BROOKS, AB (March 28, 2016) – The Brooks Bandits will open their defence of their Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) South Division championship at home this coming Friday and Saturday, the AJHL announced today.
The best of seven playoff series between the Bandits and the Camrose Kodiaks will begin on April 1st and 2nd with home games at the Centennial Regional Arena, before shifting to Camrose for Games 3 and 4 at the Encana Arena on Monday, April 4th, and Tuesday, April 5th. If necessary, a fifth game would be Friday, April 8th in Brooks, the sixth in Camrose on Sunday the 10th, and a decisive seventh back at the CRA on Tuesday the 12th.
Puck drop for all games of the series will be at 7:00 PM.
Fans are reminded that the best way to avoid the line at the Centennial Regional Arena is to pre-purchase playoff tickets, which can be done online at http://tickets.brooksbandits.ca, by phone at (403) 501-0122, and in person at the CRA from Tuesday to Thursday, 9 AM to 1 PM, at the Bandits’ office.
This will be the second consecutive year that the Bandits and Kodiaks have met in the South final. Last season, with the Kodiaks holding home-ice advantage, the Bandits rebounded from a 2-games-to-none series deficit to win the division in seven games.
The Kodiaks defeated the Olds Grizzlys in the first round in a 3-game sweep, and defeated the Okotoks Oilers in their divisional semi-final in 5 games to earn their spot in this series. Brooks received a first round bye by virtue of finishing first in the South in the regular season, then swept the Canmore Eagles in their divisional semi-final in 4 games.
This will be the sixth time in franchise history that the Bandits and Kodiaks have met in the playoffs, with Camrose having won four of the six series. The Kodiaks swept Brooks in 4 games in 2005, while the Bandits won in seven games in 2009. Camrose won in 5 games in 2010, and in 7 games in 2011, with the Bandits winning last season’s playoff series also in seven.
The winner of the best of seven will face the winner of the AJHL North Division final between the Spruce Grove Saints and Lloydminster Bobcats in the 2016 AJHL Gas Drive Cup Final.
Q105.7 FM will broadcast all games of the Bandits’ playoffs live on the air and online at Q1057.ca, with pre-game coverage beginning 15 minutes before game time.