Little Spurg Ready For Kitchener

A great pic of Spokane Chiefs defenseman Jared Spurgeon in Lethbridge with the WHL championship trophy in hand. The younger brother of former Kelowna Rockets forward Tyler Spurgeon is set for the Chiefs first game of the tournament, Saturday against Belleville. Jared will have his mom Debi in attendance to cheer him on.

• The Kelowna Rockets will be represented at the Memorial Cup. Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton will attend the tournament representing the Western Hockey League. Hamilton has taken over the duties left by Ed Chynoweth, who passed away from his battle with cancer.
• Somethings just never change. It's interesting that Peter DeBoer is still the head coach of the Kitchener Rangers and Benoit Groulx guides the Quebec champion Gatineau Olympiques. DeBoer guided the Rangers when the Rockets were involved in the Memorial Cup in Quebec City in 2003, a tournament DoBoer and the Rangers won. Groulx was there too, and showed up again when Gatineau represented the 'Q' at the Memorial Cup in Kelowna in 2004.
• All four teams at the Memorial Cup have had their fingers fitted for a championship ring. Chiefs radio play-by-play man Mike Boyle reports all players took part in the ring fitting. But was Boyle included? Yours truly and Vancouver Giants play-by-play man Joey Kenward have Memorial Cup rings thanks to the generosity of the two organizations. If the Chiefs win the cup, I'd hope Boyle wouldn't be left out. Does he contribute to the Chiefs successes on the ice? No! That said, Boyle travels with this team, and if you ask the players, is considered apart of the team.
• Boyle should have a blast at his first Memorial Cup. Oh sure at times he will look like a chicken with his head cut off, but his responsibilities are to cover the Chiefs three round-robin games, a potential tie breaker and potentially the championship final. It's much easier than being the host broadcaster where you broadcast every game. All that glitters is not gold. Calling every game at the Memorial Cup simply doesn't allow you to enjoy the festivities outside of the arena. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time as the host broadcaster in 2004, but being able to enjoy all aspects of the event like I did in Quebec City in 2003 and London Ontario in 2005 makes for a more relaxed experience. While the trip to the Memorial Cup is business, you have to have some fun along the way.
• Why do I love junior hockey so much? It's cool to watch the NHL playoffs and say "I remember watching that guy play". I found myself saying that the other night when Maxine Talbot scored a big goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference final. Talbot was part of the Gatineau Olympiques at the 2004 Memorial Cup in Kelowna. One thing that hasn't changed from his days as a junior is his beard. His playoff beard was as good in 2004 as it is today as a pro.