Memorial Cup Home Advantage Brandon

[Steve Bozek]

Maybe this is the wrong place for this post. If so, Mods: please move it.

Given that the Wheaties have an automatic place in the tournament, what do they gain by trying to beat the Hitmen. All they have to do is demonstrate (as they did in the first 2 games) that they can skate with the Hitmen and then roll over. That way they can watch the other teams injure and wear themselves out while they can rest up for their home ice advantage and a likely victory. Anyone else think this format is unfair?

[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.

[Steve Bozek]

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.

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.

[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.

[jschick88]

Windsor won tonight vs Kitchener. They were down 3-0 in the series now have the series at 3-2 heading back to Kitchener for game 6. Nemisz assisted on a goal from Hall.

[Sylvanfan]

The host team usually gets the toughest schedule at the Memorial Cup so that there is motivation to be your league champion.

[transplant99]

$$$$$$$

More home dates in the PO, the more money they bring in...simplest explanation.

[GrrlGoalie33]

First game for Brandon is May 14. As much as it is nice to have the rest, you don't want to be too rusty either. A long layoff like that can end up doing more harm than good.

In a perfect world, it should be Calgary/Brandon (with a Calgary win) for the WHL title, then Calgary/Brandon for the Memorial Cup title.

[troutman]

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.

How do they make it tough? It is a round robin.

[Resolute 14]

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.

With the fog in Medicine Hat in game 6 or 7? That was an awesome series!

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.

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.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by troutman

How do they make it tough? It is a round robin.

I thought if they won then thy had the choice of the Home Teach schedule or the WHL Champ schedule.

But looking at the Memorial Cup website, it appears the schedule is set in stone. WHL Champ always has a day off between games, Brandon has a one day then 2 day gap between games. OHL and QMJHL both will have games scheduled on back-to-back nights once. The only way that happens to Brandon or the WHL champ is if there is a tie-breaker required.

[604flames]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

With the fog in Medicine Hat in game 6 or 7? That was an awesome series!

Brennan Bosch with the double OT winner in Game 7, they had a few delays from that fog if I remember right.

[arloiginla]

Originally Posted by 604flames

Brennan Bosch with the double OT winner in Game 7, they had a few delays from that fog if I remember right.

Not a goal you expected to go in either in double OT. Tyson Sexsmith really blew it on that one, long shot blocker side. I was just happy to see Vancouver lose

[Resolute 14]

And I was pissed that the Memorial Cup game ended up Vancouver and Medicine Hat again. It was a great game, but I didn't fly over the mountains to watch another WHL tilt! I wanted to see either Plymouth or Lewiston.

[604flames]

^^ Lewiston was garbage once Cliche got hurt.

EDIT: back on topic though, interesting to note the host team has won the Mem Cup the last two times it's been in a WHL market.