1st round (best 4 of 7 games)
1st west Abbotsford Forest Kings vs. 4th east Portage la Prairie Magic
The Abbotsford Forest Kings welcomes the Magic to the playoffs with a game one blowout score of 7-1 thanks to forward Ed Bram who made 2 goals, 6 points. Game two was the same as Forest Kings defence Luke White score 3 goals as they win it 6-1. The Forest Kings went to the Jaune Durocher Memorial Arena to finish off the Magic, as indeed they did to win game three (5-0) and game four (6-2) to sweep the series 4 games to none.
1st east Kenora Pioneers vs. 4th west Moose Jaw Wings
The defending Jade trophy champion Kenora Pioneers got a wake-up call in game one as the Wings forced it to overtime and Wings forward Joe Robin score the winner with the score of 4-3. The Pioneers turn it around in game two with a score of 3-1. In-game three and four, Kenora Pioneers did not look back as they won two more games (3-2, 5-2) as they are one win away from advancing to the second round. In-game five it was all Kenora as the Pioneers shut out the Moose Jaw Wings 4-0 to win the series 4 games to 1.
2nd west Nanaimo Sharks vs. 3rd east Brandon Buffalos
It was a back-and-forth series between the Sharks and the Buffalos. In-game one, the Sharks win it 3-1, but the Buffalos take game two with a 2-1 win. In-game three the Sharks destroyed the Buffalos with an 8-2 blowout win. In-game four the Buffalos bounced back from a blowout loss with a 4-2 win. The Sharks forward Juuso Heinola scored three goals to give them a 5-3 win and have one win away to move on to the second round. Game six was not what the Sharks had in mind as the Buffalos gave the Sharks a taste of their own medicine with a 7-1 blowout win to even the series. Game seven in Nanaimo, the Buffalos took a 2-0 lead after the first period, the Sharks got themselves back in the game by scoring four goals to take a 4-2 after the second period, in the third period, the Buffalos tooth and claw their way back as both Luke James and Paul Cole work together as they scored a goal each to tie the game as the horn sound off to end the third period and headed into overtime. 15 minutes into overtime the Sharks got themselves a powerplay, but it did not help when Jeremy Mitchell got a breakaway and scored the overtime winner and the series 4 games to 3. As the Buffalos move on to the second round, the Sharks will be practicing for the 1980 Valor Cup tournament as they are this year's host.
2nd east Fargo Owls vs. 3rd west Lethbridge Cougars
After two seasons of rebuilding, the Lethbridge Cougars have returned to the playoffs but after a 6-1 game one loss to the Owls everyone felt like the Cougars should not be in this year's playoffs. In-game two however everyone had changed their minds as the Cougars beat the Owls 4-1. The Owls take game three in Lethbridge with a 3-2 overtime win to take the series lead. Game four, five and six was all Cougars as they went on to take those three games in a row (3-1, 4-3ot, 4-2) and move on to the 2nd round with the 4 games to 2 series win.
2nd round (best 4 of 7 games)
1st east Kenora Pioneers vs. 3rd west Lethbridge Cougars
Game one was a big game between both teams as they played all the way to overtime until Pioneers forward Peter Barron scored the overtime winner to take game one with a score of 5-4. In-game two the Pioneers got a good momentum from game one and use it to their advantage as they win it 4-1 blowout win. The Cougars got themselves back on track in game three with a 4-2 win thanks to forward Jack Burk’s 3 goals, 4 points performance. The Pioneers had a big 4-0 lead going into the third period, despite the Cougars was scoring in the third but only just one goal short as the clock hit zero as the Pioneers win game four 4-3. Game five was all Pioneers as they beat the Cougars 6-2 to win the series 4 games to 1 and headed back to the Jade Trophy championship.
1st west Abbotsford Forest Kings vs. 3rd east Brandon Buffalos
Last year the Forest Kings swept the Buffalos because of how dysfunctional the Buffalos were at that time, now the Forest Kings must keep their “A” game up because Brandon won the season series over Abbotsford 3-1. In-game one Abbotsford wins it in a not-so-easy way 5-4 in overtime. The Buffalos Jeremy Mitchell 2 goals 4 points gave the team a big game two wins over Abbotsford 5-3. Game number three the Forest Kings Ed Bram scored a hat-trick for a 4-2 win to take this series lead. Ed Bram scored a hat-trick again with a 5-3 Forest Kings win to take three games to one lead. The Buffalos bounce back with the help from both Luke James and Paul Cole who scored a goal and 2 assists each to give Brandon a fighting chance to get back into the series with a 4-2 win. In-game six the Buffalos really show what they got in a big way as Jeremy Mitchell, Luke James and Paul Cole combined 9 points as they even the series with an 8-4 win. Game Seven Both went back and forth until 5:39 left in the third period where the Forest Kings Luke White scored the tiebreaker. After that, the Forest Kings held on as the clock turned to zero and the game is over as the Forest Kings win game seven 6-5 and headed to the Jade Trophy finals winning the series 4 games to 3.
1980 Jade Trophy Finals
1st east Kenora Pioneers vs. 1st west Abbotsford Forest Kings
Battle of top dogs as the best team from the west the Abbotsford Forest Kings takes on the top team in the league and the 1979 Jade Trophy Champion the Kenora Pioneers. Game one was all defence as both teams barely made the total of 10 shots (6 by Pioneers, 4 by Forest Kings) in the first period, in the second period both teams made more shots than the first but at the end of the period the score is the same 0-0, the third period came and went as both teams headed to overtime. 10:38 in the first overtime Luke White had the puck but three Pioneers players were all over him until Luke pass the puck to an open Ed Bram and scored the overtime winner as the Forest Kings takes game one 1-0. The Pioneers did not show any weakness after the overtime loss with a 4-2 game two victory to even the series one game apiece. In-game three the Pioneers kept the momentum going on their end with a 5-1 win thanks to Peter Barron's 2 goals, 4 points showing. Behind two games to one the Forest Kings got themselves back in the series thanks to Luke White’s 3 goals 6 points to help the Forest Kings win game four 7-4. When it comes to game five with the series tied up whoever wins it can have the best chance of winning the series, on this game five the Forest Kings took themselves to the next level with a big 4-3 overtime win to give themselves one win away to win the Jade Trophy championship. Knowing very well that the Pioneers are in the same position as the Fargo Owls was last year but unlike the Owls, the Pioneers show that they have not run out of gas yet as they take game six with a 4-2 win and headed to game number seven. Game seven in Kenora, the Pioneers had a 3-1 lead going into the third period when Luke White scored two unanswered goals and Ed Bram scored the game-winner with just 0:47 left, even with an extra attacker was not enough for the Pioneers as the game is over and the Abbotsford Forest Kings celebrate as they are the 1980 Jade Trophy Champions winning game seven 4-3 and the series 4 games to 3.
