We're into the second half of the hockey season, and the push for the playoffs begin!

Tri-City and Calgary Battle in Dub

Written by: Tyler Bodman on 27th April 2010

PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT

Calgary's Matt MacKenzie will try to help his team defeat a Tri-City team filled with players from Manitoba in the WHL league championship | read this item

The series is set. The Tri-City Americans will now face the Calgary Hitmen for the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the winner of the WHL Championship series.

Calgary’s fate was settled Friday night as they took down the Memorial Cup host Brandon Wheat Kings in five games. Martin Jones was a brick wall in goal winning both games that the Hitmen were out shot in their series.

The series turning point seemed to be in game three when Jones made 40 saves as the Hitmen topped the Wheat Kings 6-3. Calgary came out flying scoring four goals in the first period. After the first, they seemed to sit back as Brandon ended up out shooting the Hitmen 43-21.

Martin Jones goes into the WHL Championship series, with a 2.61 goals against average and .905 save percentage.

Calgary product Brandon Kozun, who was instrumental for team Canada in the World Juniors, lead all Hitmen in points. Kozun sniped two and added six helpers to add to his playoff leading 26 points.

Brandon will now get some rest, as they will watch the WHL Championship Series to prepare for the Memorial Cup, which starts May 14^th.

For the first time in franchise history, the Tri-City Americans captured their first WHL Western Conference Championship. The Americans beat out the Vancouver Giants who finished second in the Western conference but nine points behind Tri-City.

The series went to six games where Tri-City came out on top winning 5-2. Patrick Holland got the game winner, 26 seconds into the 3rd period and the Americans would not look back. Kruise Reddick and Sergei Drozd would add one more each as the Giants were elimated in the Westerm Conference finals for the second year in a row.

The Americans kept Craig Cunningham, who came into the series as the playoff leader in points, to only one goal in six games. A big reason for that was Ams goaltender Drew Owsley who was named the Series’ Most Valuable Player for being solid between the pipes the entire series.

Brenden Shinnimin and Kruise Reddick each had nine points through the series, leading the Americans offensive charge. On the back end, Tyler Schmidt played a great shut down role on the Giants top line while also adding six points in six games.

Now the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup begins as the Americans host Calgary Tuesday night. The winner will ultimately get a chance to represent the WHL for the Memorial Cup in Brandon, Manitoba.

For OpenIceHockey, I’m Nathan Dearing.

Topics: Calgary Hitmen, CHL, Tri-City Americans, WHL