There are just two days remaining in round robin play at the 2023 Centennial Cup in Portage, and there is still plenty to be determined when it comes to seeding and playoff spots for the weekend.
With their win Monday night over the host Portage Terriers, the Battlefords North Stars now sit at the top of Group B tied with the Terriers with 6 points (Battleford has the tie-breaker with Portage). However, when the Stars take to the ice for the final time in the round robin Tuesday evening, they may no longer be in first.
The Collingwood Blues will meet the Kam River Fighting Walleye in the first game of Day 6 and with a win or an overtime loss, they would move into first place in Group B. If Kam River knocked off the Blues though in regulation, the Stars would control their own destiny for 1st place in Group B.
Battlefords is coming off an emotional 3-2 win over the host Portage Terriers Monday night, but despite the win did not clinch a spot in the playoff round. They can book their ticket to the weekend though with a point Tuesday night against the Steinbach Pistons.
Steinbach is coming off of their first win of the tournament Sunday night with a 5-2 win over the Kam River Fighting Walleye and own four points as of right now in the Group B standings. Tonight’s game is a must win for the Pistons if they want to play in the playoff round this weekend.
There are a number of different scenarios which could happen when it comes to final seeding, but the picture will get much clearer as Day 6 begins to unfold.
Puck drop between the Battlefords North Stars and the Steinbach Pistons is set for 6:30pm. You can catch the game tonight on Hockey Canada’s website, or you can follow along with live updates across all of the SJHL social media accounts.
Group A:
The defending National Champion Brooks Bandits have locked up their spot in the weekend, but could secure a Bye to the Semi-Final with a win this afternoon over the Cobras de Terrebonne. However, the rest of the group is up in the air as no team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoff round.
The lone game in Group A Tuesday is the match-up between Books and Terrebonne. With a regulation win by the Brooks Bandits, the final day of the round robin in the group will see the other four teams compete for the two playoff spots in the Quarter-Finals.
