Here are the latest updates for the Western Hockey League playoffs so far. This is first round action, best of seven.

Moose Jaw 4
Brandon 1 (Brandon leads 2 games to 1.)

Medicine Hat 6
Red Deer 1 Series tied 2-2.

Calgary 3
Lethbridge 2 (OT) Calgary leads 3 games to 1. Go Hitmen!!!!!

Kootenay 3
Kamloops 2 (OT) Series tied 2-2.

Kelowna 2
Vancouver 1 (OT) Series tied 2-2.

Seattle 3
Tri City 2 T-Birds lead 3-0!!!! GO T-BIRDS!!!


Everett 3
Portland 2 (OT) Everett leads 3-1.

Prince Albert 3
Sasktoon 2 Prince Albert leads 3-1.

Lots and lots of close games last night, based on all the overtimes. I am really intrigued by how close the Kootenay/Kamloops series is, as well as the Vancouver/Kelowna series is.

The Seattle T-Birds can sweep Tri-City Friday night. Go for it! wink

:mad: C'mon Giants!

Not that I'm going to see any of these games.... but maybe I'll fly out there and scalp some tickets for Round Two!

Got an e-mail from my Chiefs this afternoon, and I am somewhat shocked. The Board of Governors for the WHL, have voted to deny Tri-City a request to move to Chilliwack, B.C. So, I guess they will have to stay in the desert with their not good attendance in Kennewick. Spokane was against this move, so I guess they got their wish.

The Hitmen have advanced to the second round of playoffs for the first time in four years, with another OT win last night over the Lethbridge Hurricanes (once again, the winning goal was scored by Andrew Ladd). I expected this series to go more than five games. Unfortunately none of the Hitmen-Hurricanes games were televised here. About 17,000 fans attended each of the two games in Calgary; I hope to get to one of the games in the next round. Although the level of excitement here isn't as intense as it was this time last year with the Flames, the Hitmen have certainly drawn very well in this non-NHL season.

The Hitmen's next opponent is not yet known...I had forgotten that the second round seeds are based on overall conference standings (unlike the first round, which is division-based), so we could end up playing one of the teams from the eastern division, possibly the Brandon (MB) Wheat Kings. The Prince Albert Raiders 4-0 series sweep over the Saskatoon Blades was quite unexpected.

Puckman, it looks like your arch-rival Tri-City is 'staying put' after all, and although I don't know much about the Seattle Thunderbirds, I expect they will win that series. Love the T-Birds logo, by the way!