PHL on Hiatus

This probably won't be a surprising announcement given the lack of updates this summer, I've decided to take an indefinite break from the PHL project and focus on career and family. I would still love to finish the project someday, life has just gotten so much busier and I've found I've had to spend a lot of my free time on it when I should be giving that time to my kids as well as some other projects.

Thanks to everone who has followed this series, it's been fun!

2008 World Hockey Challenge

In the midst of a tumultuous summer, the PHL took a break from CBA negotiations for the 2008 World Hockey Challenge in Ottawa. Ottawa was the first North American city without a PHL team to host the tournament in the new 18,000-seat Canadian Airlines Place. The host Canadians entered the tournament as favorites with a solid young squad led by Brad McNair and Joe Murdock, and featuring young stars Nathan Sibley and Erik Camden, with Travis Sweet in net. Team USA, led by PHL superstars Darren Reid and Ryan Shelton, figured to be Canada’s stiffest competition.

As the tournament began, it was the Americans who came flying out of the gate, routing Slovakia 8-0, then Germany 7-1. After defeating Finland, The Americans faced their biggest test against the Russians, who were also undefeated. Russia was led by Ilya Rusakivich, who led the tournament in scoring with 7 points in only three games. Rusakivich scored just 13 seconds in to open the scoring against Team USA, then assisted on a goal from Sergei Gulinov early in the second. The Russians entered the third period with a 2-0 lead, when Reid scored on a breakaway to bring it within one. With 43 seconds left, Jake Wilson beat Alexei Rolonov to tie the game and send it to overtime. Wilson would be the hero again near the end of overtime, giving the US a 3-2 win to clinch first place in Pool B.

Pool A was headlined by the defending champion Swedes, as well as a young Canadian team determined to claim their first title since 1988. Sweden was led by veterans Thomas Sandberg and Henrik Akerman as well as young stars Filip Linden and Andreas Ekbom, while leading the charge for Canada was Brad McNair, Joe Murdock, Brendan Marlo, and budding superstars Nathan Sibley and Erik Camden.

While Canada stormed through their first three games, Sweden lost a shocker to Czech Republic in the opener. At the conclusion of the Round Robin, Canada and Sweden clashed to decide first place in the group. Sweden would hold the tie-breaker advantage if they won. The Canadians dominated the first period but Mats Ossler held strong in the Swedish net. Finally, with just three minutes left, Sean MacDonald hit Brad McNair with a long pass, giving McNair a breakaway. McNair beat Ossler to give Canada the lead. A late push from the Swedes came up short and Canada clinched the top spot in Pool A.

The playoff round was predictable for the most part. Russia defeated the Czechs, USA routed Switzerland 7-0, and Canada survived a scare from Slovakia to squeeze out a 2-1 win thanks to two goals from McNair. The Swedes were heavily favoured to defeat their arch-rivals, the Fins, but a big third period goal from Teemu Niskanen gave Finland the upset.

The Fins went on to face Canada in the semis and came out strong, taking a 2-1 lead into the third period before McNair hit Camden with a long pass to send him on a breakaway. Camden buried it to tie the game. Four minutes later, Camden scored again as Canada took the lead. Garret Lowendawsky’s empty-netter sealed it and Canada advanced to the final. Meanwhile, Team USA faced Russia and jumped to an early 4-0 lead. But the Russians stormed back to within a goal in the second period thanks to a three-point effort from Ilya Rusakivich. The Russians almost tied it in the third when a Sergei Gulinov shot was stopped by Mark Davis’ glove. Jake Wilson sealed the nail bitter in the final moments to set up an all-North American final.

The final game was one of the most hyped-up games in WHC history. Canadian Airlines Place was packed to standing room only while 3,000 more gathered outside to watch on a big screen. Fans across the country tuned in for the game, which would be the most watched TV program ever in Canada. South of the border, American hockey fans hoped to see their first world title since 1992. The game remained scoreless into the third period, with both teams exchanging chances and Travis Sweet and Mark Davis both standing on their heads. Finally, three minutes into the third period, Joe Murdock bead Davis to give Canada a 1-0 lead. The Americans pressed as fans across Canada held their breath. Finally, Derek Ewin beat Davis on a breakaway to make it 2-0. The clock ticked down as fans belted out “Oh Canada”. The Canadians were world champions for the first time since 1988. Brad McNair was named tournament MVP, but it was 18-year-old Erik Camden who had stolen all the headlines. Camden had 11 points in seven games and had dominated the tournament in all aspects at only 18 years old. “He’s going to be something else, look out PHL” said Canadian head coach Rex Hull.

2008 Off-Season

Retirements:

Lamar Jackson, NYC, NO, DAL, CHI, 1988-2008

When Lamar Jackson joined his hometown Civics in 1988, the Civics were coming off six consecutive last-place finishes in the Atlantic Division. By the ‘90s, the Civics had become one of the top teams in the league and Jackson was a big reason why. In 1997, Lamar Jackson, along with Aaron Duplacy, and Jeremy Kitchen, finally won the Lewis Cup. In 2001, with the departure of Duplacy, Jackson was named the Civics’ captain. Jackson served two years as captain before signing with the New Orleans Sound in the midst of one of the most tumultuous off-seasons ever for any franchise, as Sound owner Sam Bendt irrationally fired the team’s GM before checking into rehab. Jackson handled the entire situation with class and proved to be one of the few bright spots for the Sound in their final days in Louisiana. Ultimately, Jackson was dealt to the Dallas Desperados. After just over a season in Dallas, Jackson signed with Chicago, where he finished his 20-year career with a Lewis Cup victory in 2008.

Martin Vannier, CHI, 1988-2008

One of the most underrated players of his generation, Martin Vannier was a steady presence as Chicago’s second-line center for 20 years. Playing behind Vladimir Gaganov first, then Jonathan Wheatley, Vannier rarely got the attention he deserved around the league but was one of the most popular Shamrocks of all time in Chicago. In 1994, Vannier’s popularity reach new heights when the Shamrocks won the Lewis Cup and Vannier scored the winning goal. The following year, Vannier was the hero again, sending Chicago back to the finals, where they would ultimately lose to the Montreal Royale. Vannier would remain loyal to the Shamrocks into the 2000s, and his loyalty was rewarded in his last season, when the Shamrocks won the Lewis Cup for the first time since 1994.

Igor Kharitonov, DET, TOR, HOU, 1991-2008

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a flood of Russian players heading to the PHL during the 1991-92 season. One of those players was Igor Kharitonov, who joined the Detroit Mustangs. Kharitonov was the lone bright spot during a tough decade for the Mustangs, leading the team in scoring every year from 1992-93 to 2004-05. In 2005, Kharitonov left for Toronto, where in his first season as a Racer, he helped the team to a Lewis Cup title. Kharitonov played just one more season in Toronto before being dealt to Houston, where he would finish his career.

Jeremy Sutton, MIA, BOS, 1989-2008

Jeremy Sutton was drafted in 1989 to be the franchise player for the expansion Miami Stingrays. In his early years, Sutton was mentored by veteran Craig Tucker and at the start of the 1994-95 season, he was finally named the Stingrays’ captain. That season, the Stingrays made the playoffs for the first time. In 2002, Miami unexpectedly reached the Lewis Cup Finals, where they lost to the Seattle Grey Wolves. Unfortunately, that would be the closest Sutton would ever get. In 2008, Sutton was dealt to the Boston Bulldogs at the trade deadline with the hopes of winning a championship, but the Bulldogs would lose in the second round.

2008 Entry Draft

The 2008 entry draft marked a new era for the New York Civics, as the Civics finally selected phenom Erik Camden with the 1^st overall pick. Camden took the stage and was presented with a jersey already prepared with his number 89 on it. “I can’t wait for training camp” said Camden. “Hopefully I can make an impact right away.” With the second selection, the Montreal Royale selected speedy swedish defenseman Filip Linden, while Kansas City took Eric Bennett with the third pick.  Bennett had been passed over in the 2007 draft but enjoyed a huge year in 2007-08 and his draft stock shot up.

Bennett’s mother was a respected executive in the league and had served on the expansion committee. To round out the top five, Calgary selected playmaking center Evan Moss, then Washington selected Garret Lloyd at number five. In a surprising move, the Wranglers acquired the seventh overall pick from Pittsburgh in exchange for star defenseman Kyle Logan. Calgary used the pick to take big winger Devan Hemsky.

Transactions

The Logan deal was the first major one of the summer, as the cash-strapped Wranglers took the opportunity to unload Logan’s $10 Million/year contract and take another promising young player. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, felt the need to accelerate their rebuild. “We feel that Kyle can put us over the top” said GM Jacques Corbet. “Our goal will be to make the playoffs this season.” Oakland made several moves shortly after the draft to navigate their salary cap issues. Teppo Sarri was sent to Pittsburgh after 17 seasons in the Bay area in exchange for the Stingers’ second and third round picks in 2009. But the big move came when the Nuggets sent star winger Kyle Clark to Houston in exchange for prospect Jayden O'Connor and goaltending prospect Cameron Burgess.

In one of the biggest re-signings of the summer, goaltender Mark Davis signed a ten-year deal with the Bulldogs worth $10 Million/year. With the deal, the Bulldogs were unable to re-sign defenseman Igor Novavich, so Novavich signed with the hated rival Philadelphia Redshirts for $9 Million/year for 8 years. Big contracts for goalies seemed to be a theme in 2008, as Denver locked up Martin Barker for ten years at $10 Million/year. The deal was criticized as Barker was still somewhat unproven, and now the Bulls were committed until 2018.

With the selection of Erik Camden, the Civics kicked their rebuild into high gear. When free agency opened on July 1, the Civics immediately landed one of the biggest names on the open market, signing longtime Monreal star Zdeno Kadlec to a six-year deal worth $9 Million/year. The Civics also added 6’4”, 234 lb Todd Beck to protect their new star. Meanwhile, Chicago was also busy, adding signing star defenseman Jyrki Rainimak to a 3-year deal worth $8 Million/year. Rainimak chose to leave Portland for an opportunity to win a title in Chicago. One of the biggest moves came two weeks into July, when Dallas Desperados captain AJ Vernon, frustrated with yet another playoff failure, decided to leave for Philadelphia. Vernon took a $3 Million pay cut to sign with the Redshirts with the hope that he could help Philly win a championship.

Also leaving Dallas was Randy Fernandez, who decided to play a 24^th season. With Dallas looking to get younger, Fernandez signed a one-year deal with Denver worth $1 Million. At 41, Fernandez was still in better shape than many players half his age and the Bulls felt he could be a valuable veteran presence on a young team. “I’ll keep playing as long as my body will allow it” said Fernandez.

News

The hockey world was on edge in the summer of 2008. The collective bargaining agreement was set to expire in September and, especially amidst the Great Recession, the outlook wasn’t great. The only possitive was that commissioner Greg Nolan was determined to salvage the game’s image and knew a lengthy work stoppage could be devastating. Meanwhile, PHPA president Brian Hunt was nearing his 60^th birthday and planned to retire once the deal was signed. Hunt’s wife, Wendy was dying of cancer and some wondered if the former Denver Bulls captain was up to leading negotiations. Hunt was training Vancouver winger Eric Moon to take over as Union president.

Negotiations heated up through the months of June and July. Nolan and the league wanted to put a limit on contract lengths, citing the 13-year deal signed by Kris Nazarenko in 2005 as the precident. Hunt said the players could accept term limits but only with major concessions from the league. The league put negotiations on hold in August for the World Hockey Challenge but Nolan sounded cautiously optimistic. “We have a long way to go but there has been some progress” said Nolan.

The immiment CBA expiration was not the only challenge facing the league in 2008. The Calgary Wranglers faced the possibility of relocation, while an investment group known as the “Cowtown Three” featuring former Wranglers Don Taylor and Shannon Michaels and Rodeo legend Ricky Adams was attempting to purchase the team and fund a new arena. In August, they caught a break. A Toronto-based sofware company, Prism, announced they were willing to help the the group pay for half of the arena if the city of Calgary would pay for the rest. The city finally agreed to pay for 49 percent, but the franchise would still need to be purchased. Greg Nolan would not approve a local sale unless the arena deal was finalized and so the investors took a huge gamble and moved forward with the arena deal. A new 16,000 building in Downtown Calgary would be built and hopefully completed by the fall of 2010. It would be a significant reduction in capacity from the 20,000 seat Exhibition but many saw this as a good thing. The team had struggled to fill the huge arena for years and it was critical to keep costs low. The team would need to remain at the Beltline Arena for two seasons. The Wranglers would live to play at least another season.

While things were starting to look up in Alberta, the Cleveland Cosmos ran into problems of their own. In July, the team’s owner, real estate tycoon David Farber, was forced to declare bankrupcy. Farber was hit hard when the housing market crashed and now the team would go up for sale. “We believe in Cleveland as a market, and we will do anything we can to keep PHL hockey in Cleveland” said Greg Nolan.

New Uniforms Unveiled

The PHL and Duke Sports continued to roll out new uniforms just days after the 2008 finals ended. First, the league unveiled new uniforms for the all-star game. As usual, the all-star uniforms are less traditional with asymmetrically coloured sleeves in red, white, and blue.

The same day the all-star uniforms were unveiled, the Denver Bulls and Edmonton Northern Lights both unveiled the retro uniforms they will wear for the 2008 Holiday Classic game in Denver. The visiting Northern Lights will wear their white jerseys originally worn from the 1980s and '90s, while the host Bulls will wear red jerseys based on those worn by the team in Buffalo during the 1940s and '50s.

Finally, four teams unveiled new alternate jerseys for the 2008-09 season. Houston unveiled a navy jerseys with an oil worker's helmet on the front, LA will bring back their popular look from the 1970s dynasty years, Pittsburgh's new jersey is an updated version of their original gold jerseys, while Winnipeg will wear a new red jersey with the secondary "covered wagon" logo on the front. Each team will wear their new uniform ten times during the season.

2008 Lewis Cup Finals

The 2008 Lewis Cup Finals began on June 2 at the Metbank Center. The whole Island was “cup crazy” as the Concordes were appearing in their first final since 1990. Meanwhile, the Chicago Shamrocks had appeared in the final in 2003, but had not won since 1994. Game one started slow as the teams appeared to be feeling each other out. A goal from Scott Drayton gave Long Island a 1-0 lead in the second period, which held until late in the third, when Ryan Shelton took a penalty, leading to a powerplay goal for Martin Vannier. With just 1:50 left, Ilya Rusakivich scored what would be the winner as the Concordes took a 1-0 series lead. When game two went to overtime where the Shamrocks were desperate to avoid going into a 2-0 hole. Just 22 seconds into the extra frame, Jonathan Wheatley beat Luke Morrison to tie the series heading to Chicago. “That’s a huge win” said Wheatley. “It’s important for us to go home with the split.”

Game three was all Chicago early on, as Wheatley and Jay Lydon each scored in the first period, then Dan McBride and Lamar Jackson in the second. Down 4-0, the Concordes weren’t discouraged, scoring just seconds into the third. But Kari Nurminen stood tall, only allowing one more in a 4-2 win. The Concordes made a change for game four, going with 21-year-old Josh Gurmett in net with Morrison struggling. Gurmett responded with a shutout as Shelton, Tory Partridge, and Randy McAllen each scored in a 3-0 win to tie the series. “We have a battle on our hands now I’ll tell ya!” proclaimed CBC play-by-play man Graham Helm.

Game five certainly was a battle. Wheatley and McAllen each scored in regulation as the game went into overtime. Gurmett and Nurminen each made save after save as one overtime became two. In the second OT, Scott Drayton’s point shot hit the post, then Nurminen swatted a Ryan Shelton shot away from a wide open net. At the other end, Gurmett seemed unbeatable as the game went into a sixth period. The third overtime would last just over seven minutes, when Lamar Jackson, the 39-year-old playing in his final season, ripped a shot from the top of the circle to beat Gurmett and give the Shamrocks a chance to win the Lewis Cup at home. Long Island opened the scoring on game six on a goal from Chris Dempsey, but it was all Chicago after that. Wheatley scored twice, putting an exclamation point on his playoff MVP honours, and the Shamrocks went on to win the game 4-1 to claim their first Lewis Cup in 14 years. In an interesting piece of trivia, the Shamrocks were the first team in the 16-team playoff era to lose game one of each series and win the cup. Captain Corey Clark received the cup from Greg Nolan and immediately passed it to Martin Vannier, the 20-year veteran who had never won the cup. With his health failing, Fred Garfield Jr joined the team on the ice for a celebration reminiscent of the 1983 celebration. “These kids really played their hearts out” said Garfield. “My father would be very proud.”

2008 Playoffs - Conference Finals

Chicago vs Los Angeles

Matt Stover’s solid play in the LA net continued in game one against Chicago with a shutout performance as the Wizards took a 1-0 series lead. In game two, The Wizards came back to tie the game after going down 2-0. Early in the first overtime, Jonathan Wheatley beat Stover to tie the series. After winning two games in LA, the Shamrocks found themselves one win away from the Finals. Game five back in Chicago was a close one. Isaac Hart and Luca Schrober each scored for LA while Dan McBride and Corey Clark each scored for Chicago as the teams went into OT once again. Chicago peppered Stover with shots throughout a lopsided first overtime, but the 27-year-old made some huge saves to send the game to a second extra frame. Five minutes into the second overtime, Wheatley was the hero again, beating Stover to clinch the series and send Chicago to the Lewis Cup Finals.

Long Island vs Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Redshirts’ fourth appearance of the decade in the Eastern Conference Finals did not begin as planned. Almost everyone on the Concordes’ Roster registered a point in a decisive 7-1 game one victory. After being chased in game one, Luke Bowers put any concerns about his confidence to rest with a big 46-save performance in game two as Philly won 3-2 to tie the series. The Redshirts were happy to head home with the split, but the games at the PhillyDome both went the Concordes’ way in a bizzare case of déjà vu, as Scott Drayton score the Overtime winner from exactly the same spot on the ice with nearly identical point shots in a pair of 2-1 wins. The Shamrocks clinched their series the night before game five and it appeared the Finals matchup would be settled, but Philly pulled out a gutsy 4-2 effort on the road to survive. Back at the Dome for game six, another Drayton point shot in OT was stopped by Bowers, giving the Redshirts even more confidence, and just moments later, Sean Nowakowski proved to be the hero, sending the series to a game seven on the Island. Game seven began the way the series started, with a Long Island route. The Concordes jumped to a 4-0 lead by the end of the second period, forcing Philadelphia to pull Bowers in favour of veteran Pierre Noel. Noel was solid in the third, giving the Redshirts a shot at a comeback. Nowakowski, Baxter, and Sergei Dyatlov each scored to bring Philly to one goal with only 50 seconds remaining, when Long Island center Tory Partridge was called for a cross-check. The Redshirts pushed hard but veteran goaltender stood tall. The clock ran out and the Concordes headed to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time since 1990. When asked about killing the penalty in the last minute, Long Island captain Ryan Shelton replied “its game seven, you have to find a way to kill those penalties.”

2008 Playoffs - Round Two

Milwaukee vs Los Angeles

The biggest upset of the 2007 playoffs was when the LA Wizards defeated the Choppers in the second round. A year later, the teams squared off for the rematch. Despite the Wizards’ 9-point improvement in 2008, the Coppers were still considered heavy favorites in the series, that is until Los Angeles won game one 4-2 thanks to an Oleg Gusarov goal in the third period that would prove to be the winner. Milwaukee recovered with a 4-1 win in game two, but Matt Stover made several big saves as the Wizards took game three at home to lead the series. Isaac Hart was suspended for game four after a knee-on-knee hit on Henrik Akerman and without the LA agitator on his back, Brad McNair exploded for two goals and two assists in a 4-1 Choppers win. The Chops would take the series lead with a 2-0 win at home in game five but Hart tormented McNair throughout game six, then scored what would be the winner in a 6-1 LA victory, sending the series to a game seven. Game seven would go into double overtime, where LA’s Hendrik Soderstrum beat Matt Darwin with a slapshot to upset the Choppers and send the Wizards to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row.

Long Island vs Toronto

After a shutout performance in game one, Concordes goaltender Luke Morrison struggled in games two and three as the Racers took a 2-1 series lead. The veteran goaltender found his game again in game four, however, earning another shutout in a 2-0 win. Game five would be one of the longest in league history, reaching four overtimes before Ilya Rusakivich finally ended it, giving Long Island a chance to win the series. Game six was all Long Island early on, as Rusakivich, Tory Partridge, and Scott Drayton each scored to give the Concordes a 3-0 lead. A late goal from Joe Murdock would be too little too late as Long Island would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chicago vs Oakland

Travis Sweet was supposed to be the big story for Oakland after another big season and two straight shutouts against Dallas in the first round, but the young goaltender had to have an emergency appendectomy just hours before game one against Chicago, putting him out for the series and forcing Oakland to go with veteran Kevin Washer, starting his first playoff game since he played in Boston. Washer played very well in the first four games, earning a shutout in game four. In game five, Jonathan Wheatley scored in the third period of a very tight game to give the Shamrocks the lead and eventually the win. Facing a must-win at home in game six, the Nuggets once again fell behind early. Washer was pulled in favor of rookie Ian Thorne in what many figured could be his final PHL game. Chicago won 5-1 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Philadelphia vs Boston

Just three weeks after the ugly Chris Woods incident, the Redshirts and Bulldogs clashed in what seemed like an inevitable playoff meeting. Sean Nowakowski was back in the Philly lineup, wearing a full cage to protect his jaw, while Woods watched from home while finishing his season in Canadian Senior Hockey, his PHL career likely over. A surprisingly tame game one went to the Redshirts, but after game two, the fun began. The Redshirts hung on for a 2-1 win but Joey Hamilton flipped the puck down into the empty Boston net anyway, after the horn had sounded. Immediately, several Bulldogs gathered around Hamilton, while the Redshirts rushed to his defense, the two teams throwing jabs at each other. The officials broke it up but afterwards Boston’s Brayden McPherson told reporters that Hamilton was a “little piece of (expletive)” and that someone would need to “teach him respect”. Brendan Marlo and Mikael Larsson came up big in game three, a 3-0 Boston win, but the game was a rough one, with scrums after every whistle. Jeffery Simpkins scored on the empty net to seal the win and celebrated like his team had won the Lewis Cup, enraging the Redshirts. Philadelphia enforcer Ryan Schwimmer grabbed Simpkins, but McPherson intervened and the two heavyweights went toe-to-toe as fans who were leaving the arena hurried back to their seats. The series everyone had anticipated was on. Game three was complete chaos, with Boston up 3-0 in the second period, Simpkins took an extra poke at Redshirts goalie Luke Bowers after he had made a save. Defenseman Corey Powell grabbed Simpkins and started throwing haymakers immediately. Then Jeremy Sutton started trading punches with Joey Hamilton. Eventually, Bowers and Mark Davis met at center ice, with Davis getting the upper hand. Philly attempted a comeback in the third but Boston held on for a 3-2 win. Police were eventually called in when several big fights broke out in the stands, then in the parking lot. Players were kept inside the arena for nearly three hours after the game as a street brawl outside turned deadly.

The league issued a stern warning to both teams ahead of game five. Any player to fight after a whistle or a horn would be suspended one game, and any player who fought while another fight was in progress would also be suspended one game. Police in full riot gear lined the parking lot and the corridors of the PhillyDome for game five. Right off the opening faceoff, Enforcers McPherson and Schwimmer squared off for the second time in the series with McPherson getting the win. The fight seemed to calm everyone down a bit. The Redshirts, realizing they would not win an alley fight with the Bulldogs, relied on their speed and quick passing and won the game 4-2. Back in Boston for game six, Philly went up 3-0 in the first ten minutes, chasing Davis from the net. Boston would score early in the third but it was too late. As the final seconds ticked down on another rough game, two linebrawls delayed the final buzzer. When the buzzer finally sounded on a wild series, the referees would not allow the teams to participate in the traditional handshake line, instead ordering the Bulldogs off the ice immediately, ending another chapter in one of sports’ greatest rivalries.

2008 Playoffs - Round One

Eastern Conference

Long Island (1) vs Detroit (8)

After a fairly successful regular season, the young and inexperienced Mustangs proved to be little match for the powerful Concordes. Nathan Sibley scored two of Detroit’s four goals in a four-game Long Island sweep.

Philadelphia (2) vs Quebec (7)

In a series that was much closer than it appeared, Quebec gave up the lead in four out of five games, including a pair of two-goal leads in a wild game three. Jared Baxter was once again Philly’s best player, scoring six points in the series as the Redshirts advanced in five.

Boston (3) vs Atlanta (6)

Just prior to game one, the Bulldogs announced their black alternate uniforms would once again serve as their home jerseys, not just for the playoffs but full time starting in 2008-09. The team rolled out to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” to start game one, which was then dominated by Atlanta, as was game two, which the Copperheads won 2-0 to take a stunning 2-0 series lead. But Boston rallied in game three, forcing the game to overtime with just 41 seconds left before Jeffery Simpkins won it in overtime. Game four was 2-0 Boston until the third period, when a goal from Jason Ferland brought Atlanta within one. But Mark Davis was solid in net, as Boston held on to tie the series. A 3-0 shutout for Davis gave the Bulldogs the win in game five to give them a chance to close out the series in game six. Down a goal with 28 seconds left in game six, Brendan Marlo tied it up. Then just seconds away from overtime, Mikael Larsson scored to give Boston the win and send them to the second round.

Toronto (4) vs Carolina (5)

Carolina jumped to a 3-0 lead in game one, but two goals from Joe Murdock and one each from Darren Reid and Theo Galvin gave Toronto a huge comeback win. Carolina never recovered, winning only game three at home before succumbing to the Racers in five.

Western Conference

Milwaukee (1) vs St. Louis (8)

The Spirits made their long-awaited return to the post-season. However, they never really stood a chance facing the league’s top team. Brad McNair’s six points led the Choppers to a 3-0 series lead early. After St. Louis won game four, the Choppers finished them off in game five.

Chicago (2) vs Portland (7)

New Shamrocks owner Richard Garfield made one adjustment to a long-standing team policy just prior to the 2008 playoffs, he lifted the ban on facial hair just for the playoffs so his team could join in on the playoff beard tradition. Game one went to Portland on a soft third period goal from center ice. But Kari Nurminen bounced back in a big way in game two, stealing the show with a 2-0 shutout performance. Chicago then won a triple-OT thriller at the Pacifico Center in game three thanks to a big goal from Jonathan Wheatley. Portland then won an overtime epic of their own, with Patrick Diaz scoring the winner in double overtime in game four to tie the series. Back in Chicago, Nurminen earned another shutout while Wheatley’s two goal performance gave the Shamrocks a 3-2 series lead. The Shamrocks then closed out the Cascades in game six, with Nurminen earning his third shutout of the series.

Oakland (3) vs Dallas (6)

In a very closely contested series, Oakland’s budding superstar goaltender proved to be the difference. With the teams tied 2-2 going into game five, Sweet had back-to-back shutouts in games five and six as the Nuggets advanced.

Edmonton (4) vs Los Angeles (5)

Despite a strong year for LA, Kris Nazarenko and the Northern Lights were considered the favorites going in. The Wizards’ tight-checking game held “Naz” to only one point in the entire series, while goaltender Matt Stover stood on his head. LA stunned Edmonton in four straight and after losing game four, Nazarenko threw a garbage can through a glass door in the visitor’s locker room.

2007-08 Regular Season

When Scott Drayton left Kansas City after nearly two decades as the face of the Twisters, most believed his best years were behind him. Entering his second season as a member of the Long Island Concordes, Drayton was largely viewed as a valuable veteran presence and a key mentor to young star defenseman Nathan Webb. Nobody expected the 37-year-old to have the most productive season of his career. Drayton led all defensemen in points in 2007-08 with 96, making him the first defenseman ever to lead the Concordes in scoring. Despite Drayton’s efforts, Long Island stumbled out of the gate, losing eight out of ten to start the year. In November, the team acquired two veterans who would both help turn things around. Tory Partridge came in a deal with Vancouver, while veteran goaltender Scott Morrison was acquired from Winnipeg to help first-year starter James Gurmett with the workload. Long Island strung together two ten-game winning streaks after Christmas and were easily the league’s best team in the second half, finishing first in the East and second overall.

The Eastern Conference was dominated by the Atlantic Division, with Philadelphia and Boston rounding out the top three. It was the second year in a row that the Conference was led by the “Big Three”. Philadelphia enjoyed a strong year from their captain, Jared Baxter, as well as solid goaltending from the tandem of Luke Bowers and Pierre Noel. Meanwhile, the defending champions in Boston never lost a step, taking second place with Brendan Marlo claiming the Cleveland Cup with 113 points. The rivalry between the two teams was also renewed in late 2007. On December 16, the teams met in Philadelphia where Redshirts’ agitator Sean Nowakowski delivered a vicious elbow to Jordan McLean. Several scrums ensued but little beyond that. Nowakowski was suspended five games and would return to the ice on January 2, the rematch in Boston. The sold out Globebank Arena booed Nowakowski mercilessly. In the second period, enforcer Brayden McPherson grabbed Nowakowski and the two went toe-to-toe by the Bulldogs’ bench. Several other fights broke out before the game was over in the stands as well as on the ice. “It was a gong show, an embarrassment” said Redshirts’ coach Clint Allen. “What a ridiculous thing to say” responded Bulldogs’ coach Maxime St-Beaudoin. “His goon started the whole thing back in December with that elbow.” The teams played one last game in April, where things took a dark turn. Nowakowski fought Boston enforcer Chris Woods and beat him decisively, humiliating him. Towards the end of the game, Woods retaliated with a horrific slash to the face of Nowakowski, leaving the 25-year-old with a concussion and a shattered jaw. Woods was suspended 40 games for the incident, the longest suspension in PHL history.

The Chris Woods incident was a black mark on the league and the game, but it failed to take attention away from the intense playoff race between Detroit and Houston. The sophomore curse never affected Nathan Sibley, who scored 43 goals for the Mustangs as they looked to return to the post-season. Meanwhile, Houston had struggled all season with Petr Kaleek out with a knee injury. Kaleek returned just in time for the Roughnecks to make a push. A win over Washington, as well as a Cleveland loss to Toronto gave the Generals an opportunity to get into the playoffs on the season’s final weekend. Washington beat Carolina, putting them in the final playoff spot. But Detroit beat Toronto the following night to clinch the final spot. It was a disappointing end for the Roughnecks, who had hoped to make some progress. For Detroit, making the playoffs was an important step for a young team. Sibley. Dominik Musil, and rookie defenseman Jordan Billings had taken Motor City by storm and now they had a chance to make a run for the Lewis Cup.

The Western Conference was dominated once again by the Milwaukee Choppers. The Chops took first overall for the third straight season and first in the West for the fourth straight season with Brad McNair finishing second in league scoring. The Oakland Nuggets won the Pacific for the first time in a decade thanks to a big 92-point year from Justin Ramsey, while goaltender Travis Sweet took home the Whyte Trophy as the league’s top goaltender for the second time in his three-year career. In Edmonton, the Northern Lights overcame a tough season for Kris Nazarenko to finish fourth in the West with Brendan Carnes scoring 44 points in what would be his final PHL season. In St. Louis, the Spirits, led by a 46-goal effort from Tobias Grunberg, finally returned to the post-season for the first time in ten years.

The Calgary Wranglers played the 2007-08 season surrounded by uncertainty. The team’s home arena, the Calgary Exhibition, had failed multiple inspections and was slated to be demolished at season’s end. The club was to move into the smaller but newer Beltline Arena for ’08-09, but the 10,000-seat venue would not cut it for much longer than that. Speculation about the Wranglers’ future swirled while the distracted team plummeted to last place in the Western Conference. In December, things hit a new low when head coach Ron Nichols quit in the middle of a game. Assistant coach and former Wrangler Gary Fox took over and the following day the team made him the new head coach. Things went from bad to worse by season’s end, when the City of Calgary decided through a vote that it could not use taxpayer money to pay for a new building, a private investor would need to step up for at least half. As the season finale and final game at the Exhibition against Edmonton wound down, the crowd began to loudly chant “Save our Wranglers!” In the crowd that night was rodeo legend Rick “Rippin’ Ricky” Adkins. Adkins was a world champion bull rider from Texas who had settled in Calgary after his retirement to pursue various business ventures. Adkins played a key role in the Calgary Stampede, held every year at the Exhibition. Now organizers of the event were scrambling to secure a new home, just like the Wranglers. Two weeks after the end of the regular season, Adkins was joined by former Wranglers stars Don Taylor and Shannon Michaels both successful businessmen since their playing days, to announce that the “Cowtown Three” as they were nicknamed were going to make an attempt to buy the franchise and help fund a new arena. It seemed like a longshot, the group needed to find more money. Altogether, the trio was worth about $800 Million, not near enough to buy even the Wranglers, the PHL’s lowest valued franchise. Other investors soon jumped on board and the hope was that the big names spearheading the campaign would draw a big lead investor over the summer. A city of desperate hockey fans held their breath.

One big name that the Wranglers organization hoped to bring aboard, along with every other team in the league, was 18-year-old Erik Camden. Camden spent 2007-08 tearing up the Ontario Junior League, scoring an unbelievable 124 goals in 64 games for the Guelph Royals, who lost just six times all season. Camden wasn’t even being compared to past PHL greats, he was projected to be better than all of them. Montreal was the front-runner for the new-look draft lottery, with Calgary and Kansas City not far behind. In the end, ten teams qualified for the lottery, with the winner to be revealed just prior to the playoffs. “This could be one of the most significant moments in league history” said one columnist of the lottery. “The future of possibly the greatest prospect in this league’s history is about to be determined.”

On March 29^th, 2008, the Chicago Shamrocks set a mark unlikely to ever be matched when they clinched a playoff spot for the 40^th consecutive season. The last time Chicago missed the playoffs, Lyndon Johnson was president, the Vietnam War was at its peak, and Neil Armstrong had yet to set foot on the moon. Even more impressive, the Shamrocks had yet to miss the playoffs in the PHL’s post-merger era, and not one player on the team’s roster was alive yet the last time their team enjoyed an early spring. Jonathan Wheatley won league MVP honours for the first time in his career. Wheatley was third in league scoring but finished first in team scoring with 104 points, 46 more than runner-up Vladimir Kozakov. Corey Clark finished second in Cooper Award voting for the league’s top defenseman, and Kari Nurminen enjoyed a stellar season in net. The Shamrocks entered the playoffs as a serious threat to claim the Lewis Cup, just as their owner, 82-year-old Fred Garfield Jr. was handing the reins over to his son, Richard. Richard Garfield was just thirteen years old when the Shamrocks’ incredible streak began. Now he was tasked with running the most successful sports franchise in history, and it would all begin with an opening round date with one of hockey’s newest franchises, the hard-hitting Portland Cascades.

2007 Off-Season

Retirements

Jason Crowley, MIN, DAL, BOS, 1986-2007

Almost undisputedly the greatest American player of all time, Jason Crowley actually went undrafted as an 18-year-old in 1985, but a big year at Boston College put the Rochester, MIN native at third in the pre-draft rankings and he was ultimately taken second overall by the team he cheered for as a boy, the Minnesota Lumberjacks. Crowley’s impact on the ‘Jacks was immediate, as he led Minnesota back to the playoffs in his rookie season. In his fourth season, Crowley took the Lumberjacks all the way to the Lewis Cup Finals. The team lost to Long Island but it was a sign of things to come, as they would win two titles in three years in 1996 and 1998. After some near-misses in the early 2000s, The Lumberjacks decided to rebuild, sending Crowley to the Dallas Desperados. His stint in Texas would be brief and he would eventually sign for one more season with Boston, where he would team up with former teammate Brendan Marlo to help the Bulldogs to the Lewis Cup, the last one of Crowley’s brilliant career.

Kevin Hoyle, CAL/OAK, NYC, 1986-2007

Kevin Hoyle earned an unusual distinction the moment he stepped on the ice in 1986, as the first-ever PHL player born in Hawaii. Hoyle’s father was a marine serving in Vietnam and Hoyle was born in 1968 while his parents were on a break in Honolulu. Hoyle’s true hometown was Boston and he grew up idolizing Bulldogs’ legend Johnny Bedford. Hoyle slipped in the 1986 draft, selected sixth after being ranked fourth. For the following 15 years, Hoyle was the face of a very mediocre California Nuggets franchise. Despite his team’s lack of success, Hoyle was determined to make things work in the Bay area. He impressed people with his community spirit when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the area in 1989 and again after signing with the New York Civics in 2001, when he started a program to help first responders after the 9/11 attacks. Unfortunately, Hoyle never even reached the Lewis Cup Finals, retiring as quite possibly the greatest player to never win the title.

Scott Lindsay, PIT, SEA, 1988-2007

In the post-Danny Stevenson era, Scott Lindsay was charged with giving a rebuilding Pittsburgh Stingers club a new identity during the 1990s. Lindsay was one of the few bright spots and quickly became a fan-favorite on a struggling team. In 2002, Lindsay left Pittsburgh for the defending champion Seattle Grey Wolves in hopes of winning a ring, but it would be too late, as the Wolves never did reach the finals again and like Hoyle, Lindsay would retire as one of the better players to never with a Lewis Cup.

2007 Entry Draft

Still a year away from what hockey people had already labelled the “Camden Draft”, there was less hype surrounding the 2007 selection. The highest ranked prospect was speedy winger Jeffery Faulk, but it was considered a wash between him and defenseman Jordan Billings. Detroit won the lottery and the right to pick first for the second straight year and took Billings, leaving Faulk for the Kansas City Twisters and number two. The Minnesota Lumberjacks took big center Mackenzie Hicks third, while Washington took the first goaltender, Bryce Gordon with the fourth pick. The highlight of the first round was a big trade between Pittsburgh and Winnipeg, with Pittsburgh sending contract holdout and budding star Roman Novatny to the Pioneers for defenseman Evgeni Babkin and the fifth overall pick. The Stingers used the pick to select small but quick center Tyler Bass. Late in the first round, Long Island selected the oldest player ever drafted in the first round, 21-year-old Chris Dempsey from the University of Maine. 21 is the age limit for the PHL draft, but previously nobody older than 20 had ever been selected in the first round. Dempsey was previously drafted in the third round by Washingotn in 2004 but went unsigned. A huge 2006-07 campaign with Maine was convincing enough for the Concordes to take the power forward early.

In the later rounds, there were a few more trades. Toronto sent Igor Kharitonov and the 82^nd pick and the 130^th pick to Houston in exchange for Josh McKenzie, a 27-year-old winger unlikely to ever make the PHL. It was really a cap move, with the picks an incentive for the Roughnecks to take on the aging Kharitonov’s $7 Million cap hit. In terms of late picks, Washington addressed their goaltending need with the selection of Brayden Hughes from the Maritime League’s Truro Totems, while LA legend Stuart Holly’s son Garret was selected in the third round by Pittsburgh.

Transactions

After Losing defenseman JP Laporte to retirement and winger Patrice Goulet to Houston via free agency, the Milwaukee Choppers were a busy team in the summer of ’07. Milwaukee acquired veteran defenceman Oleg Popov from Pittsburgh in exchange for center Alyn Marleau and a second round pick, but the big move came July 1, when the Choppers signed Vancouver star Andrei Yegorov to a six-year deal worth $7 Million. Milwaukee had to clear cap space to get under the new $53 Million cap, so they sent Brendan Bittner to Carolina in a three-way deal that also send rising star Dan McBride to Chicago and big Judy Weircoch to the Chops, who needed to replace Bittner’s size at a lower cost.

Oakland was also busy over the summer, resigning their franchise defenseman, Jordan Rifkin, to a ten-year, $8 Million/year contract. The Nuggets then added star winger Kyle Clark as Dallas lacked the cap space to resign him. Many expected 40-year-old defenseman Randy Fernandez to retire, but once again Fernandez surprised everybody when he signed a one-year extension with Dallas for $2 Million. The biggest free agent on the market wasn’t available for long, as Joe Murdock signed a new 10-year deal with the Racers worth $10 Million/year. The deal meant Murdock would likely finish his career in Toronto.

News

The 2007 off-season felt tame after the tumoultous summer before it. In July, commissioner Greg Nolan gave his state of the league address at the conclusion of the annual GM meetings. Despite rumours of rule changes, such as the addition of the shootout, Nolan said the league would first need to navigate CBA negotiations and a potential work stoppage in 2008. The other issue of interest to the fans was that of expansion. As soon as Nolan, an Ottawa native, was appointed as commissioner, speculation began immediately that the city might return to the league. Nolan was quick to dismiss that speculation. “Our focus right now is on the health of our current markets” said Nolan. “We need a new CBA, and we have an expiring US television deal to look after. Ottawa is a good market and we will certainly consider it when the time comes.”

Nolan also addressed possible rule changes, most notably the shootout, stating that the league would look into it potentially in time for the 2009-10 season, after the CBA is settled. One rule change that will come into effect for 2008 is a change to the draft lottery system. The current system takes the bottom two teams from each conference and puts them in a lottery with more weight given to the last place team. Beginning in 2008, the lottery will take teams’ performance from the previous three seasons into account. The bottom two in each conference will still be entered into the lottery with the teams given increasing odds in reverse order of finish, but now any team that finished in the bottom two of their conference three years in a row would receive the best odds whether or not they ever finished in last place. The league hopes the new system will help out teams that were truly bad, decreasing the chances of a good team having a bad year and getting a phenom. It should also help discourage tanking, as it is unlikely a team would want to tank for three consecutive seasons.

Ground was finally broken for the Toronto Racers’ new downtown arena in June, while the Washington Generals also announced plans for a new arena set to open in 2011. In Calgary, the Wranglers scrambled to secure a new home after multiple problems were discovered in the 46-year-old Calgary Exhibition. An assessment from the city and the PHL found that the building was no longer suitable for professional hockey. The Wranglers will continue to play at the Exhibition in 2007-08 until arrangements can be made to move the team into the 10,000-seat Beltline Center until a new arena can be built. Immediately, concerns were raised about the community-owned Wranglers’ survival in the city. “We will do whatever we can to keep the team in Alberta” said Greg Nolan. Another anonymous league official was less encouraging; “It doesn’t look good, this is as bad a situation as we’ve seen.” Speculation began immediately about the Wranglers’ future. The news of the failed inspection came just days after Nolan’s expansion comments and many predicted that the Wranglers could move across the country to Ottawa. Calgary’s status as a the league’s only community-owned franchise meant the team’s fate could be at the mercy of the municipal government, unless a buyer showed up with interest in keeping the team in the city. Realistically, a new arena would need to be secured within a year if the team was to remain in Calgary.

New Alternate Uniforms Unveiled

Six more teams unveiled new third jerseys in 2007, with more teams alluding to history. Long Island will bring back their popular throwback jersey worn in the 2006 Holiday Classic, while Calgary will wear a jersey that combines the 1966-78 jersey with the '78-93 look and brings back the team's classic color scheme of orange and black. Portland's new uniform is a nod to the Portland Grizzlies form the old Global Hockey League, the only other professional team to call the city home.

Three teams introduced all-new designs as well. Dallas will wear gold for the first time, while Minnesota's new third features a vintage design. Cleveland has perhaps the most radical alternate design in the league. The black jersey features striping meant to appear like a rocket with a new logo on the front.

In addition to new third jerseys, two retro jerseys will meet for the first time on Christmas Day at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Choppers will host the Dallas Desperados wearing their inaugural uniforms originally worn from 1985-1994. Meanwhile, Dallas will wear the uniforms Milwaukee wore when they were known as the Dallas Metros. Metros jerseys and memorabilia have long been popular retro items and now the classic "dallas skyline" jerseys will finally return to the ice. The team will wear it's secondary logo on the pants to maintain a connection to the present franchise.

2007 Lewis Cup Finals

Jason Crowley turned 40 years old on May 30, 2007. To celebrate, he played in game one of the Lewis Cup Finals for the fourth time in his career. Everyone knew the matchup between Boston and Oakland would be tight and game one proved as much, with the Bulldogs edging out the Nuggets 2-1. In game two, Travis Sweet was in top form for the Nuggets, stopping 38 shots for a shutout while Jordan Rifkin scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 Nuggets win that tied the series. The game was controversial, however, as Boston appeared to tie the game late, but the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference. The replay showed that Jeffery Simpkins was clearly pushed into Sweet by Oakland defenseman Evan Butler, but the call stood, leaving Bulldogs’ coach Maxime St-Beaudoin in a rage. “You play your best and this is how it ends? What a (expletive) joke!” an Irate St-Beaudoin told the media afterwards.

As the series shifted to Oakland, local fans were annoyed that the media was focused more on the ‘Dogs disallowed goal and less on the stellar play of Travis Sweet. Game three was chippy, with several post-whistle scrums as the tension grew between the two clubs. Rifkin scored for the Nuggets in the second period, followed by Teppo Saari early in the third. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs once again could not solve Sweet. With seven minutes to go in the game, Ryan Lockhart and Jordan Rifkin each took a penalty for the Nuggets, giving Boston a 5-on-3 powerplay. Boston pummeled Sweet with shots and Sweet turned away every one, leading Bulldogs’ captain Brendan Marlo to smash his stick at the bench. Sweet was clearly in Boston’s heads as the 20-year-old held on for his second straight shutout. Oakland now led the series 2-1.

St-Beaudoin made some lineup changes in game four, putting his two best forwards, Marlo and Mikael Larsson, together on the top line. The strategy worked, as Marlo found Larsson in the slot and Larsson scored to break the drought just two minutes into the game. While most of the attention all series was on Sweet, it was the other young goalie wearing red and black that stepped up big in game four. Just a year removed from winning the cup as Jussi Sykko’s backup in Toronto, Mark Davis was now making the most of his opportunity as a starter. Davis stopped 33 shots in game four while Crowley scored late to give Boston a narrow 2-1 win and a tied series.

The Boston Bulldogs headed home for gave five with their confidence restored. Just as Travis Sweet had been in the Bulldogs’ heads early in the series, now Marlo and Larsson were clearly in Sweet’s head. The duo combined for three goals on five shots early in game five. When Simpkins scored to make in 4-0, Sweet was pulled in favour of former Bulldog Kevin Washer. Washer had been a rookie when he backstopped Boston to their last Lewis Cup in 1993 and now in his final season, he received a standing ovation from the usually hostile Boston crowd as he skated to the net. Washer played well and the Nuggets managed to score twice, but it was too little too late, as Boston ultimately won 5-2 to sit just one win away from a title.

In game six, Oakland coach Ken Gilbert decided to stick with Travis Sweet in net. Sweet and Davis put on one of the greatest goaltender exhibitions in Lewis Cup Final history. Sweet stopped 42 shots while Davis stopped 39. The Nuggets scored early on a point shot from Pierre Dubois and the lead held right into the third period. A game seven in Boston seemed inevitable, until Mikael Larsson scored with just under a minute left. Everyone prepared for overtime but right off the faceoff Jason Crowley slapped it towards the goal and beat Sweet to put Boston up 2-1. The building went silent. In a matter of seconds the Nuggets had gone from nursing a lead to force a game seven to now desperately needing a goal to stay alive. Oakland pressed hard for the final 38 seconds but Davis stood tall. As the seconds ticked away the Bulldogs began pouring off the bench and mobbing Davis. For the second straight year the MVP was a goaltender, but this time it would be the losing goaltender as Travis Sweet took home the honour. Greg Nolan came out to present the Lewis Cup for the first time as commissioner. “This is my favorite part of the job so far” he announced before handing it to Brendan Marlo. After skating with the cup, Marlo then handed it to his former Minnesota teammate, Jason Crowley. It was Crowley’s third championship and the first where he had scored the winning goal, the perfect ending to a magnificent career.

2007 Playoffs

Round One

Eastern Conference

Boston (1) vs Quebec (8)

Quebec makes history in the worst way, becoming the first team in PHL history to go an entire best-of-seven series without scoring a goal, while Boston’s Mark Davis is the first goaltender to earn four straight shutouts to sweep a series.

Philadelphia (2) vs Houston (7)

Philadelphia starts the series strong with a 3-1 win, but Petr Kaleek comes up big in game two, earning a shutout as Houston ties the series. The Redshirts cannot solve Kaleek in another 2-0 loss as Houston takes the lead. Jared Baxter scores twice in game four, but it’s not enough as The Roughnecks score three times in the last seven minutes to win the game and take a 3-1 series lead. Baxter scores again in a game five Redshirts win, but Derek Ewin’s two-goal performance in game six gives the Roughnecks the upset win. After the loss, Baxter, who had scored another goal in game six, expressed his frustration. “I can carry us but I can’t win the (bleeping) game by myself every time!” For the Roughnecks, it was a big moment for a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff round since 1989 when it was still playing in Halifax.

Long Island (3) vs Carolina (6)

Despite playing well throughout the series, the Raiders’ inability to win on the road catches up to them. Chris McNally is solid in net, Ilya Rusakivich and Ryan Shelton each have five points as the Concordes win in six games.

Toronto (4) vs Atlanta (5)

The Racers never get into the series as the scrappy Copperheads stifle Toronto’s firepower. In addition to scoring three goals in the series, Jason Ferland gets in Joe Murdock’s face all series. The 8-0 loss in game five was one of the most embarrassing moments in team history. Head coach Rex  Hull blasted his team after the loss, telling the media the effort was “completely unacceptable”.  Atlanta completes the upset and advances.

Western Conference

Milwaukee (1) vs Portland (8)

The Cascades’ playoff debut was predictably brief. Despite a surprising win in game one, the Choppers just proved to be just too much, winning the next two. A Kris Lukowich overtime goal in game four tied the series, but Milwaukee responded with a 4-0 shutout win in game five, then took the series in game six two nights later.

Dallas (2) vs Los Angeles (7)

For the second year in a row, the Wizards and Desperados meet in the first round and for the second year in a row, the series reaches a deciding game in Dallas. The Desperados had a chance to win in game six, but an overtime goal from Oleg Gusarov forced it to game seven. The Wizards come out strong in game seven and never let up, pulling off the upset with a 4-1 win.

Edmonton (3) vs Vancouver (6)

Both teams come out hitting right from the opening faceoff, as the Bighorns take a 3-1 series lead after the first four games. Edmonton needed a boost from their young superstar and they get it in game five. After putting up only one point in the first four games, Kris Nazarenko proves to be the overtime hero, beating Philippe Gagnon to save the Northern Lights’ season. Nazarenko scores early in game six and then assists on a goal from Brandon Kelso that holds up to be the winner. Tempers flare at the end, as a few fights break out, including a big one between tough veterans Tory Partridge and Brendan Carnes. Edmonton comes out strong in game seven, earning a 1-0 lead early. The lead holds until the final moments of the third period, when the Bighorns pull Gagnon. The Bighorns push hard but a penalty to Devan Wolf means means a 5-on-5 even with an extra Vancouver skater. Bruce Evans has the empty netter for the Northern Lights. Edmonton moves on to round two but at a price, as Kris Nazarenko sustained a shoulder injury in the second period and did not return.

Chicago (4) vs Oakland (5)

The Nuggets get off to a bad start as goaltender Travis Sweet suffers from food poisoning just prior to game one. The Nuggets still manage to split the first two games after winning game one. Sweet returns when the series heads to Oakland and his performance is phenomenal, as he allows only one goal in the next three games. Oakland upsets Chicago and moves on to round two.

Round Two

Boston vs Houston

The home team wins each game early on as the teams split the first four 2-2. Jason Crowley misses the first four games to rest a sore back but returns for game five and proves to be the hero, scoring the overtime winner. Game six also goes to OT, and this time its captain Brendan Marlo that scores to send the ‘Dogs to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Milwaukee vs Los Angeles

The heavily favoured Choppers start off their second-round matchup looking good, taking game one 2-0. However, the wheels come off in game two, as a 1-0 lead evaporates in the third period as the Wizards score three quick goals to take the game 3-1. Game three in LA goes horribly for the Choppers as Matt Darwin is pulled after allowing four goals in the first ten minutes. Milwaukee scored twice in the second and third periods but it’s too little too late, as the Wizards take a 2-1 series lead. Darwin is given another chance in game four, which goes to overtime. Seconds into overtime, Isaac Hart scores, giving the Wizards a commanding 3-1 series lead. Milwaukee recovers in game five, winning a high-scoring affair 4-3. In game six, the Choppers hope to force a deciding game back home, and get off to a solid start, nursing a 2-1 lead entering the third. Hart scores to tie it about halfway through the third period, then Luca Schober scores to give the Wizards the lead. Milwaukee makes a strong push at the end, but the Wizards hang on for the biggest upset of the playoffs.

Long Island vs Atlanta

The Copperheads’ magical run continues, as veteran goalie Ben Kerrigan becomes the first goalie ever to open a series with consecutive road shutouts. The Concordes bounce back with a win in game three, but lose a heartbreaker in overtime in game four. Back home for game five, the Concordes once again struggle to solve Kerrigan and Atlanta moves on with a 3-2 win.

Edmonton vs Oakland

Kris Nazarenko misses the first two games of the series with a dislocated shoulder. Edmonton is forced to settle for the split heading to Oakland. In game three, Nazarenko attempts to play but leaves after two shifts. The Nuggets win 4-1. Nazarenko is out for game four and veteran Teppo Saari scores two points in a 2-0 Oakland win. With his team in trouble, Nazarenko returns once again to the Edmonton lineup and scores twice in a 3-1 win. Game six would be one of the best performances of Travis Sweet’s young career, as Sweet stops 51 shots in a 3-0 win to send Oakland to the Western Conference Final.

Conference Finals

Boston vs Atlanta

Boston comes out strong early with a 2-0 win, but Atlanta bounces back with a 3-2 win in game two. In Atlanta, Boston regains the series lead, then a hat-trick from Jason Ferland leads to a 5-3 win for the Copperheads. Now a best-of-three, the series shifts back to Boston where Bulldogs are determined not to blow the series, knowing a loss at home could be disastrous. Mark Davis comes up big and Mikael Larsson scores a late third-period goal to give the Bulldogs the win and a chance to wrap up the series in Atlanta. In game six, Ben Kerrigan is spectacular once again in the Copperheads’ net, while Ferland continues his strong play with two points. The Copperheads win 3-1 and force game seven in Boston. After a playoff year full of big upsets, the Bulldogs held their ground in game seven. Mark Davis stops 40 shots for his seventh shutout of the playoffs while Brendan Marlo scores twice and Boston returns to the Lewis Cup Finals.

Oakland vs Los Angeles

In the 2007 Western Conference Finals, the “Battle of California” would decide who goes to the Lewis Cup. Oakland and LA battled hard in game one with the Nuggets jumping ahead in the final moments of the game before sealing it with an empty-netter. A 32-save shutout from Travis Sweet gives Oakland a 2-0 lead heading to LA. The Wizards find their way into the series with a 3-1 win at home in game 3, then almost tie the series in game 4 when leading the game with 50 seconds left. With Sweet pulled, Justin Ramsey scores to tie the game and send it to overtime. Two overtime periods would solve nothing, but early in the third extra frame, Jordan Rifkin beats LA goaltender Matt Stover to give Oakland a 3-1 series lead. The loss would be devastating for the Wizards, who would lose game five 4-1. Oakland wins the series and advances to the Lewis Cup Final for the first time since 1980.