Better Know Your Memorial Cup Team: Moncton Wildcats

The Memorial Cup, which crowns the best in major junior hockey, starts on May 14th and as a (dis)service to you folks out there; I'll do my best to breakdown the teams you may or may not know. As a note-- I'm a hack and probably won't get all the facts or anything like that straight, so bear with me.

The final team is now in the Memorial Cup and it's a team who has been there in the past few years, albeit in the perfect position. The Moncton Wildcats return to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2006, where they hosted the event and won the QMJHL to boot. However, they weren't able to win on home ice, as they lost in the final. The story of this team is similar to that of the 2006 team, as the Wildcats were one of the top teams in the Q this season. They repeated their record from last season at 48-14-2-4, but were able to get out of the second round this time around....obviously.

One of the big stories will be the defense, as they let in the least goals in the Q this year at 164. It starts in net with Nicola Riopel, who had three shutouts in his 16 wins and only lost four in the entire playoffs. This is after Riopel came back from the AHL in Adirondack with the Phantoms. While Shane Owen is reliable enough to be called on, odds are they won't go to him at all. Riopel will be the guy to carry this team in net and should be able to deal with the pucks that may be thrown at him.

The defensemen are very offensive minded, but responsible in their own zone. They are led by Mark Barberio, who had 60 points and +39 in the regular season with 22 points and a +10 in the playoffs-- which should be able to help out on both sides of the puck. David Savard was able to transition his game from offensively in the regular season to a more defensive look at him as the playoffs came around. The most consistent through the regular season and playoffs is Brandon Gormley; who is more defensive minded and should help out Riopel should he need it. They'll also have an edge physically, as they boast Spence Metcalfe, who had 166 PIMs in the regular season, but of course toned it down in the playoffs with only 16. Odds are they'll throw Metcalfe out in roles where they would need to set a tone for the game.

Up front, one disturbing stat is the fall-off of Nicolas Deschamps; who had 52 points in 33 games after being traded to Moncton, but only has 14 points in his 15 playoff games. Luckily, Kelsey Tessier picked up the slack, leading the team with 30 points in the playoffs, while Gabriel Bourque is packing some punch on the score sheet, as well, with 29 points. All three were acquired midway through the season, which shows that GM Bill Schurman knew what his team needed in terms of forward production and got what he needed to get the team to this point. Especially considering the defense-first minded team, the trio of Tessier, Bourque, and Deschamps should be able to keep this team well rounded-- pending Deschamps waking up on the big stage.

The Wildcats could possibly be the most defensive oriented team in the Memorial Cup and they'll be up against very explosive offensives, who also have a defensive element to them. For the Wildcats to succeed, they'll need to hope for Deschamps to get back on track and hope they can play a shutdown game against the other three teams. Riopel should be tested a lot and if he isn't able to handle the pressure, it could spell the end for the Wildcats. Yet, they were able to go throughout the season with a defensive mindset, as well as the playoffs. They defeated the top-ranked Quebec League team in the league in the Final and should have a lot of confidence going into the Memorial Cup, especially in an underdog setting.

Better Know Your Memorial Cup Team: Calgary Hitmen

The Memorial Cup, which crowns the best in major junior hockey, starts on May 14th and as a (dis)service to you folks out there; I'll do my best to breakdown the teams you may or may not know. As a note-- I'm a hack and probably won't get all the facts or anything like that straight, so bear with me.

It was 11 years to the day after their last WHL championship, the Calgary Hitmen hope their trip to the Memorial Cup this year ends up much better than their trip back in 1999, where they came up one goal short of the Memorial Cup. This year's team was determined after their WHL Finals loss last year to the Kelowna Rockets and got over that hump by winning it this year. Now, with the top goalie and top scorer from the WHL's regular season and playoffs on their side, the Hitmen now set their eyes on the ultimate prize in Major Junior hockey.

Starting in net, Martin Jones (Los Angeles, free agent) has been nothing short of stellar for the Hitmen this season and playoffs. Crowned with the Goaltender of the Year and Playoff MVP honors, Jones is the main cog in the Hitmen's success. With a calm demeanor, Jones won't get rattle easily from the offense. Luckily for him, his team often gives him an early lead. The only issue is what his team in front of him will do if they get down early. Much like other goalies, Jones can only do so much before support needs to come into play. However, if Jones does falter; it could spell a demise for the Hitmen's hopes.

In front of Jones, the Hitmen have a very potent offense; headlined by WHL top scorer in the playoffs (8g, 22a) and regular season (32g, 75a), Brandon Kozun (Los Angeles, '09). Kozun is at a distinct size disadvantage, but his speed and smooth skating will what makes up for his size. The size is brought by Joel Broda (Washington, '08), who lead the playoffs in goals with 13. Broda has a quick release and laser-like shot. While he's not too much for speed, if he gets room-- he's deadly. The surprise for the playoffs is Mischa Fisenko (UFA), who put up 8 goals and 11 assists for the playoffs; which wasn't too much off his pace from the regular season where he has 12 goals and 32 assists. Late-season pick up Tyler Shattock (St. Louis, '09) and role guys Cody Sylvester (Eligible 2010) and Kris Foucault (Minnesota, '09) have also chipped-in here and there. The biggest intangible is the block-party the Hitmen have when they're on the defensive, as this is a team who isn't afraid to get in the way of pucks.

Defensively, the Hitmen are just as good in their own zone as they are in the offensive zone. Leading with Eastern Conference Defenseman of the Year, Michael Stone (Phoenix, '08)-- the Hitmen have a lot of guys who contribute offensively as they do defensively. One guy who has come into his own has been Giffen Nyren (UFA), who came over from Kamloops during the year and was able to find his game while with the Hitmen. Youngster Ben Wilson (Eligible 2010) and Matt MacKenzie (Eligible 2010) have come into their own this year and most importantly, these playoffs.

Coach Mike Williamson had a chance with both teams in the WHL Finals and may or may not have been the cog to push the Hitmen ahead, but the players have bought into the system. GM Kelly Kisio built a team around last year's team with not many drastic changes, which kept the team chemistry there. They also have a nice blend of experience and youth for their team to keep building for years to come. It has been a while since their last trip, but the structure is still the same for these Hitmen as it was in 1999. It's been 15 years since the Hitmen came to be in the CHL landscape and they hope that the end of their 15th year will have a Memorial Cup to make it even more memorable.

Better Know Your Memorial Cup Team: Windsor Spitfires

The Memorial Cup, which crowns the best in major junior hockey, starts on May 14th and as a (dis)service to you folks out there; I'll do my best to breakdown the teams you may or may not know. As a note-- I'm a hack and probably won't get all the facts or anything like that straight, so bear with me.

The last time a team has won back-to-back Memorial Cups was the Kamloops Blazers in 1994 and 1995. Now, it's time for the Windsor Spitfires to see if they can actually be able to pull off this feat. They have 12 guys back from last year's Memorial Cup team, which is great considering they know what it takes to win. Coach Bob Boughner has endured a lot of struggles in the OHL playoffs....well only being down three games to one, and has made it through. It should be perfect for him to steer this team to another Memorial Cup trophy after a big sweep in the OHL Finals over the Barrie Colts.

One of the main cogs in the team last year and this year is highly-touted prospect for the 2010 Draft Taylor Hall (Eligible 2010). Hall was tied for the league lead during the season with 104 points and in the playoffs with 35 points. While he has and will be keyed on, he still manages to get onto the score sheet. While there was a big discrepancy for the regular season for forwards-- it's a bit closer in the playoffs, with Adam Henrique (New Jersey, '08) coming up big with a team leading 20 goals in the playoffs and 3rd in points with 25. Scott Timmins (Florida, '09) has stepped up his game with 22 points in 19 games. They have been able to get a lot more out of their depth in the post-season, which is a mark of the winning squad.

Defensively, Ryan Ellis (Nashville, '09) continues to be solid in his own zone and in the offensive side of the chart, with 33 points in the playoffs, 3rd in the entire OHL. Alongside Ellis, Cam Fowler (Eligible 2010) hasn't been as solid in the playoffs as he was in the regular season; even though he has been another touted prospect for the 2010 Draft. Luckily for the Spitfires, Mark Cundari (St. Louis, free agent) has picked up the slack for Fowler and built off the regular season he had. The depth of the defense stem with Harry Young (New Jersey, '08) and Marc Cantin (UFA), who won't light it up points wise, but have been sturdy throughout the playoffs.

The goaltending of Philipp Grubauer (Eligible 2010) has been nothing short of spectacular since he moved over from Belleville at the deadline. Grubauer went 13-1-1 in the regular season and 16-2 in the post-season. Though, the German netminder has been a product of being behind a good team, as he got shelled in Belleville and the change did him a world of good. He should be able to continue as the hot hand, which could spell disaster for the rest of the participants.

While it is a tough road to get back to the Memorial Cup, the feat has been accomplished twice since 2003 (Kelowna and Vancouver). However, this is the first time since 1995 and 1996 that a team has gone back-to-back without being the host of an event, which was the host this year-- the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Spitfires have all the tools to get it done again this year and could very well be the favorites going into it. Considering the Spitfires have only lost three games in the playoffs and it was in one series alone. They are the team to beat, because like the great Ric Flair said, "To be the man, you've got to beat the man."

Better Know Your Memorial Cup Team: Brandon Wheat Kings

The Memorial Cup, which crowns the best in major junior hockey, starts on May 14th and as a (dis)service to you folks out there; I'll do my best to breakdown the teams you may or may not know. As a note-- I'm a hack and probably won't get all the facts or anything like that straight, so bear with me.

The first participant is the host of this year's festivities, the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Wheaties were striving to be another WHL champ and host the event, but they were bounced in the WHL's Eastern Conference Final by the Calgary Hitmen in five games. That could motivation, coupled with rest and home-ice advantage, could make the Wheaties a very dangerous team.

Not only that, but the Wheat Kings were a solid team with 17 returnees from last season. They finished second overall in the WHL and lead the league in goals with 321, which was 45 more than the next highest team; the Medicine Hat Tigers. They also didn't skimp on the defense, as they gave up the fifth least amount of goals in the league of 22. They are a dynamic team up and down.

Staring with the offense, both Matt Calvert (Columbus, '08) and Brayden Schenn (Los Angeles, '09) will be focal points. Both Calvert and Schenn had 99 points on the regular season, while Schenn had three more points than Calvert (19 to 16) in the post-season. The biggest difference is the versitility of Calvert, who has 12 short-handed goals combined this season and can be used in any situation. However, Calvert does have a short-fuse, as he melted down during Game Five of the ECF against Calgary. The third part of that top like, Aaron Lewadniak (UFA), has kept up his pace from the regular season. One interesting point is the lack of scoring from Scott Glennie (Dallas, '09) (. While Glennie had 89 points in 66 games, his playoff stats haven't kept up the pace, as he only has 10 points in 15 games. This time off could be a good reflection for Glennie to maybe get his scoring touch back.

Defensively, the top two pairing of Colby Robak (Florida, '08) and Alex Urborn (New Jersey, '09) were a combined +101 for the regular season and were both offensive threats, which showed how well rounded they are. The pick-up of Travis Hamonic (Islanders, '08) has given a jolt offensively and defensively for the Wheat Kings, though he only played 10 games in the regular season due to a shoulder injury in the World Juniors. Defense top to bottom has been solid, with only Mark Schneider being a minus for the corps in the playoffs.

In net, while they split the starts during the year, Jacob De Serres (UFA) has usurped Andrew Haynes (UFA) for the starting role in the playoffs. That said, neither have been too stellar. De Serres sports a 3.17 GAA and .897 save percentage in 12 games while Haynes has a 3.37 GAA and .880 save percentage in three games. For a tandem who produced 55 wins for the Wheat Kings, they haven't shown that they can steal a game in the post season, which could be a downfall for the Wheaties out of the rest of their squad.

The Wheat Kings will have a ton of pressure on them, especially since they are a pride of the Manitoba town. There was a lot of expectations and they did well in the season, decent in the playoffs-- but now is where it really is going to matter. They also want to keep the tradition of WHL host winning the Memorial Cup, as the WHL hosts have won the past two Memorial Cups they hosted (Kelowna and Vancouver), while a team from the WHL has won the last seven Memorial Cups a WHL has hosted. For a person based in Western Canada, here's hoping that trend can continue.