ICE to Host Saskatoon Blades in WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series
April 25, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Winnipeg Ice News Release
A pair of East Division rivals will meet in the 2023 WHL Eastern Conference Championship presented by Nutrien, as the Winnipeg ICE get set to face the Saskatoon Blades.
The series was confirmed Tuesday after the Blades won their Second Round series versus the Red Deer Rebels.
Winnipeg had previously advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship by virtue of a six-game series win over the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The ICE and Blades finished 1-2 in the East Division during the regular season; both Clubs earned more than 100 points in the standings, and the two sides combined for 105 regular season wins.
Winnipeg and Saskatoon's paths to the Eastern Conference Championship contrasted starkly, though. The ICE swept the Medicine Hat Tigers in the First Round before rallying with three straight victories to defeat the Warriors in the Second Round.
The Blades went the distance, and came from behind in each of their first two series. Saskatoon erased a 2-0 series deficit in the First Round versus the Regina Pats, winning a seven-game thriller thanks in part to home victories in Games 5 and 7.
Saskatoon then became just the third team in League history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit in a seven-game series, eliminating the Rebels on the strength of four straight triumphs.
Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie has set the pace for Winnipeg during their post-season run, scoring nine times and totalling 18 points over his 10 playoff appearances. Arizona Coyotes draftee Conor Geekie, who like Savoie was selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, put up 10 of his 13 playoff points during the Second Round against Moose Jaw.
The Blades' 1-2 punch has come in the form of forwards Trevor Wong and Egor Sidorov; the Belarussian leads the team with nine goals, while Wong's 14 assists are tied for second-most among WHL skaters during the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien.
The two sides met six times during the regular season; the ICE won four of the six encounters, though the home side ran out victorious in all but one of the six regular season chapters. The most recent meeting, a 3-2 Saskatoon victory, took place on February 4 at SaskTel Centre.
2023 NHL Draft prospect Zach Benson and 20-year-old blueliner Ben Zloty shared the Winnipeg scoring lead in the season series, posting seven points (2G-5A) apiece. Forwards Connor McClennon and Ty Nash each found the back of the net four times for the ICE versus the Blades during the regular season.
The aforementioned Sidorov led the way for Saskatoon with five goals during the regular season series. Wong and defenceman Charlie Wright chipped in with four assists each.
In goal, Daniel Hauser earned three of the four regular season wins for Winnipeg against the Blades, posting a .917 save percentage over his four starts.
Ethan Chadwick earned the bulk of the workload for Saskatoon in the season series, posting a 2-2-0-0 record to go along with a 2.54 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
The two franchises have met only once in the WHL Playoffs. The ICE earned a four-game, Second Round sweep over the Blades in 2011 en route to the Club's most recent WHL Championship.
Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Championship presented by Nutrien between the Winnipeg ICE and Saskatoon Blades is scheduled for Friday, April 28 at 6:00 p.m. CT in Winnipeg (Wayne Fleming Arena).
Tickets for all Winnipeg ICE home games at the ICE Cave inside Wayne Fleming Arena are available online at www.winnipegICE.ca.
2023 WHL PLAYOFFS - SERIES M SCHEDULE
Game Date Away Home Time
1 April 28, 2023 Saskatoon Winnipeg 6:05 p.m. CT
2 April 29, 2023 Saskatoon Winnipeg 4:05 p.m. CT #
3 May 2, 2023 Winnipeg Saskatoon 8:00 p.m. CT
4 May 3, 2023 Winnipeg Saskatoon 7:00 p.m. CT
5 May 5, 2023 Saskatoon Winnipeg TBD *
6 May 7, 2023 Winnipeg Saskatoon 5:00 p.m. CT *
7 May 9, 2023 Saskatoon Winnipeg 7:05 p.m. CT *
* - if necessary
# - subject to change
Western Hockey League Stories from April 25, 2023
- ICE to Host Saskatoon Blades in WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series - Winnipeg Ice
- Blazers and Thunderbirds Meet in WHL Western Conference Final - Kamloops Blazers
- 2023 U18 World Championship Round-Robin Recap - Regina Pats
- Riley Heidt & Team Canada off to Quarter-Finals at U18 World's in Switzerland - Prince George Cougars
- Prospect Profile: Berney Weston - Swift Current Broncos
- ICE Host WHL Eastern Conference Championship Starting Friday - Winnipeg Ice
- Marek Alscher Joins AHL's Charlotte Checkers on ATO - Portland Winterhawks
- Thunderbirds Mourn the Loss of Dr. Alfred Blue - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Blades look to punch ticket to Eastern Conference Final - Saskatoon Blades
- Warriors' Season Ends with Game 6 Loss to ICE - Moose Jaw Warriors
- ICE Close out Moose Jaw, 6-2 - Winnipeg Ice
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