1997 – Rebels take 3-0 series lead against Regina
Continuing their opening-round playoff series with the Regina Pats, Red Deer looked to put a stranglehold on. With the series turning to Regina, the Rebels would need to turn it up.
And they did in a big way.
The team did get off to a slow start, allowing the home side to open the game with an early goal and a 1-0 lead. After the goal, Red Deer was able to settle things down and keep it a one-goal game through 20 minutes.
Red Deer exploded for three goals in the second period, two from Brad Leeb and a single from Terry Ryan. Leeb’s first goal was scored short-handed, while Ryan’s goal proved to be the eventual game-winner.
Regina did score again early in the third period to make it 3-2 but Red Deer proved too strong. B.J. Young and Terry Ryan scored power-play goals and Brad Leeb scored to give him a hat trick and the Rebels skated away to a 6-2 victory. They now lead the opening round playoff series 3-0.
Marc Magliarditi made 28 saves in the win.
1998 – Broncos move to 3-1 series lead
The mighty Broncos would not be denied two games in a row as they came out hard in a 3-2 win over the Rebels.
Swift Current opened up a three-goal lead over the first 32 minutes of the game. When Red Deer finally got things going it was too little too late. Frantisek Mrazek and Henry Kuster scored 1:06 apart in the third period to make the game interesting but even with Dustin Schwartz pulled in the final 40 seconds, there was no third goal for the Rebels.
Schwartz made 22 saves in the loss as the teams went back to Swift Current for game five with the Broncos up 3-1 in the series.
2001 – Hurricanes surprise
48 points separated the two teams as they started their opening-round playoff series. Red Deer was the top team in the WHL with 114 points but that didn’t appear to scare off the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Red Deer skated to a 2-0 lead, with Kyle Wanvig scoring both goals. The team appeared to be in the driver’s seat, holding Lethbridge to just five first period shots. However, the Hurricanes scored on one of their five second period shots. The teams headed to the intermission with Red Deer out front 2-1.
The Hurricanes continued to press in the third period, managing to the Rebels to eight shots. Lethbridge managed eight shots on Shane Bendera and snuck one through with 6:35 to play in regulation. This goal sent the teams to overtime.
Despite relentless pressure from the home team, it was Lethbridge’s Brian Patterson scoring the sudden-death goal at 7:46 of the overtime period.
Blake Ward made 30 saves for the Hurricanes, Shane Bendera made 19 saves in the loss.
Lethbridge led the series 1-0 with game two set for the next night.
2002 – Round 1, Game 2 against Lethbridge
The Rebels and the Hurricanes met for the second night in a row, the Rebels held a 1-0 series lead.
Red Deer came out of the gate quickly, scoring three times in the first period. Joel Stepp opened the scoring before the game was three minutes old. It came short-handed. About 14 minutes into the period future NHLer Colby Armstrong also scored short-handed. Then with just over a minute to play in the opening frame Jeff Woywitka made it 3-0 Red Deer.
The middle 20 minutes saw the Hurricanes attempt to make a comeback. They scored twice before the Rebels responded with five minutes remaining in the period. Colin Fraser got Red Deer back on track and sent the teams back to locker rooms with the Rebels up 4-2.
Lethbridge got themselves back to within a goal early in the third period. The Hurricanes needed to pull their goalie for an extra attacker late in the game in hopes of tying the score. Red Deer instead scored into the empty net as Boyd Gordon fired a goal into the yawning cage.
Red Deer took a 2-0 series lead as the teams headed to Lethbridge. Cam Ward had 19 saves in the win.
2004 – Round 1, Game 3 against Calgary
Red Deer and Calgary met for Game 3 in Calgary with Red Deer already leading the series 2-0.
With the home crowd behind them, the Hitmen put in a herculean effort getting the Rebels 2-0. Steve Covington tallied in the first period and Ryan Getzlaf scored in the second period for Calgary.
Barry Brust made 26 saves in the shutout win. Cam Ward made 28 saves on 30 shots.
The Hitmen made the series 2-1 for the Rebels.
2007 – Taming the Tigers
The Rebels and Tigers met for the first game of their first-round series following the 2006-07 regular season. Medicine Hat was the Eastern Conference’s top team, earning 107 points. They took on the Central Division’s fourth seed Red Deer who earned 79 points.
The goals came early and often in their series-opening match. Red Deer had early power-play chances and scored three early goals with the man advantage. Before the game was nine minutes old the Rebels had power-play goals from Kirill Starkov, Dustin Moore, and Scott Doucet.
Red Deer then took two penalties and gave Medicine Hat a lengthy 5-on-3. They climbed back into the game with power-play goals 17 seconds apart.
That was all the offense Medicine Hat could muster though as the Rebels added three more goals from Starkov, Doucet, and an empty-net goal from Luke Egener. Martin Hanzal had three assists on the night.
Future NHL goaltender James Reimer made 38 saves as the Rebels took a 1-0 series lead.
2013 – Round 1, Game 2 against Prince Albert
The Rebels had a 1-0 series lead over the Prince Albert Raiders as the teams met for their second game in as many nights.
Red Deer staked themselves to a three-goal lead before Prince Albert responded with two goals. Red Deer’s goals came from Cody Thiel, Rhyse Dieno, and future Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba.
Prince Albert was unable to score a third goal on Patrik Bartosak, he made 36 saves in giving the Rebels a 2-0 series lead.
2018 – Round 1, Game 1 against Lethbridge
Only five points separated the two teams in the standings as Lethbridge edged Red Deer with 72 points.
The opening game of the playoffs for both teams made it look as though the Hurricanes were dominant. They scored six goals from six different players and Logan Flodell made 30 saves to preserve a shutout win.
Jake Elmer scored once and added two assists and Jadon Joseph added three assists to pace the Hurricanes in the win.
The 1-0 series lead went to Lethbridge and the two teams would meet again the following night in Lethbridge.
