OIL KINGS: Edmonton aims for another WHL championship

EDMONTON, AB - The three-year wait for playoffs is finally over.
The Edmonton Oil Kings have been itching to get back to the Western Hockey League post-season ever since they were bested in six games in the Eastern Conference Final by the eventual league champion Prince Albert Raiders in April 2019.
They were leading the conference with 94 points in 64 games the following season, poised to make a run at the Ed Chynoweth Cup when the season was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic also prevented the 2021 playoffs from being contested as the Oil Kings owned the Central Division with a near-perfect 20-2-0-1 record in the shortened regular season.
With a total disregard for the cyclical nature of rebuilding in major junior hockey, Edmonton is once again one of the top teams in the Canadian Hockey League, ranked third in the nation as they make their triumphant return to the WHL post-season this week.
"The biggest thing right now is the emotion that's going to be there," Head Coach Brad Lauer said of the highly-anticipated return to the playoffs. "Guys are excited, it's been two years for everybody, and a lot of these guys in our organization this is their last opportunity at our level in junior hockey. The biggest thing now is -- the emotion part wont be hard -- we just need to control it."
The Oil Kings, who went 50-14-3-1 during the regular season to finish second in the conference behind the Winnipeg ICE, will face the seventh-seeded Lethbridge Hurricanes in the opening round, with Games 1 and 2 to be played Thursday and Saturday at Rogers Place.

Edmonton ices an explosive lineup that features six players who produced 50 or more points this season, in addition to St. Louis Blues 2020 first-round draft pick Jake Neighbours who put 45 on the board during an injury-shortened 30-game campaign.
Arizona Coyoyes 2021 first-round pick Dylan Guenther led the Oil Kings and ranked sixth in the WHL with 91 points in 59 games, with his 45 goals tying him for fourth in the league.
Montreal Canadiens 2020 first-round pick Kaiden Guhle and Nashville Predators 2020 third-round pick Luke Prokop anchor Edmonton's defence, while Detroit Red Wings 2021 first-rounder Sebastian Cossa stands tall between pipes -- quite literally. The 6-foot-6 native of Fort McMurray went 33-9-2-1 with a 2.28 goal-against average, .913 save percentage and six shutouts this season.
The Oil Kings boast three more NHL draft picks in forwards Justin Sourdif (Florida Panthers, 2020 third round), Jakub Demek (Vegas Golden Knights, 2021 fourth round) and Jalen Luypen (Chicago Blackhawks, 2021 seventh round), as well as veteran forwards Josh Williams and Carter Souch, who ranked second and third in team scoring behind Guenther, respectively, with 82 and 71 points.
Edmonton won six of its eight matchups against Lethbridge this season, outscoring the Hurricanes 32-15. Edmonton native Justin Hall led Lethbridge in scoring with 74 points in 62 games.
"I don't think there are any secrets between the two clubs," Lauer said. "We've played each other a lot. What I think about their team is they're probably the most improved team in our division, if not our conference. The way they play the game, they're very organized, they're disciplined, they play a very detailed game, and they compete hard every night. I expect it's going to be a really good series."
The Oil Kings are looking to capture their third WHL title in the team's modern era, having won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2012 and 2014, as well as the Memorial Cup in 2014.
Oil Kings playoff tickets start at $20 and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.