So for the first time since 2008-09, the WHL will have a tiebreaker game to determine a playoff spot. Red Deer and Prince Albert have finished tied for the 8th spot in the East and so the Raiders will have to hop on the bus and head to Red Deer for a one-game showdown tomorrow night to determine who gets the playoff spot and whose season is over. The playoff prize for the winner is getting to drive 90 minutes north and face Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs starting Saturday night.
The tiebreaker game is only taking place because Red Deer beat Edmonton 5-0 yesterday, in Edmonton. An outcome that would seem highly unlikely in most cases, until you notice that Edmonton scratched all their best players and started their backup goaltender as well. It's almost like Edmonton WANTED to lose, because a loss would force their two potential playoff opponents - the Rebels and Raiders - to play a high-stakes game on Tuesday. What could be better than having your two potential opponents a little more tired and, yes, perhaps a little more banged up?
I know some people think the Oil Kings are ripping off their paying fans by healthy-scratching one's best players in meaningless games, but I think very few fans would actually complain about this. If you're a fan, probably what you care most about is playoff success and having the most healthy, rested core group you can have is only going to help that. And besides, it's also often fun to get a look at some of the lesser-known players and future stars of your team, right. And giving them more ice time - even if only for one game - is good for their development down the road too.
Next item of business for the WHL, after that tiebreaker game, is the draft lottery. The lottery is usually held the first day or two after the conclusion of the regular season but I believe in this case they will have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to hold the lottery, because whichever of Red Deer / Prince Albert loses that tiebreaker game, that losing team is going to be the final lottery team. So I'd look for the draft lottery on Wednesday or Thursday morning.
As always, the draft lottery will consist of the six non-playoff teams (in reverse order of points: Lethbridge, Kamloops, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Prince George, and Prince Albert/Red Deer) and each team will get a number of bingo balls in a bingo machine - Lethbridge as the lowest placing team gets 6 balls, Kamloops gets 5, and so on. One ball will will be drawn and that team gets to move up 2 spots in the draft order. So only the bottom three teams (Lethbridge, Kamloops, and Saskatoon) have a chance at winning the #1 spot. The best that Moose Jaw, at #4, could do would be to move up to #2 - in which case Lethbridge would keep the #1 pick. Etc, etc.
So the odds of getting the #1 pick are:
Lethbridge: 57.1%
Kamloops: 23.8%
Saskatoon: 19.1%
And one last note, Saskatoon's pick does not belong to Saskatoon - Brandon has the right to swap 1st round picks with the Blades thanks to the Brendan Walker trade in summer 2012. Since the Wheat Kings are certainly going to do that, the Wheat Kings will get that Blades pick, whether it's #1, #3, or #4.
Saskatoon will get Brandon's pick, but they traded that pick to Vancouver for Nathan Burns a year ago, so even after their trying season the Blades will not have a first round pick to show for it....
