Monday: coast-to-coast rush
As you work through a case of the Mondays ...
WHL
The WHL final may be considered a matchup of the small and swift Tri-City Americans against the big, bad Calgary Hitmen. The Ams (not Amerks; that's Rochester in the AHL) reached their first final with 5-2 win on Sunday to close out the Vancouver Giants in six games. (Vancouver Sun)
Money quote from Giants captain Lance Bouma, whose junior career ended Sunday: "We need to be proud of our year." (Vancouver Province)
Ams goalie Drew Owsley (whose name contains the word "wow") was a easy choice as Western Conference playoff MVP. (Tri-City Herald)
The Giants will have a new look next fall, since eight players, including Western Conference MVP Craig Cunningham, are likely to move on. (Vancouver Province)
One of Calgary's concerns entering the final is a rather garden variety power play. (Calgary Sun)
OHL
Jeff Hicks is calling Kitchener's exit "a choke ... It’s not fair to label these young Rangers as gaggers, given the magnitude of the mismatch. But record books are cruel." (Waterloo Region Record)
Windsor forward Eric Wellwood supplied one theory on why the Spitfires fell behind 3-0 to Kitchener: "I think we were looking toward the next round too much." (Windsor Star)
The Spitfires had Don Cherry eating crow even before the series was over. (CBC Sports, Windsor Star)
Very seldom in sports do you get to win your last game, but Rangers captain Dan Kelly kept his held high on Sunday. (Waterloo Region Record)
Defenceman Ryan Gottschalk, who finished up with the Guelph Storm, got traded away from a Barrie team which could play in the Memorial Cup and he's going to a CIS team, the Saint Mary's Huskies, which just won the University Cup. (Barrie Examiner)
QMJHL
Victoriaville has extended Saint John to Game 6 in the semifinal, but the fact the Tigres needed a huge night in goal from Kevin Poulin should give Sea Dogs fans a degree of confidence. (New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal)
Moncton Wildcats forward Nicolas Deschamps is questionable for the start of the league final with a high ankle sprain. (Moncton Times & Transcript)
