevail, they'll open their Centennial Cup on Friday, May 9, against the Grande Prairie Storm.
Ontario Junior Hockey League:
This one has all the makings of a long series.
Carter Bickle turned away all 28 shots he faced as the Milton Menace got back in their championship series against the Trenton Golden Hawks with a 4-0 victory. The Golden Hawks finished with 97 points in the regular season, 20 more than the Menace, however, Milton is playing some excellent hockey at the best time. They upset Collingwood in the second round and downed the second-ranked Leamington Flyers in five games in the semifinals.
Trenton is 14-4 in the playoffs. The winner opens their Centennial Cup on Thursday, May 8, against the winners from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
