[QBC]

The fifteenth Grande Prairie Storm season is over. Our boys bowed out in the first round loosing to Lloydminster 3-2 in the best of five round. It was indeed disappointing not to see our boys go deep into the playoffs, but this was a great season over all. A team, that looked like they were going to be bottom half of the standings at the beginning of the year, developed and played with grit and character to finish forth in the tougher northern division of the AJHL. Even though they didn't win the number of games the team did last year, I have to say that I enjoyed watching this years team far more than last years. They were a close knit team that came together and won for their fans and each other. Not the most talented team in the league, but anyone who faced them knew they were going to have to play their best to get two points off the Storm. We loose several great players due to aging out or going onto hockey at a higher level next season.

The team bid a fond farewell to the ten players who won't be back next year: Forwards (Captain) Tanner Fritz, RJay Berra, Cam McWilliam, John Girman, Dominic Savoie, and Jordan Forfar, defencemen Derek Henderson and Mitch Fillman, and goalie Andy Williams.

The 15 players eligible to return next year include goaltender Colin Dzijacky, defencemen Kenton Helgeson, Matt Cumming, Caylen Walls, Ryan Hamberg, Scott Milnthorp and Matthew Chrystian, and forwards Gus Correale, Dan Correale, Braden Crone, Taylor Cote, Daniel Dale, Josh Juell, Jon Aylward, and Mitch Neumeier.

With 15 returnees next season, I'm very much looking forward to next year.

GO STORM!!!

[QBC]

The two teams who will face each other for the Enerflex Cup have been dicided.

_____ VS _____

The best team from the north division vs the best from the south.

The Spruce Grove Saints are the top ranked team in Junior A hockey in Canada finishing first over all in the AJHL and are yet to loose a game in this years playoffs. They have disposed of the Llyodminster Bobcats and the Ft. McMurray Oil Barons in four straight in the north division semi's and finals after getting a first round bye.

The Camrose Kodiaks have taken a far different road to the finals of the AJHL. They are the hosts of this years Royal Bank Cup, the Canadian Junior A Championships. They finished in third place in the southern division. They first took on the Drumheller Dragons finishing them off in four in that best of five series, after that, it just got tougher and tougher for them. They then faced the second place Brooks Bandits and were taken to seven games in an extremely tough series. In the south division finals they had to take on the Okotoks Oilers who were first in the south division and second over all in the AJHL in the regular season. That series was again a barn burner going the full seven games with two games going to overtime and no game being won by more than two goals.

The first two games of the AJHL Finals have gone to Spruce Grove. A 4-3 OT win in game one and a 3-1 win in the second game in Spruce Grove. The series now shifts to Camrose and if this playoff season is any indication, don't count out the Kodiaks just yet.

The winner of this series will face the BCJHL Champion for the right to go on to the RBC Cup National finals.

In the BCJHL, The Vernon Vipers have a 2-0 series lead on the Powel River Kings. If Vernon wins the series it will be their third trip to the Doyle Cup in three consecutive years (The Championship between the BCJHL and the AJHL) and gives them the opportunity to try for a third straight RBC Cup as well. I'm sure the Spruce Grove Saints would love another crack at the Vernon Vipers after bowing out to them last year in the Doyle.

[QBC]

I had a feeling that Camrose wouldn't go quietly into the night. They have rebounded from going down two games in Spruce Grove and took game three shutting out the Saints 2-0 last night. That is Spruce Groves first loss in this years playoffs, game 4 goes tonight in Camrose.

[QBC]

The RBC Cup is under way in Camrose Alberta.

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci ... a_id/1.htm

The Canadian Junior A Hockey Championship is only in the round robin stage, but the Vernon Vipers could indeed three-peat as they are the only team still undefeated.

[QBC]

It all comes down to today......

The National Junior A Champion will be crowned.

Finals are........ ..... VS .....


The game is on TSN at 11pm EST.

[QBC]

.

The 2011 Canadian Junior A Hockey Champions are the...



Congratulations Pembroke!!!

.

[Lemmy]

Congratulations to the Elmira Sugar Kings on winning the Sutherland Cup and earning the title of OHA Junior B Provincial Champions.