Sunday, March 26, 2006

There's No Place Like The MTS Centre

As of today, the Brandon Wheat Kings are tied with the Moose Jaw Warriors one game each in the playoff run. Yet because of the scheduling, I may not have a chance to see a playoff game here in Brandon at all.

That's because for about the next week, the Keystone Centre, which would host the Wheat Kings games normally, is booked solid for the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. Because of this booking, the Wheats will have to play their "home" games at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. Usually, this (at least the first 2 games, anyways) isn't an issue for Brandon fans at all. The first 2 playoff games for the league are usually played on the weekend just prior to the Fair starting. Since the Wheat Kings usually have home ice advantage in the first round, Brandon fans in other years have a chance to see those first 2 games. Not so in this case, as the Wheats finished 4th in the division this time around.

It's a scheduling issue that, despite not being apparent by Brandon's usual home ice advantage position, arises every year. It's well-known that every year, in the last week of March/1st week of April (depending on the alignment of the calendar) the Fair comes to Brandon, and that it interferes with the playoff schedules. I believe a simple solution could be found. Why doesn't the WHL, recognising the situation the Keystone finds itself in, simply schedule the first 2 games of the Wheat's first round in Brandon regardless of who has home ice advantage, and schedule the rest of the games to reflect the home ice advantage situation? There may still be a need to play a few games in Winnipeg, but at least this way Brandon fans have the chance to see playoff hockey during the first round in their own community.

That seems to me to be a workable arrangement.

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