Hurricanes vs. Red Deer

The Lethbridge Hurricanes play host to Red Deer tonight at the Enmax Centre.

The Rebels have had the Canes' number this season, winning all five match-ups so far. Red Deer has secured a play-off spot for the first time in a few seasons, while the Hurricanes are looking for something positive to finish what has been a roller-coaster kind of year. Despite the Hurricanes being winless against Red Deer this season, pretty much all the games these teams have played against one another have been very close, including two 1-0 wins for the Rebels in Red Deer.

Game time tonight from the Enmax Centre is 7pm (MT). The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30. The Canes' will close out the season with back-to-back games against Medicine Hat this Friday and Saturday.

Broncos Not Playing Playoffs in Lethbridge

Hurricanes Head Coach/GM Rich Preston told our weekly talk show last night on CJOC that he was informed Monday that the Swift Current Broncos would not be playing their first-round playoffs in Lethbridge. The Broncos will instead use the Brandt Centre in Regina as their home away from home. The Enmax Centre was one of the options Swift Current was looking at, but since the Pats won't be in the post-season either it seems to make more sense for Swift Current to play their home games in the Queen City. The Broncos are unable to use their own rink, the Credit Union i-Plex because of the World Curling Championships taking place in Swift Current in a week or so. So there won't be WHL playoff hockey in Lethbridge this season after all!

Preston Talks About the Off-Season

Preston also indicated last night that once the season is over this weekend and he meets with all the players before they go home, he'll be heading out on the road to do some scouting. He'll be travelling to Saskatchewan, throughout Alberta, and down to California in search of future talent. He indicated too that his management and scouting staff will be and are busy preparing for April's Bantam draft, where the Hurricanes have four top picks (one in the first round and three picks in the second round) and if the Hurricanes happen to finish amongst the bottom three teams record-wise when the season ends this weekend, the Canes' have a shot at getting the first overall pick this year. Preston mentioned too that if he can pick up a proven goal scorer in the off-season he'll look at that. He says with a stock pile of draft picks now and a number of '94 born players in the system, it may give the team some flexibility when it comes to making another move or two before training camp.

Thanks,
Pat