The U18 AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs begin their quest for a provincial title on Wednesday.
The Chiefs will take on the Calgary Royals in the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) south division quarter-finals.
The best of three series begins on Wednesday in Calgary at 6:30 p.m. but Game 2 is set for Saturday, March 2 at Servus Arena at 4:45 p.m.
If needed, Game 3 will be played in Calgary on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. at the Stu Peppard Arena.
The Royals finished just one point ahead of the Chiefs in the south division standings in fourth place.
The Calgary Flames also finished one point ahead of Red Deer in third place with 45 points and the Airdrie CFR Bisons came in second place with 46 points. The fifth-place Chiefs finished the regular season with a 20-14-0-1-3 record and 44 points.
The Chiefs were led by forward Cooper Moore who notched 56 points and 26 goals in 38 games which was third-best in the league.
Last season the Chiefs just barely missed the playoffs after losing two of their final four regular season games left them on the outside looking in.
If the Chiefs win their series against the Royals they’ll advance to the south division semi-finals followed by the division finals and the league championship.
Meanwhile, the U15 AA Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs also begin their playoff journey this week.
They’ll take on the Southern Express in a best-of-three-game series in Red Deer. It begins on Friday at 5:45 p.m. at the Collicutt Centre followed by Game 2 on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. and if needed, Game 3 on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.
If the Sutter Fund Chiefs win they’ll move on to play another series in the provincial qualifying round. Provincials will be held in Airdrie from MArch 21-24.
