It is no secret that a trio of overage forwards drove the bus for the Red Deer Rebels this season.
Without the standout year from Brandon Hagel and career highs in goals from Jeff de Wit and Reese Johnson, Red Deer would not have made the playoffs.
Their leadership and ability to control the game led the Rebels into the Eastern Conference wild-card spot and a date with the top-seeded Prince Albert Raiders.
At many points throughout the 2018-19 campaign, the three played together and were dominant. Hagel posted the first 100-point season by a Rebel since the 2010-11 season.
Johnson was the top faceoff man in the league, winning 65.3 per cent of his draws while also scoring 27 goals. De Wit, after passing through overage waivers in the summer, came home to Red Deer, played a career-high 66 games, scoring 27 goals, including 12 on the power play. Between the three 1998-born forwards, they have 686 combined WHL games and 90 playoff games.
The 21-year-old de Wit, who advanced to the second round last season with the Victoria Royals and the WHL Final two years ago with the Regina Pats, understands the role veterans need to play in the series.
“We just have to stay the course. The three of us know it’s a series for a reason. There’s seven games and if you happen to lose one, you have to have a short memory,” said de Wit, who turned 21 on March 14.
“You have to go to the next game with a clear head and get after it.That’s important for us and we have to lead the way. That’s our job and it all starts the three of us.”
Prince Albert is also guided by a trio of overage players up front.
Noah Gregor, Sean Montgomery and Dante Hannoun are all in their final WHL season and guided the ship for the Raiders.
Gregor had 43 goals, which was more than any Rebel player. Hannoun was acquired before the trade deadline from the Victoria Royals and had 31 points in 28 games.
Together, they have played 912 WHL games, including 70 playoff contests.
That alone will be a tall task for the Rebels but not the only challenge.
They will need to find some way to limit a Raiders team that scored 4.5 goals per game and only allowed 2.3 per-contest.
“It has to be kind of a war. Trying to get into the trenches, Brent always talks about that. With them, they have so much skill you can’t play river hockey with them,” added de Wit, who has played in 50 career WHL playoff games.
“You can’t try and beat them at their own game because they’re so good at it. You have to make them play a different style game and get pucks behind them and work down low in the corners. That’s your best shot at beating them.”
Stopping Brett Leason, 19, the Raiders leading scorer with 36 goals and 53 assists, will also be top of mind for the Rebels overage trio if they play together in the series.
When the puck drops on his final WHL playoff journey, Johnson, the Rebels captain is trying to embrace a simple approach to it all.
“Just focus on the game. Take it day by day and enjoy it,” Johnson said.
The series starts Friday and Saturday in Prince Albert, before shifting to Red Deer for Game 3 and 4 next week. Game 3 is set for March 26, with puck drop at 7 p.m. at the Centrium.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter