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| Ryder Ritchie, left, of the Raiders skates against Pats captain Tanner Howe. |
Back in that season, the division’s six teams at the time in Brandon Wheat Kings, Moose Jaw Warriors. Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades and Swift Current Broncos were all good. The division rightfully earned the soccer moniker “The Group of Death,” which is a reserved for the toughest pool in World Cup tournaments.
In 2017-18, all six of those squads finished above .500 in the regular season. The Warriors finished first overall in the WHL with a 52-15-2-3 record and the Broncos were second overall with a 48-17-5-2 mark.
That season the WHL still utilized and in division format to conduct playoffs that is identical to the format still used in the NHL. That resulted in the Blades missing the post-season with 35-33-3-1 mark finishing last in the East Division, while placing seventh in the overall 12 team Eastern Conference standings.
This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.
