PLAYOFFS!
OPPONENT, DATES, RADIO, PUNCH PASS, OH MY!
58 Regular Season games have come and gone. The up’s and downs of the regular season are in the rear-view mirror and everyone is back to 0-0. The Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers has an exception opportunity to add a deep playoff push on-top of a solid regular season beginning Friday March 15th in Melfort. The final week of the SJHL regular season was a historic one, often requiring a protractor and an advanced MIT statistics degree to triangulate where teams 1 thru 6 would ultimately settle. When all was said and done with a Klippers OT loss on the road to Battlefords and a Nipawin win at home vs Melville on Tuesday two squads who both had a shot at 1st overall have the task of squaring off in the 4 vs 5 matchup. Although the Klippers and the ‘Stangs ended the season tied in points, due to Regulation + OTW favoring Melfort the Double K’s will open the series on the road the 15th and 16TH before returning home for games 3 and 4 on Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th.
The matchup on paper pits the leagues 2nd highest scoring team with 235 Goals For vs the league’s 2nd fewest goals allowed team as the Klippers gave up only 141 all year. The Mustangs are paced by overagers Carson Albrecht, a North Dakota commit, with 89 points and Justin Ball who leads the league with 54 goals and 103 points on the campaign. Kayle Tosh contributes big numbers from the back-end leading all D-men with 58 points in 54 games. The Klippers however counter with a defensively responsible squad that can play a physical style to wear down the top line of the Mustangs, all while being backstopped by the league’s premier goalie in Justen Close. Over the course of a 7 game series the ability to roll four lines with consistent pressure at a high tempo gives the Klippers as good an opportunity as any to win the series.
Klippers fans will have the chance to listen live to all playoff games as Country 104 has agreed to broadcast throughout on the push for the Canalta Cup with Moises Canales on the call. A big thank-you to the local businesses who worked with the station to provide the sponsorship and ad reads necessary to make this happen.
In order to serve our fans better the Klippers have rolled out a “Playoff Punch Pass” that is available for purchase at the Klippers Business Office any day during business hours. The Punch Pass is a hard copy pass that entitles the purchaser entry to any and all Klippers Playoff home games throughout not only the SJHL Playoffs, but the Anavet Cup series vs the MJHL Champion should the Klippers continue to advance. Playoff Punch Pass holders will forgo any lines at the door and will have their space in the stands reserved with a placard for their convenience.
As mentioned, the Pass is good for a maximum of 12 playoff home games and comes in at a price tag of $192. In the case the Klippers are eliminated from the Playoffs having played less than the maximum 12 home games, the balance value of the games remaining will be carried forward towards the purchase of a 2019-20 Klippers Season Ticket. For example, if the Klippers play 7 home playoff games and are eliminated then 5 games tickets value (12-7= 5) will be deducted from that fans’ 2019-20 season at a rate of $16 per game. So that fan would enjoy the value of the Punch Pass for the playoff run along with receiving $80 credit (5 games x $16) towards next season’s regular season ticket package.
Playoff Schedule:
Friday Mar, 15th @ Melfort
Saturday Mar, 16th @Melfort
Monday Mar, 18th @Kindersley
Tuesday Mar, 19th @Kindersley
Friday Mar, 22nd @Melfort (if needed)
Sunday Mar, 24th @Kindersley (if needed)
Tuesday Mar, 26th @Melfort (if needed)
There will be a limited number of #WestCentralWagon exclusive playoff long and short sleeve T-shirts available for purchase at the Klippers Merch Booth so make sure to pick up the gear your Klippers wear. For those who had pre-ordered their shirt payment and pick up will also be at the Klippers Merch Booth or Business Office, so stay tuned to social media for announcement of arrival.
