Two Finals Formats Possible Chiefs Could Play 1st 3 On Road; First Game Here Would Be May 1
The Spokane Chiefs will open the Western Hockey League championship finals Friday night at the Keystone Center in Brandon, Manitoba.
The Chiefs and Brandon Wheat Kings play Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at 5:30 p.m. PDT.
Game 2 in Brandon is Sunday afternoon at 12:30 PDT.
If the teams split, the series will follow a 3-3-1 format, with Game 3 also in Brandon on Monday night, at 5:30, Spokane time.
The Chiefs would then play three at home on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights, May 1, 2 and 4.
Game 7, if necessary, would be Tuesday night, May 7, in Brandon.
If either team sweeps the first two games, the format is 2-3-2 with Game 3 in Spokane on Wednesday night.
In any case, the Chiefs are at home on Wednesday (May 1), Thursday (May 2) and Saturday nights (May 4), the Saturday night date an ifnecessary booking in the 2-3-2 plan.
In the 2-3-2 schedule, Game 6 would be in Brandon on Monday night, May 6, with Game 7 the following night.
The Wheat Kings, champions of the combined WHL East and Central, have home-ice advantage. If the series goes full term, the decisive seventh game will played in Brandon.
The WHL champion goes on to the four-team Memorial Cup tournament May 11-19 in Peterborough, Ontario, with champions of the Ontario and Quebec leagues and the host team, the Peterborough Petes.
Spokane, champions of the WHL West Divison, last played in the Memorial Cup in 1991, when the Chiefs won it.
Kamloops, whom the Chiefs defeated four games to two to win the WHL West, won the last two Memorial Cups and three of the last four.
Brandon beat Prince Albert four games to two for the title of the combined East and Central divisions.
Spokane beat Brandon twice during the regular season - in fact, twice within a week - but that was back in November. The Chiefs won 5-1 before a sellout crowd in the Arena on Nov. 4, then 8-6 six nights later in Brandon.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map of Brandon, Manitoba area