We have a pair of Game 7’s tonight in the Ontario Hockey League Playoffs; one in the East, the other in the West.
The Eastern Conference semifinal is at Ottawa where the 67’s host the Barrie Colts in the 7th and deciding game of that series.
Barrie had a 3-1 lead in this series and based on last Tuesday and Thursday, appeared to be the better team by far.
However, Ottawa has scored back to back squeakers and now have home ice for Game 7 tonight with the winner advancing to meet the very well rested Niagara IceDogs for the Bobby Orr Trophy.
Meanwhile in the Western Conference, the Plymouth Whalers host Game 7 against the Kitchener Rangers.
This one has been back and forth with Kitchener winning the opener, Plymouth winning two, Kitchener tying it, Plymouth winning again by shutout and then the never dormant Kitchener power play scoring twice in a Game 6 victory to tie the series at 3.
Tonight’s winner advances to the Wayne Gretzky Championship Series against the London Knights, which brings me to some trivia.
Since the OHL shifted to an East-West Conference Playoff format back in 1999, how many times have London, Windsor, Kitchener or Plymouth been in the Western Conference final ?
The answer………EVERY TIME.
Saginaw and Sarnia have never made the West Final
Owen Sound, Guelph, Sault and Erie have all made it to the Gretzky Cup series, but always against one of London, Windsor, Kitchener or Plymouth
I wonder why that is.
I’m Fred Wallace