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Mastercard Memorial Cup

Frankenrogers

Registered User
Jan 3, 2013
51
0
Hamilton
Taoiseach said:
Define 'next best.' The last two teams before the finals lose at the same stage of the playoffs.
Click to expand...

No not playoffs, regular season. For this format three from each league are getting in (four for the league with the host team). If we take the 2013 WHL for example, the Top 6 regular season finishers in order were:
Portland
Edmonton
Kelowna
Kamloops
Calgary
Saskatoon

Based on the criteria for the 10 team finals, in the WHL we have:
Regular Season Winner: Portland
WHL Playoff Champion: Portland
WHL Playoff Runner Up: Edmonton
Host Team: Saskatoon

As host, Saskatoon was getting in regardless of where they placed this year in regular season or playoffs.
Portland by virtue of winning the regular season gets in.
That leaves the playoff winner (Portland) and runner up (Edmonton). Portland was already in by virtue of being first so that leaves one open spot as a wild card of sorts.

Going down the Top 6, we can bypass Edmonton (as they were playoff runner up) and we then get 3rd place finisher Kelowna as the wild card. While this scenario makes it easy with the top three regular season getting in, that wouldn't always necessarily be the case.

If Calgary had defeated Edmonton in the conference final, then Calgary is in as runner up and so going down the list would give us Edmonton as the wild card.

If, as host, Saskatoon had come in first overall, or as a finalist, then we would go down the regular season list as well.

If the final had been Kamloops and Calgary then, even at 2nd place in the regular season, Edmonton would be outside looking in.

It leaves room for some intrigue while rewarding those who saw success in the regular season and playoffs. The Host still gets in but at 10 teams, they still better be good to advance.

Anyway, not to hijack the thread, but the more that I think about this, the more that I like the 10 team Cup Final.
 
optimus2861

optimus2861

Registered User
Aug 29, 2005
5,044
534
Bedford NS
Frankenrogers said:
Going down the Top 6, we can bypass Edmonton (as they were playoff runner up) and we then get 3rd place finisher Kelowna as the wild card.
Click to expand...
Sucks for Kamloops, who swept Kelowna in the second round of the playoffs. I'd be much more inclined to use the playoff finish of the teams rather than the regular season finish to determine who gets the extra berths. If you stink out the joint in the playoffs, you ought not have any right to be contesting the national championship.
 
Taoiseach

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
Frankenrogers said:
No not playoffs, regular season. For this format three from each league are getting in (four for the league with the host team). If we take the 2013 WHL for example, the Top 6 regular season finishers in order were:
Portland
Edmonton
Kelowna
Kamloops
Calgary
Saskatoon

Based on the criteria for the 10 team finals, in the WHL we have:
Regular Season Winner: Portland
WHL Playoff Champion: Portland
WHL Playoff Runner Up: Edmonton
Host Team: Saskatoon

As host, Saskatoon was getting in regardless of where they placed this year in regular season or playoffs.
Portland by virtue of winning the regular season gets in.
That leaves the playoff winner (Portland) and runner up (Edmonton). Portland was already in by virtue of being first so that leaves one open spot as a wild card of sorts.

Going down the Top 6, we can bypass Edmonton (as they were playoff runner up) and we then get 3rd place finisher Kelowna as the wild card. While this scenario makes it easy with the top three regular season getting in, that wouldn't always necessarily be the case.

If Calgary had defeated Edmonton in the conference final, then Calgary is in as runner up and so going down the list would give us Edmonton as the wild card.

If, as host, Saskatoon had come in first overall, or as a finalist, then we would go down the regular season list as well.

If the final had been Kamloops and Calgary then, even at 2nd place in the regular season, Edmonton would be outside looking in.

It leaves room for some intrigue while rewarding those who saw success in the regular season and playoffs. The Host still gets in but at 10 teams, they still better be good to advance.

Anyway, not to hijack the thread, but the more that I think about this, the more that I like the 10 team Cup Final.
Click to expand...

Good God. There's nothing like setting up a playoff format where it takes the average fan 5 minutes and a cup of coffee to work out who all will make the tournament. Can we bring the BCS in to consult? :sarcasm:

Still, doing well in the regular season already gives you an advantage towards qualifying for the Memorial Cup, in that it paves an easier path through the playoffs.

Finishing first overall during the regular season isn't even banner material. Nobody cares about winning the Jean Rougeau trophy.
 
Taoiseach

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
optimus2861 said:
Sucks for Kamloops, who swept Kelowna in the second round of the playoffs. I'd be much more inclined to use the playoff finish of the teams rather than the regular season finish to determine who gets the extra berths. If you stink out the joint in the playoffs, you ought not have any right to be contesting the national championship.
Click to expand...

**Cough**0-4**Cough**Saskatoon**Cough**

I mean, I suppose I wouldn't complain if Kelowna made it, given that they're nominally my favourite WHL team, but it would still be pretty stupid to let them in over Kamloops. The regular season is about proving that you're good enough to make the playoffs, and developing the chemistry you need to win in the playoffs.
 

fatkidfromcanada

Registered User
Jan 6, 2013
9
0
yeah, they lost out early....and then went 1-2 9GF 9GA, beating the top team in the country, losing to the 2nd and 3rd by a goal and 2 goals....seems to me they aren't out of place here.
 
Taoiseach

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
fatkidfromcanada said:
yeah, they lost out early....and then went 1-2 9GF 9GA, beating the top team in the country, losing to the 2nd and 3rd by a goal and 2 goals....seems to me they aren't out of place here.
Click to expand...

Of course not. They're still a major junior calibre team, and one that's coming off of 52 days at the spa resting and getting healthy. Meanwhile, the other three teams had to go through the grind of long playoff runs.

I bet the Kingston Frontenacs would be competitive if they were inexplicably granted a berth after resting up for two months. It's a joke that a team that went 0-4 in the playoffs has the right to play for the national championship in a crap-shoot tournament.
 
Fixed to Ruin

Fixed to Ruin

Come wit it now!
Feb 28, 2007
23,948
26,287
Grande Prairie, AB
Taoiseach said:
Of course not. They're still a major junior calibre team, and one that's coming off of 52 days at the spa resting and getting healthy. Meanwhile, the other three teams had to go through the grind of long playoff runs.

I bet the Kingston Frontenacs would be competitive if they were inexplicably granted a berth after resting up for two months. It's a joke that a team that went 0-4 in the playoffs has the right to play for the national championship in a crap-shoot tournament.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

If we used an NHL example. It would be like having the Penguins, Bruins and Rangers grind it out for 2 months in four best of seven series.

Then taking those teams and parachuting the Islanders into a Best on Best tournament for a Championship. The Islanders having a ton of rest could definitely challenge for a handful of games but over a 7 game series or maybe 5-10 games if they were to advance to the second round a weak team would run out of gas.

The point of the playoffs is to have the cream rise to the top.

The format for the Memorial Cup isn't usually representative of the best teams in the CHL. However, no other solutions exist unless you want to make radical changes to either the leagues as a whole or the playoff structure. I don't think the CHL has a appetite for that in my lifetime.
 

go_leafs_go02

Registered User
Apr 24, 2004
7,591
215
London, ON
By far the worst Memorial Cup I can ever remember (this goes back to 2004 or so).

Blades are awful, the rink is half empty and lacks atmosphere.
 

TheTechNoir

fall 2021 bull, probably
Feb 18, 2013
4,668
1,795
Killahpunk said:
I was happy to see Portland win last night so Halifax punches their ticket to the finals. I predict Portland and Halifax final.
Click to expand...

Indeed... I've been hoping for this since the start of the season... It's going to be surreal watching it live. :D
 
Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
17,094
13,926
I don't get why Halifax hasn't gotten a Memorial Cup yet. I'm back in Toronto now but lived in Halifax for 5 years or so, and the atmosphere is always great. Seriously, the MC would be sold out for every game IMO.

On another note, why did Fournier not get drafted? I've always been impressed by him, how did he not get taken even in later rounds?
 
Taoiseach

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
Rob Brown said:
I don't get why Halifax hasn't gotten a Memorial Cup yet. I'm back in Toronto now but lived in Halifax for 5 years or so, and the atmosphere is always great. Seriously, the MC would be sold out for every game IMO.
Click to expand...

2000_Memorial_Cup.JPG
 
Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
17,094
13,926
Thanks for posting something I already knew.

I meant given their recent success, proven ability to host events (like the Canada/Russia Challenge) with great success, they should be given the opportunity to host it again soon. Obviously the earliest would be 2015.
 
Taoiseach

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
Rob Brown said:
Thanks for posting something I already knew.

I meant given their recent success, proven ability to host events (like the Canada/Russia Challenge) with great success, they should be given the opportunity to host it again soon. Obviously the earliest would be 2015.
Click to expand...

Halifax had it in 2000.

Assuming they can get a good team together for 2015, I think we should be looking at either Chicoutimi or Saint John for 2015.
 
Taoiseach

Taoiseach

Go Hull Go!
May 14, 2011
1,537
1
Ottawa-Gatineau, NCR
As an aside, does anyone know how small of an arena they would consider for the Memorial Cup?

I think it's kind of a shame that Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda will likely never even have a chance.
 

TheQNews

Registered User
Apr 7, 2013
37
0
Halifax
www.TheQNews.ca
Portland will face Halifax in the MasterCard Memorial Cup Final. Top 3 NHL Draft prospects will showcase their skills.

Winterhawks beat the Knights 2-1. The first period was pretty dull with no goals nor any penalties. The game got more interesting from the second period on. Both goalies played their best game of the tournament.

You can check out our live blog for a recap of the game: http://theqnews.ca/?p=1641
 
Killahpunk

Killahpunk

Legend
Jun 29, 2009
12,348
1,196
Eastern Canada
Great moments... are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here, tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game.
 
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