Quote:
Originally Posted by 604flames
Even though Vancouver had a free pass to the Mem Cup when they hosted, I consider the 2007 WHL finals the best I've seen in the past 15 years of watching WHL hockey.
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With the fog in Medicine Hat in game 6 or 7? That was an awesome series!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylvanfan
The host team usually gets the toughest schedule at the Memorial Cup so that there is motivation to be your league champion.
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They changed the rule on that a couple years ago now. The host team is always the host. If Brandon goes on to win the title, the WC finalist would take the WHL champ slot in the tourney.
And, as others have noted, being rusty is the biggest concern in my view. In a short tournament, one loss can be enough to take you out of contention, and an out of synch host team could easily find itself in trouble after the first game.
Also, even if they do lose, if Brandon decides that Vancouver or Tri-City is potentially an easier opponent in the Memorial Cup than Calgary, making the Hitmen work harder, possibly leading to them getting wiped out in the final could help their chances.