RAIDERS AND REBELS GOING TO TIEBREAKER

The Western Hockey League announced today that there will be a tie-breaker game between the Red Deer Rebels and the Prince Albert Raiders for the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference. The game will be played in Red Deer on Tuesday, March 18 at 7:00 pm.

The Raiders and Rebels finished tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 75 points each following completion of the regular season.  To determine the host site for the tie-breaker game, the WHL had to go to the second point for breaking ties in League standings.  The first tie-breaker is most victories during the season, and both Clubs finished tied with 35 wins. 

The second tie-breaker is points between the Clubs in head to head competition during the season.  As Red Deer won the season series between the two Clubs by a margin of six points to three (winning three of four games), the Rebels earned home ice for the tie-breaker game.

The winner of the tie-breaker game will meet the first place Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round of the WHL playoffs.  That series will start in Edmonton at 1:30 pm on Saturday, March 21.

The last tie-breaker game in the WHL occurred following the 2008-09 season, when Edmonton and Prince Albert finished tied for eighth position in the Eastern Conference with 67 points each.  The Oil Kings visited the Raiders for the tie-breaker game, and emerged with a 2 – 1 triumph in overtime.”

Previous WHL Tie-Breaker Games

1980-81:  Spokane wins fourth place tie-breaker game vs. New Westminster 10-9.

1983-84:  Calgary wins sixth place tie-breaker game at Saskatoon 8-7 in OT.

1989-90:  Swift Current wins sixth place tie-breaker game vs. Brandon 5-4.

2008-09: Edmonton wins eighth place tie-breaker game vs. Prince Albert 2-1 in OT.