WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Rebels Edge Oil Kings 4-3 on Fan Appreciation Night

Published on March 19, 2011 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


Edmonton, AB - The Edmonton Oil Kings and Red Deer Rebels allowed Fan Appreciation Night to completely live up to its name on Friday at Rexall Place with an intense battle in front of a season-best crowd of 12,960.

The provincial rival Oil Kings and Rebels, who could potentially square off in the first round of the WHL playoffs, waged an epic war in front of the sizeable crowd, with Red Deer holding off a late Edmonton charge to win 4-3 in the second last game of the regular season.

Fan Appreciation Night included a non-stop barrage of prizes and giveaways from the Oil Kings and their partners, and it was also Shirts Off Our Backs Night, as some lucky fans left the game with the navy blue alternate jerseys the team wore during the game. Jersey winners were determined with both a raffle and a silent auction, which raised $9,225 for the Oil Kings Education Association.

Friday's results didn't provide much in the way of playoff clarity, as the Oil Kings (31-33-2-5) remain in seventh in the Eastern Conference with 69 points, while the Brandon Wheat Kings (31-31-1-8) lost to the Moose Jaw Warriors in a shootout to sit in sixth with 71 points.

Red Deer clinched second place with the win over Edmonton to give them 102 points, and the Oil Kings and Rebels close out the regular season with the second half of their heated home-and-home on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the ENMAX Centrium in Red Deer. Another Rebels win, or a Wheat Kings win over Moose Jaw in their last regular season game, would mean Edmonton and Red Deer would square off once again in the first round.

However, the Oil Kings can still finish in sixth if they beat the Rebels on Saturday and the Wheat Kings lose to the Warriors, since Edmonton would have more wins than Brandon. They would then play the third seed - either the Medicine Hat Tigers (currently in third with 96 points and two games left to play) or the Kootenay Ice (currently in fourth with 95 points and one game remaining).

Though the matchups have yet to be determined, the first-round schedule has been confirmed. Playoffs are scheduled to begin Friday, March 25, with Oil Kings home games (Game 3 and Game 4 of the first round) scheduled for Monday, March 28 and Thursday, March 31 both at 7 p.m.

Tickets to every Oil Kings home game, including the first two home games of the 2011 playoffs, are available starting at just $15 at any Ticketmaster outlet, online at oilkings.ca, or by calling 780-414-GOAL (4625).

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 19, 2011


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