1993 MEMORIAL CUP
Swift Current Broncos, Peterborough Petes, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Laval Titan
at Sault Ste. Marie (Memorial Gardens)
The debate prior to the 1993 Memorial Cup tournament pertained to which team should be the favourite.
"It's a mystery to me why Swift Current wasn't picked No. 1,” Dick Todd, general manager and head coach of the OHL-champion Peterborough Petes, said of the Broncos. "They had 100 points during the regular season. We didn't.”
Graham James, the Broncos' general manager and head coach, wasn't so sure. He knew the Broncos were good, but . . .
"Even though we may not be the overwhelming favourite here, I don't think we're sneaking in the back door, either,” he said. "When you look at the guys we have, even with Doink The Clown coaching, we'd have a good team.”
Ted Nolan, head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, differed from Todd. Nolan felt Todd's Petes should have been the favourites; after all, weren't they the CHL's No. 1-rated team for the final 24 weeks of the season?
Meanwhile, Swift Current captain Trent McCleary thought the Greyhounds should be favoured. After all, they were making their third straight appearance in the tournament, 14 of their players had played in the 1992 tournament and eight of those also played in the 1991 event, and they would play the 1993 tournament on home ice.
Around and around it went . . .
One thing, however, was for certain.
No one had the Laval Titan, of general manager and head coach Bob Hartley, in the favorite's role.
A Quebec-based team hadn't won the the Memorial Cup since 1971 when the Quebec Remparts, with Guy Lafleur in the lineup, had done it. Not one of Hartley's players had even been born when Lafleur weaved his magic that season.
"We're tired of answering the same questions,” Hartley said.
Not only that, but the Titan had won but two of 11 games in three previous Memorial Cup appearances (1984, '89 and '90).
If you had to pick a favorite -- if you absolutely had to pick the winner -- well, chances are you would have pointed to the Greyhounds.
They were the host team because they had won what the OHL had billed as its Super Series.
It was the OHL's turn to play host to the tournament and rather than take bids, the league chose to have its division winners meet in a best-of seven series.
Peterborough finished atop the Leyden Division, at 46-15-5, with the Soo topping the Emms Division, at 38-23-5.
The Petes were favored in this series, having finished with a franchise record 97 points, 16 more than the Greyhounds. But the team from the Soo surprised most onlookers by sweeping the series.
And so it came to pass that the 1993 Memorial Cup tournament was held in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Greyhounds were in this affair for the third straight season, the first team to make three consecutive trips to the national championship since the Petes (1978, '79 and '80).
As mentioned, eight players appeared in all three tournaments -- goaltender Kevin Hodson and skaters Ralph Intranuovo, Drew Bannister, Rick Kowalsky, Jarret Reid, Tom MacDonald, Mark Matier and David Matsos.
As well, Aaron Gavey, Jeff Toms, Perry Pappas, Gary Roach, Brad Baber and Briane Thompson were back for a second kick at the cat.
Hodson was coming off a brilliant regular season in which he had set a franchise record with a 3.10 GAA.
Offensively, the Greyhounds were without any 50-goal snipers or 100-point men.
Reid, a centre, was the big gun, if they even had one. He had 36 goals and 96 points in the regular season and followed that up by leading the league with 19 goals and 35 points in 18 postseason games.
Left-winger Chad Penney played a key role, too. Acquired from the North Bay Centennials early in the season, he had 73 points, including 29 goals, in 48 games with the Soo.
Still, as in the previous two seasons when they won the league championship, the Greyhounds didn't make any noise in the department of postseason awards. They didn't earn so much as one spot on any of the OHL's three all-star teams. The best they could do was placing centre Steve Sullivan on the all-rookie second team.
In the meantime, the Petes were adding to their trophy case.
Chris Pronger, who was named the league's top defenceman, and right-winger Jason Dawe were first-team all-stars; goaltender Chad Lang, defenceman Brent Tully and centre Mike Harding were named to the second team; and, Todd, who was in his 12th season as head coach, was selected to the third team.
(Todd would leave after the Memorial Cup to become an assistant coach with the NHL's New York Rangers. The head coach with the Rangers? Mike Keenan, a former head coach of the Petes. Keenan and Todd would win the Stanley Cup in their first season together.)
Left-winger Matt Johnson was on the all-rookie first team.
Harding supplied a franchise record 136 points, including 54 goals, during the regular season, while Dawe added 126 points, including 58 goals, and Dave Roche chipped in with 100.
The Petes led the league in defence that season -- so what else is knew? -- as they gave up just 239 goals.
The Greyhounds surrendered 260 goals, while scoring 334, 18 fewer than the Petes.
Dawe won the playoff scoring race, totaling 51 points in 21 games as the Petes went 12-9. The big story, though, was Pronger. After scoring 15 goals in 62 regular-season games, he had 15 goals and 25 assists in 21 postseason games.
After the Super Series, the Greyhounds rolled over the Owen Sound Platers 4-0 and the Detroit Jr. Red Wings 4-1 to reach the championship final.
And the Petes took out the Sudbury Wolves 4-3 and Kingston Frontenacs 4-1 to set up a rematch with the 'Hounds.
The final was a different story than the Super Series, with Peterborough finishing off Sault Ste. Marie in five games. It was the first time the Greyhounds had lost a playoff series under Nolan, whose record now was 11-1.
But both teams were in the Memorial Cup and it was the Greyhounds who would enjoy home-ice advantage.
"We're different from the traditional host team,” Nolan said. "We're not only hosts, we earned the right to be here.”
The Broncos, who played in the smallest city (16,000 people) and the smallest rink (2,257 seats) in the CHL, were making their second Memorial Cup appearance and they came in with a perfect record -- they won the 1989 championship in their only other appearance. Only McCleary was still around from that 1989 team -- he had played three regular-season games.
Swift Current also represented the league that had won five of the last six tournaments.
The Broncos, as was their tradition under James, were a collection of skaters and gunners. They scored 384 goals -- 37 more than any other WHL team.
Centre Jason Krywulak led the WHL in goals (81, including a major-junior record 47 on the power play), assists (81) and points (162). Rick Girard added 71 goals and 70 assists and Todd Holt reached 113 points, including 56 goals.
Three other forwards put together impressive numbers in an abbreviated schedule -- Andy Schneider had 85 points, including 66 assists, in 38 games; Dean McAmmond totaled 71 points in 48 games; and, Tyler Wright had 65 points in 37 games.
When the postseason was over, the top six scorers were Broncos -- Schneider, with a league-high 26 assists and 39 points, had at least one point in each of the 17 playoff games; Krywulak (37 points); McAmmond (35 points, including a league-high 16); Wright and Girard (26 points apiece); and, Holt (22 points).
Defensively, well, their theory was you didn't have to play defence if you had the puck all the time. Still, they weren't nearly as bad as their reputation would have you believe. In fact, led by big Brent Bilodeau, they allowed only 267 goals, a figure bettered by only four teams.
They finished the regular season at 49-21-2, giving them 100 points and the league's best record.
After a first-round bye, the Broncos took out the Medicine Hat Tigers in six games and then swept the Regina Pats in the East Division final.
They ran up against a gritty bunch of Portland Winter Hawks in the championship final. Swift Current trailed 2-1 and 3-2 in the series but took it to seven games. The Broncos won the final game 6-0 at home with goaltender Milan Hnilicka, perhaps their most under-rated player, posting his second playoff shutout.
Hnilicka, from Kladno in the Czech Republic, played in an amazing 65 regular-season games, posting a 3.36 GAA and two shutouts.
"If we can bottle this game and take it to Sault Ste. Marie,” James said after Game 7 of the WHL final, "I think we have a good chance.”
There wasn't much doubt about Laval's top player -- right-winger Martin Lapointe, the team captain, played in only 35 games but had 38 goals and 51 assists. He had opened the season with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, returning to Laval just before Christmas.
"I cannot tell you enough about Martin Lapointe,” Hartley said. "He is one of the best players in Canada.”
Lapointe didn't cool off in the playoffs, either. He led the QMJHL in goals (13), assists (17) and points (30), all of this coming in just 13 games.
Centre Eric Veilleux led the Titan in regular-season points, with 125, including 55 goals. He added 20 points in the playoffs.
The key on defence was Philippe Boucher, a midseason acquisition from the Granby Bisons who finished the season with 77 points in 65 games. In the 13 playoff games, he added 21 points, including 15 assists.
The Titan would be without defenceman Benoit Larose, the QMJHL's nominee as the country's top defenceman. He was knocked out of action during the playoffs by a blood clot in one leg.
In goal the Titan counted on the magnificent Emmanuel Fernandez, a second-year player who went 26-14-2 with a 3.60 GAA. In the postseason, Fernandez was all but unbeatable, putting up a 12-1 record with a 3.08 GAA.
After going 43-25-2 in the regular season and finishing atop the Robert Lebel Division, the Titan opened postseason play against Verdun College-Francais. The Titan won that series in four games.
Next up were the Drummondville Voltigeurs, who also went under in four games.
In the championship final, the Titan met up with the Sherbrooke Faucons, who had finished first in the Frank Dilio Divison with a 44-20-6 record. No matter. Laval won the final in five games.
The Titan went into the Memorial Cup quite familiar with pressure situations -- their last four QMJHL playoff games had gone into overtime and they had won three of them.
Things got under way on May 15 with the Greyhounds beat the Titan 3-2 in front of 4,156 fans.
Penney broke a 2-2 tie with a power-play goal at 16:11 of the second period. It was his second goal of the game. Wade Gibson had the Greyhounds' other goal.
Jason Boudrias and Boucher scored for Laval.
The following afternoon, Swift Current opened play with a 5-3 victory over the Greyhounds, disappointing the majority of the 4,194 fans in attendance.
The teams were even at 2-2 early in the second period when the Broncos caught fire and scored three straight goals -- an even-strength marker by Holt and two goals from Krywulak, one shorthanded and the other on the power play -- with Schneider setting up all three.
Ashley Buckberger and Girard also scored for the Broncos, who got 41 saves from Hnilicka.
"A lot of them weren't really dangerous shots,” Hnilicka said rather modestly.
Pappas, with two, and Intranuovo replied for the Greyhounds.
Nolan wouldn't use fatigue as an excuse, despite the fact his club had played the previous night.
"That wasn't a factor,” Nolan said. "In our league, we're used to playing Friday night and Saturday afternoon. We're not saying we're fatigued.”
The opening weekend concluded with Peterborough beating Laval 6-4. The 4,044 fans in attendance witnessed a game-ending line brawl.
The donnybrook, which featured several fights, resulted in 10 major penalties and eight game misconducts.
"No one likes to see it,” offered OHL commissioner David Branch, "but I would suggest this is more of an aberration than the norm.”
As for what he witnessed, Branch said: "The Quebec team, for whatever reason, decided to play that style. The referee (David Lynch) made the calls and did what he could.
"The guy behind the bench dictates the ultimate outcome of the game.”
Hartley didn't agree.
"There were 4,000 fans sitting here to see a quality hockey game but that show was not given by the players,” he said.
Later, the disciplinary committee would hand out $1,500 in fines. Both teams were fined $500 for failure to control players, with Laval being hit for an extra $500 because members of its training staff had grabbed one Peterborough player and pushed another.
Peterborough opened by scoring four goals before the game was 15 minutes old. The Titan, outshot 48-44, were never able to get back in this one.
Dawe, with two, Tully and Ryan Black scored the first-period goals for the Petes, with Roche and Bill Weir adding the others.
The Titan got two goals from Veilleux, who had been cut for 22 stitches in the mouth area by Gavey's stick in the tournament opener, and singles from Stephane Desjardins and Boucher.
Laval now was 0-2 and history was more often than not the subject of the questions.
"Our team is not responsible for that,” Hartley said. "We do not live in the past.”
Hartley also found himself being questioned about an incident that occurred in the Soo some three years earlier.
He just happened to be coaching a Quebec team when separatism, language, the constitution and many other political items were on a lot of agendas.
And now he was in Sault Ste. Marie, a city whose council in 1990 had passed a resolution declaring English the official language of city business.
Yes, Hartley was asked about this, even though it was three years after the fact.
"I don't want to talk about what Sault Ste. Marie did,” Hartley replied. "I'm not going to answer any questions about language.
"That is a political thing. This is sport.”
Going into the next game -- Peterborough versus Swift Current on May 18 -- the Petes and Broncos were unbeaten. To the winner would go at least a berth in the semifinal game.
"It seems like we just started and we could be in the final,” James said. "That's why we tell the guys the first game is so important. It gives you options. A lot of times it only takes two wins to get to the final. You have to defeat the other team which has the potential to win two games.”
The Petes came out flying, however, and routed the Broncos 7-3 in front of 4,095 spectators.
The teams were tied 2-2 just past the midway point of the first period when the Petes scored twice -- Roche at 11:50 and Dale McTavish, with his second of the game, at 12:50 -- to pull away.
Roche finished with two goals, too, while Tully, Pronger and Harding added one each.
The Petes suffered two injuries in the game. Tully, whose goal came 16 seconds into the game, left with some dizziness after being hit by McAmmond early in the first period. Tully also needed three stitches to close a cut on his chin. Stillman was gone early in the third period with a bruised left shoulder.
The Broncos got two goals from Holt and a single from Schneider.
Hnilicka was gone at 8:58 of the third period, replaced by Ian Gordon after Pronger scored the game's final goal. The Petes outshot the Broncos 32-25.
"We always seem to do things the hard way,” Bilodeau said. "The good thing is that we usually respond to pressure.”
James agreed.
"We've been in these situations before,” he said. "We can't play much worse than we did in a lot of areas, but we usually respond to a poor performance.”
Not this time.
Instead, they were shocked 4-3 by Laval in front of 3,985 fans on May 19.
"We allowed two goals on one shift -- and that proved to be the game,” Krywulak said.
Laval, which ended a six-game QMJHL losing streak against WHL teams, got two goals from Yannick Dube within 24 seconds in the third period to break a 2-2 tie.
"All tournament I have had the chances,” said Dube, who hadn't scored prior to this game. "I got the chances again and there was no way I was going to miss them.”
Lapointe and Veilleux also scored for Laval, which outshot the Broncos 35-33.
Wright, Holt and Schneider replied for the Broncos. Holt left the game in the second period with a bruised collarbone and strained neck muscles. He already was slowed by a sprained ankle and lower back problems.
"It almost looks like we're dead tired when we take to the ice,” Rob Daum, the Broncos' assistant general manager and assistant head coach, said. "If we wore down as the game progressed, I could understand that, but we haven't been able to do anything from the start.”
To win the Memorial Cup, the Broncos were now faced with playing three different teams over the next three days and having to win all three games.
"It's difficult to envision coming back against three top teams in three nights,” James admitted. "It's certainly something we didn't desire, but we have no choice now.”
The round-robin concluded on May 20 with the Soo beating the Petes 7-3 before 4,433 fans.
Penney, with two, Reid, Kowalsky, Gavey, Toms and Intranuovo scored for the Greyhounds, with linemates Dawe, Harding and Roche scoring for the Petes.
The victory left both teams with 2-1 records but, because they beat the Petes, the Greyhounds were into the final for a second straight season.
"This is a great feeling,” Intranuovo said. "This is the third time in a row we've been to the Memorial Cup and now we're getting a second chance at the final.
"I know how it is to lose. I want to finish my junior career on a high note.”
Swift Current and Laval, both 1-2, now would play a tiebreaker, with the winner meeting Peterborough in the semifinal game.
By now, the Broncos were completely distracted by what they saw as inferior officiating.
"We worked on cheating a bit,” James said of his team's May 20 practice. "We worked on preventing guys from skating, which seems to be the name of the game here.
"When you're tackling guys and hauling them down, it's cheating. The way they're calling it here, it seems to be within the rules.”
James also knew that the Broncos would have to adapt or it would be over for them.
"We're here, so we have to adapt to the way the game is being played,” he said. "We have to do a better job of grabbing on to people. There seems to be no limit to the interference.
"As they say, when in Rome . . .”
The tournament ended for the Broncos on May 21 when they lost 4-3 to Laval in front of 3,910 fans.
The Titan held 2-0 and 3-1 leads only to have the Broncos tie it 3-3. Swift Current's title dreams ended when Patrick Cassin scored with 34.1 seconds left in the third period. That would be Cassin's only point of the tournament.
"I just wanted to go to the net,” Cassin said after scoring off a pass from Marc Beaucage. "I put my stick on it and it went in.”
Dube, with two, and Veilleux scored for Laval, which had problems solving Hnilicka, who stopped 33 shots.
Bilodeau, defenceman Darren Perkins and Holt, with his fifth goal of the event, scored for Swift Current.
"There are so many highs and lows in a season,” Krywulak said. "We went from being one game away from the final to having our season over.”
Bilodeau added: "It's our own fault. We had an opportunity, we didn't grab it and we paid for it.”
The Broncos, normally a high-flying offensive team, were outshot 14-0 in the first 17 minutes of the first period.
"We came here and we didn't play as well as we could,” said Daum. "That's the bottom line.”
Laval took the exit door the following night, losing 3-1 to Peterborough in the semifinal game as the Petes established a Memorial Cup record by advancing to their fifth final. They and the New Westminster Bruins had been tied at four appearances each.
Laval's Michael Gaul ended a scoreless game with the only goal of the second period before 4,101 fans. But the Petes won it with three third-periods goals, two of them by Harding and the last an empty-netter by Tully.
The Greyhounds, who went 0-3 two years previous and then lost in the 1992 final, completed the climb by beating the Petes 4-2 in the final on May 23 before 4,757 celebrating fans.
"The crowd was as big a part of this as the players,” Nolan said. "They supported us from Day 1. It was incredible.”
If there was a hero of this championship game it had to be Intranuovo, who spent the night before the final in hospital passing a kidney stone.
"I was really scared,” he said. "I was crying in the hospital, thinking I might not be able to play. The pain was so bad.
"I said, ‘Please, make the pain go away.' If it was going to come back, I hoped it would be another day. I wanted to play in the Memorial Cup final.”
He did. And he set up the first goal and scored the second.
Hodson stopped 45 shots as his mates held period leads of 3-0 and 4-0.
Sullivan and Penney also scored for the Soo, with Toms picking up three helpers. Black and Weir scored for the Petes.
No member of the Greyhounds was any happier than Kowalsky. He had scored three game-winning goals in the 1992 tournament, but it was his errant pass that led to the winning goal in a 5-4 loss to the Kamloops Blazers.
"I tried to put that out of my mind because I didn't want it to affect me,” Kowalsky said. "I had enough difficulty trying to sleep over the summer.
"It was tough to see Kamloops carrying the Cup. It drove us to come back and win it. To do that is an incredible feeling.”
Dawe was quick to credit Hodson.
"He was unbelievable,” Dawe said. "What can I say? He stopped everything we threw at him, except two goals.
"This is one of those things you have to forget. That's hockey. We had lots of opportunities to score and we never capitalized. That's life.”
The tournament drew 37,675 fans to its nine games, for an average attendance of 4,186. Not bad for a facility that seated 3,603.
The Greyhounds became the second host team to win the Memorial Cup, the other being the 1983 Portland Winter Hawks.
And, in the end, the Greyhounds finally earned some respect in the awards department.
Intranuovo was named the most valuable player and Hodson was selected the top goaltender. Hodson, Bannister, Intranuovo and Penney were on the all-star team, along with Gaul and Lapointe. Dawe was selected the most sportsmanlike player.
Harding wasn't named to the all-star team although he led the tournament in points, with 13.
As the tournament ended, the Soo's police force was on alert. But a quiet time was had by all.
"It was all good partying,” said a police spokesperson. "There was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Everything went very well.”
Indeed, it had.
NEXT: 1994 (Kamloops Blazers, North Bay Centennials, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Laval Titan)