Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
I've never liked the fact that the host team gets a free pass to the tourney. However, I'm not sure what the alternative format would be.
I would say though that the Wheaties have a lot of motivation. While the mem cup is the big prize, a WHL championship is pretty important as well, and the host teams always want to land their league title so that there are no questions about the validity of their Memorial Cup.
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I can see the importance of having a good host city fan turnout and enthusiasm, but it seems to me the advantage to laying back and letting the other top teams wear themselves out is a pretty big one. Winning the league championship seems a poor second best if you end up losing the cup to a team you beat in a seven game series.