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Calder Cup Game 7 Preview

Published on June 11, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


HAMILTON, ON ... Hockey season's not over yet. The Calder Cup 2003 Finals have come down to a single game, as the Hamilton Bulldogs and Houston Aeros battle on Thursday night at Copps Coliseum for the 67th American Hockey League championship. It will be the tenth Game 7 in Calder Cup Finals history.

This year's AHL championship series has been one of the most highly competitive in recent memory. Each team has scored 15 goals in six games, of which four have been decided by one goal (and a fifth was decided by a goal plus an empty-netter). Goaltenders Ty Conklin of Hamilton and Johan Holmqvist of Houston have combined for an outstanding .942 save percentage in the series.

The Aeros' Hnat Domenichelli, who also reached the Calder Cup Finals in 1998, leads all scorers with six points in the series. Jason Ward, who won the AHL's regular-season MVP award, is tops on the Bulldogs with five points in the series, and leads the league with 12 goals and 21 points this postseason.

After winning Games 4 and 5 on home ice, Houston had a chance to wrap up their first AHL title on Monday, but Hamilton staved off elimination with a 2-1 victory. Home teams are 7-2 in previous Calder Cup Final Game 7's, but the team that had won Game 6 is 4-5.

Both teams have already played a Game 7 this postseason: Hamilton defeated Manitoba at Copps in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Houston won at Grand Rapids to claim the Western Conference championship.

With a dual NHL affiliation, Hamilton is ripe with some of the most promising young talent in hockey. The Montreal Canadiens have supplied players including Jason Ward, Marcel Hossa, Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek and Michael Ryder, while the Oilers' blue-chip prospects in the Steel City include Jani Rita, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Raffi Torres, Jarret Stoll and Tony Salmelainen. Houston, meanwhile, has been bolstered by a deep and talented Minnesota Wild organization; the Aeros' Stephane Veilleux, Kyle Wanvig, Rickard Wallin, Travis Roche and Curtis Murphy all gained NHL experience in 2002-03 while helping Houston to the Western Conference crown. Hamilton and Houston feature a total of 12 former first- or second- round NHL draft picks.

Game 7 of the Calder Cup 2003 Finals – the last game of the 2002-03 hockey season anywhere in the world – will be televised live on Rogers Sportsnet nationally in Canada, and on Fox Sports Net Southwest in the United States. Coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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Calder Cup 2003 Finals

Game 1 at Hamilton (May 28) – Houston 2, Hamilton 1 ... Houston took a 1-0 series lead with a 2-1 victory in the series opener at Copps Coliseum. Four-time AHL All-Star Team selection Jean-Guy Trudel scored the game- winner 7:25 into the third period for the Aeros, and Johan Holmqvist made 35 saves.

Game 2 at Hamilton (May 30) – Hamilton 2, Houston 1 (4OT) ... Michael Ryder's goal at 14:56 of the seventh period ended the longest game in AHL history at 1:04 a.m., squaring the Calder Cup Final at one game apiece... Ty Conklin (83) and Johan Holmqvist (79) combined for 162 saves on 165 shots, including 105 stops in sudden death.

Game 3 at Houston (June 4) – Hamilton 4, Houston 2 ... A three-goal outburst in the first period paced Hamilton to a 4-2 win in the Bulldogs' first- ever visit to the Compaq Center. Tony Salmelainen finished with a goal and an assist for the victors, and Ty Conklin extended his shutout streak to 171:25 before allowing a goal in the third.

Game 4 at Houston (June 6) – Houston 3, Hamilton 2 (OT) ... Stephane Veilleux scored with 1:46 left in regulation, and then again 2:22 into overtime as Houston evened the series with a 3-2 overtime win. The game was scoreless until the teams combined for four goals in the final 9:03 of regulation.

Game 5 at Houston (June 7) – Houston 6, Hamilton 4 ... Kyle Wanvig scored with 2:33 to go in regulation, lifting Houston to a 6-4 win in Game 5 and putting the Aeros one win away from the championship. The back-and-forth game saw Hamilton squander leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in the first period before rallying to tie the game at 4 late in the third.

Game 6 at Hamilton (June 9) – Hamilton 2, Houston 1 ... Ty Conklin made 36 saves as Hamilton forced Game 7 with a 2-1 victory. Tomas Plekanec and Jason Ward gave the Bulldogs an early lead and the Eastern Conference champs held on, despite a late Aeros rally that included Hnat Domenichelli's shorthanded goal with 2:50 to play.

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Winner-Take-All Games – Calder Cup Finals

Game 7 June 13, 1996 at Rochester Rochester Americans 2, Portland Pirates 1
Game 7 May 29, 1992 at St. John's Adirondack Red Wings 5, St. John's Maple Leafs 2
Game 7 May 23, 1987 at Sherbrooke Rochester Americans 4, Sherbrooke Canadiens 2
Game 7 May 1, 1963 at Buffalo Buffalo Bisons 6, Hershey Bears 2
Game 7 April 16, 1953 at Cleveland Cleveland Barons 1, Pittsburgh Hornets 0 (OT)*
Game 7 April 21, 1951 at Cleveland Cleveland Barons 3, Pittsburgh Hornets 1
Game 7 April 17, 1949 at Providence Providence Reds 4, Hershey Bears 2
Game 7 April 15, 1947 at Hershey Hershey Bears 5, Pittsburgh Hornets 0
Game 7 April 14, 1946 at Buffalo Buffalo Bisons 5, Cleveland Barons 2
Game 5 April 5, 1942 at Indianapolis Indianapolis Capitals 8, Hershey Bears 3
Game 5 April 10, 1941 at Cleveland Cleveland Barons 3, Hershey Bears 2 (OT)*
*overtime period was not sudden-death

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American Hockey League Stories from June 11, 2003


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