QUEBEC CITY P.Q. – The Western Hockey League Champion Kelowna Rockets will face off against the host team, the Rimouski Oceanic, in the first game of the 2009 Master Cup Memorial Cup on Friday night. It will be interesting to see just how the Oceanic will react after being off the ice for almost two weeks after being eliminated by Drummondville. The Oceanic ended the regular season winning 17 games in a row and were recognized as one of the top four teams in the QMJHL along with Drummondville, Shawinigan, and Quebec. Everyone knows how important a goaltender is in competition like that. For Rimouski goaltender Maxim Gougeon, the first game on Friday will be his first opportunity to prove his value in the eyes of all people. Facing a team like Kelowna will be an excellent challenge for the young netminder. With a playoff record of 8-5, a goal against average of 3.08 and a .896 save percentage, his margin of error will be very thin. In order for Rimouski to have a chance at winning their first game they will have to stay focused on Head Coach Clement Jodoin’s game plan, and be disciplined enough to stay out of the penalty box. Offensively, Keven Veilleux (who is property of the Pittsburgh Penguins) is the team’s best point producer with 19 points (7g-12a) in 13 games, but he will have to control his emotions during the game and stay on the ice since he is prone to taking bad penalties. Philippe Cornet (a Edmonton Oiler prospect) isn’t far behind his teammates in terms of bringing some significant offensive contribution. Cornet has 15 points (4g-11a) in 13 games. Olivier Fortier (a Montreal Canadiens prospect) should play an important role in that he will have the task of trying to stop the best player on the other team, and to play is part on offense as well. On defense, Marc-Andre Bourdon (a Philadelphia Flyers prospect) who came to Rimouski following a trade with the Rouyn-Norenda Huskies, is the one who will provide offensive from the blueline. He will be the one that Jodoin will look to reviving the offense and play a key role on the power play unit. If we are talking about experience, the Oceanic head coach is a very successful one. Jodoin was behind the bench in 2007 when his team, the Lewiston MAIMiacs, were the QMJHL champions, and he also won three gold medals in the past three years as the assistant coach of the Canada World Junior team. For Rimouski, the 2009 Master Card Memorial Cup will be their third participation in the tournament. They won the National Championship in 2000 in Halifax and lost against the London Knights in 2005. Rimouski regular season record was 44-33-1-0 and their playoff record is 8-5. The Western Hockey League champion Kelowna Rockets had to face grueling opposition before coming to Rimouski as the Ed Chynoweth Cup champions. They had to face the Kamloops Blazers, Tri-City Americans, Vancouver Giants, and the WHL favorite, the Calgary Hitmen. In goal, Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska will place his confidence in Mark Guggenberger. With a record of 16-6, he was simply outstanding during the playoffs posting a 2.36 goals against average and a .907 save percentage with 3 shutouts. He will certainly be ready to face his first challenge against Rimouski. On defense, the Rockets can count on the monstrous 6′ 6″, 211 pound Tyler Myers (5g-15a) who recently signed a pro contract with the Buffalo Sabres, and will be the Rockets ) main cog on the blueline. He can pass, make big hits, and is not afraid of a tough game. He likes to step in when needed to help his teammates when the occasion arises. Offensively, Kelowna can launch two very good lines. The Rockets offensive leader is Jamie Benn (a Dallas Stars prospect) with 39 points (19g-20a) in 19 playoff games, followed by Cody Almond (a Minnesota Wild prospect) and Mikael Backlund (a Calgary Flames prosect). These guys can put the puck in net and can be hard to stop. If Rimouski is well represented behind the bench as far as experience is concerned, Huska isn’t a slouch either. It will be Huska’s seventh appearance in the Memorial Cup. He was behind the Kamloops bench when the Blazers won three National Tittles (1992,94,95) and made three other appearances as the Kelowna assistant coach from (2003-05) and has four Memorial Cup rings. As with any series previews during the playoffs, one is never complete without a prediction. Sorry Rimouski fans, but we see Kelowna prevailing against the Oceanic. 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup Schedule Friday May 15 – Kelowna vs. Rimouski, 7:00 p.m. Saturday May 16 – Drummondville vs. Windsor, 4:40 p.m. Sunday May 17 – Rimouski vs. Windsor, 4:30 p.m. Monday May 18 – Drummondville vs. Kelowna, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday May 19 – Windsor vs. Kelowna, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday May 20 – Rimouski vs. Drummondville, 7:00 p.m. Thursday May 21 – Tie-Breaker Game (if necessary), 7:00 p.m. Friday May 22 – Semi-Final, 7:00 p.m. Sunday May 24 – Championship Game, 4:40 p.m. Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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