1st east Fargo Owls vs. 4th west Nanaimo Sharks
The Sharks entered in Fargo with hopes of at least giving the Owls a hard time and getting payback from losing the Jade Trophy finals last season. The Sharks did until the 3rd period, where Owls forward Kirk Cooper scored two straight goals as the Owls took game 1 with a 4-2. Game 2 at the Fargo Center was filled with fans capacity as the Owls won it 4-1 thanks to Dick Bartram, who made three straight goals. Far west in Nanaimo, the Sharks turn themselves around after losing 2 games in Fargo as Sharks overage star Kenta Takamachi did not score any goals but did make six assists as Nanaimo claimed game three with a 6-2 win over the Owls. The Owls had been kicking themselves since losing game three, trialling behind 4-2 Owls Justin Ash scored two big goals with 1:36 left in the 3rd period, the clock went zero as the 3rd period ended as both teams ended headed to overtime. After two overtimes heading into the 3rd overtime, Dick Bartram made one of the most challenging shots that some never thought would get in the net, but it did as the Owls won game four 5-4 in three overtimes. Back at Fargo, it was all Owls as Dick Bartram, Jack Moore, and Justin Ash each scored 2 goals as the Owls took both games five 6-3 and the series 4 games to 1.
1st west Abbotsford Forest Kings vs. 4th east Brandon Buffalos
Game 1 in Abbotsford, the Forest Kings, took this game into their hands as Grey Bushey scored 4 goals and 4 assists in a 9-1 blowout over the Buffalos. The Buffalos had something going in the first 10:00, but penalties by both Luke James and Paul Cole both argued with each other inside the penalty box. What's worse for both they did not know that their penalties had already expired by almost 3 minutes. After that, the Forest Kings won game two 5-0. All five of those were powerplay goals. The first two games in Abbotsford Arena were sold out. At Brandon Rink, it was almost empty as fans lost faith in the Buffalos after an embarrassing first two-game loss. Paul Cole did step his game up with 1 goal and 2 assists, and so did Luke James with his 2 goals and 1 assist, but it wasn’t enough as Abbotsford won game three 8-6. Two days before game four, both Luke James and Paul Cole had an interview as they still blamed each other, the coaches, to even their teammates, including goalie Max Van-Kelly, the blame on Max became the straw that broke the camel's back, Max requested and approved to sit out game four along with 5 other top players, the coaches scrambled to borrowed some players from Jr.B level just to play the game. Both the 1st and 2nd period was all Forest Kings leading the game 5-0, during the 2nd intermission once again both Luke James and Paul Cole tried to be leaders but it didn’t work out as some Jr.B players literally walked out of the locker room leaving the two behind. In the 3rd period, nothing changed at all; as the final minutes started to tick away, some of the Buffalos fans began to chant, “THANK YOU, ABBOTSFORD!” “THANK YOU, ABBOTSFORD!” Across the empty arena, as the clock hit all zeros, the game ended with a score of 9-0, and the Buffalos' season was over. Many fans are happy and hoping that the higher-ups can do something about the team and hopefully get rid of both Luke James and Paul Cole for good. As the self-destruction of Brandon Buffalos hit the news, the Abbotsford Forest Kings celebrated their 2nd first-round playoff series win in 3 years, and the first series sweeper won 4 games to 0.
2nd west Medicine Hat Hawks vs. 3rd east Saskatoon Cats
Led by Hawks forward Sam Baylis scored 2 goals in the second period after a slow game playing in the first period, the third period was all defence by the Hawks as they take game one 3-0. Pretty much the same as game one but this time, the Cats finally score a playoff goal since game five of the 1977 Jade Trophy championship. Forward Wayne Osbourne scored 2 goals, and 1 assist as the Cats win game two 3-0. In Saskatoon, the Cats had a 2-0 lead after the first period; both the second and the third period were all Medicine Hat as Sam Baylis did not score goals but made 4 assists as the Hawks regained the series lead with a 4-2 game three win. The Cats snap themselves back in the game as defence Kyle Allen scored a goal to make it 1-0 in the middle of the second period, and the Cats' defences and goalie Glenn Shaw became a brick wall as the Hawks could not find a way to score as the Cats even the series with the 1-0 game four wins. Game five back in Medicine Hat, the Hawks are hoping to retake the series lead, but the Cats had other ideas as the Cats crank the volume down with a 4-2 win in front of a sold-out crowd as the Cats could have the chance to win the series in game six. Going into game six, the Hawks knew that they must win, or they go home. Forward Paul Leonard scored 2 goals with two minutes left in the first period. Sam Baylis joined in the scoring with a goal of his own in the second period. The Cats forward Ian Walters scored a goal, but it was not enough as the Hawks won game six 3-1 to tie the series three apiece and head over to Medicine Hat for game seven. In the seventh game in Medicine Hat, the fans inside the Auditorium were loud as it shook the Cats badly in the first period as the Hawks' top players were shooting from all different spots until the second period came. The Hawks broke through as they took the lead 4-1 at the end of the second. The third period could have been the Cats' comeback, behind 5-4 forward Derrick Vale skated beside Hawks goalie Luke McIsaac tap the puck in the net, but before he touches the puck, he trips the goalie, and the referee saw it and called goaltending interference, and after that, it went downhill for the Cats as Hawks defence Herb Edwards scored an empty net as the Hawks win game seven 6-4 and win the series 4 games to 3.
2nd east Kenora Pioneers vs. 3rd west Moose Jaw Wings
Both in game one and game two of the series were all Kenora as goalie Zack Mick was a brick wall shutting out the Wings 3-0 and 5-0. The crowd at the Sky Centre is as hype as ever, and rightfully so in game three, first period Wings forward Kyle Ferrell scored 2 goals within the first five minutes; in the second-period defence, Eric McQueen rocked Pioneers forward Curtis Samford cleanly and went to the locker room but did not came back for the rest of the game as in the third period Wings scored two more goals and game three is in the books as Moose Jaw wins it 4-2. The Kenora Pioneers dominated games four and five with a 5-2 and 4-0 to finish the series over the Moose Jaw Wings 4 games to 1.
2nd Round (best 4 of 7 games)
1st east Fargo Owls vs. 2nd west Medicine Hat Hawks
Fargo really dominated the Hawks in a big way in both games one and two, where Kirk Cooper scored 5 goals, and 8 points within those two games with scores of 4-2 and 5-0. In game 3 in Medicine Hat, the Hawks tried to turn things around with a 3-1 lead going into the third period; Owls Justin Ash scored two unanswered goals with 1:20 left in the third, the Hawks were all over the Owls Nate Benn until the clock hit zero and both teams are going to overtime, 10:33 into the overtime Dick Bartram of the Owls made one of biggest slap-shot that heard from around the world and passed by Hawks goalie Joe Wickham as the Owls came back and wins game three 4-3 in overtime. Game 4 is back in Medicine Hat; if the Hawks win, they keep the series going. If they lose and the Hawks's season is over, period number one Hawks Sam Baylis and Herb Edwards both scored a goal to take the lead 2-0, second period Sam Baylis add another goal for the lead until 5:45 left in the period Owls Justin Ash scored a goal in hopes to give themselves something to work with, as the third period began it was all the Owls as they made four straight goals with the additions of Jack Moore scored the empty netter and game four is over with the score of 6-3 as the Owls sweeps the Hawks 4 games to 0 and headed to the Jade Trophy final for the third time in a row.
1st west Abbotsford Forest Kings vs. 2nd east Kenora Pioneers
The Forest Kings played very well in the first two games with scores of 4-3 and 3-2 to take the series lead in two, with the help from Grey Bushey, who scored 4 goals and 4 assists within those two games. In-game 3, the Pioneers made a goalie change before the game started at Kenora, which did not sit well with Zack Mick. The move by the Pioneers worked as they gave the Forest Kings a hard time all game until the clock hit zero in the third period with the score of 4-4. In overtime with 4:45 left, Pioneers backup goalie Roger Ashton twisted his knee in an attempt to make a save, which he did. Still, Forest King forward Jack Littlewood got the rebound and scored the O/T winner 5-4, which put the Kenora Pioneers in a very tough spot, down 3-0 in the series. Between three games to none, Pioneers head coach Leo Newton put Zack Mick back in the net. Zack was a brick wall all game with 49 shots made and saved them all; late in the third, Pioneers Curtis Samford scored 2 unanswered goals to give Kenora the victory score of 2-0 to stay alive in the series. Both game five and six was all Kenora as Zack Mick was holding his ground very well letting in just 2 goals in both games, while forward Jake Walters scored 6 goals in both games and defence Oscar Reed made 4 assists within those two games. Both teams will play game seven to see who will go to the 1979 Jade Trophy finals. The Kenora Pioneers came back from three games to none to force a game seven in Abbotsford. In the first, the Forest Kings did everything they could, and with 2:16 left in the first period, Forest Kings forward Shawn Naugle scored a goal to give Abbotsford a 1-0 lead after the first. As the second period started, right off the bat Pioneers, Jake Walters scored two straight goals in thirty seconds, and Zack Mick stood his ground with 35 out of 36 shots he took in two periods. Late in the third period, the Forest Kings ran out of gas as the Pioneers scored two more goals as the Kenora Pioneers became the first team in WCLH history to come back from 3 games to 0 deficit and win the series 4 games to 3.
1979 Jade Trophy finals
1st east Fargo Owls vs. 2nd east Kenora Pioneers
In an all-east division final in Fargo, the Owls are ready to claim their third straight title. However, the Pioneers had good momentum going after the 7 games series they went through as the Pioneers shocked both the Owls and the fans in the Fargo Center as Kenora won 1-0 game one overtime. The Owls tried to find a way to break the wall of Pioneers Zack Mick, which in the second period they did and by the end of the second, the Owls were in the lead of 1-0, third-period things got rough for the Owls as the game was tied 1-1 with 34 seconds left Owls Justin Ash set up a move that threw Zack Mick way off from his position then Justin pass the puck to a way wide open Jack Moore to finish the job but just when Jack just about to shoot when he felt a pain shot right up his right leg only to discover he twisted his right ankle despite he fought through the pain and shoot the puck it missed the net as the buzzer sounded to end the third period in a tie and for the second game in a row it will be decided in overtime, four minutes into the overtime Jake Walters took the puck and put it in the net to give the Pioneers a 2-1 overtime win to take 2 games to none lead over the defending Jade Trophy champions. Game three at the Kenora Arena is jam pack full as the fans are all hype for the Pioneers to win it all, as all three periods came and went with a score of 2-2 tie going into the overtime, after two overtimes with 10:40 into the third overtime Kirk Cooper after making 22 shots all game his 23rd shot was the overtime winner as the Owls win 3-2 in three overtimes. Back in Kenora, the game was back and forth as the game was tied 1-1 and once again, both teams headed to overtime, but 2:15 into the first overtime defence Pat Colts dumped the puck down in hopes to help Pioneers forwards make the change which did more than that, Owls Nate Benn was going to get the puck when it curves away from the boards, slid passed Nate and went into the net as Pat’s clearing the puck became the game-winner as Kenora wins game four 2-1 and just one win away from becoming the Jade Trophy champions. The Owls are hoping to turn things around mostly in hopes of winning game five in Fargo. All game was all goaltending magic between Owls Nate Benn and Pioneers, Zack Mick, as they stopped every shot, as the third period came to an end, it was a 0-0 tie which once again both are going to overtime, first overtime was Nate Benn out save Zack 15-10, but Zack one up on Nate in the second overtime 20-10. Before the third overtime began, Zack was on top of Nate in saves with 67-59, but it all came to an end as Owls Justin Ash scored the winner 1-0 in three overtimes; Zack’s 74 saves would be a record, but in WCLH rule that the only way to make official is that the Pioneers win that game, with the Owls win Nate’s 68 saves will be the official record. “We did great in this game, but we didn’t finish the job like they did; all we need to do is to rest up and ready for game six in Kenora.”
Pioneers head coach Leo Newton said at the press conference. Just like games three and four, the Kenora Arena was jam-packed for game six. In the first period began the Owls tried to quiet the crowd down with a goal by Kirk Cooper; as the second period started, Pioneers Jake Walters and Curtis Samford both each scored a plan to make it 2-1, the third period was all Kenora as the Pioneers scored two more, the Owls did score but only one, the fans in the Kenora Arena was so loud that both teams did not know the clock already hit zero as the final score was 4-2. The series won 4 games to 2. Emotions poured out as the Pioneers celebrated. Traditionally the team captain would be the first to lift the Jade Trophy, but Pat Colts decided instead of himself he had Zack Mick to skate over to receive the Trophy from James Name. The WCLH president congrats Zack and his team and wishes them luck as once they are done celebrating, they are heading over to Ottawa for the 1979 Valor Cup Tournament.
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