The Castlegar Rebels begin their run at the 2013 Cyclone Taylor Cup tonight, as the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League champions take on the host Comox Valley Glacier Kings at 7:30 p.m. at the Comox Valley Sports Centre.
The Rebels got past the Spokane Braves four games to one in the first round of the playoffs, then fought a gruelling battle with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks in a division series that went seven games.
After that they dispatched the Golden Rockets in four straight for the Kootenay Conference title before taking on the winners of the Okanagan Shuswap Conference, the North Okanagan Knights. The Rebels ultimately took the final KIJHL series in five games.
Success is said to breed success but this is a team that has been taking the entire season one game at a time and they have no plans to change a winning formula now.
The Glacier Kings made their way through the first round of the playoffs with a sweep of the Oceanside Generals, won games three through six against the Nanaimo Buccaneers after being down two games to one, but then were swept themselves in the VIJHL finals by the Victoria Cougars.
After tonight, the Rebels will face the champions of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, the Victoria Cougars, Friday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m. and then the Pacific International Junior Hockey League winners, the Richmond Sockeyes, Saturday, April 13 at 3:30 p.m. in round-robin play.
On Sunday, April 14, the field will have been set to see who will compete for the top spot.
The runner-up game is scheduled for Sunday, April 14 at 10:30 a.m. with the championship being decided starting at 2:30 p.m.
The winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup moves on to compete for the Western Canada "B" Crown, the Keystone Cup, against teams from Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan, April 18 - 21 in St. Malo, Manitoba.
The Castlegar News will be following the games and will provide regular updates at www.facebook.com/CastlegarNews, Twitter (@CastlegarNews) and CastlegarNews.com.