If you ask the Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos tomorrow's Memorial Cup game isn't really amplified by their rivalry.

The two Saskatchewan teams meet in the final game of the 100th Memorial Cup round robin and are publicly downplaying the specific match-up while focusing more on the stakes of the game.

"The significance is because we want to play on Friday (in the semi-final) with home ice," said Pats Coach/GM John Paddock, echoing comments from players and coaches of both teams. "That's the only thing that's in our minds."

A Swift Current win would force a tiebreaker between the two teams again on Thursday. Regina could advance straight to the semi-final game against Hamilton with a victory.

While the players mostly agreed with their coach's sentiment, Regina captain Sam Steel did admit some redemption from a first round loss to the Broncos had at least slightly crossed their minds.

"We've thought about it," Steel said. "We're just trying to advance and put ourselves in the best position possible and they're trying to stay alive. It's two teams that have a lot at stake."

There's a lot of history between the Broncos and Pats that doesn't just date back to this year.

Regina ended Swift Current's season with a four game sweep three years ago and in a seven-game second round battle last year. The Pats had also eliminated Giorgio Estephan, Stuart Skinner, Tanner Nagel and the Lethbridge Hurricanes in back-to-back seasons on top of ending the season for Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn, Andrew Fyten and the Calgary Hitmen last spring. Even with new additions from other teams there were seventeen players on the Broncos looking for some redemption against Regina.

Swift Current seemed to get that Regina monkey off their backs with Game 7 win at home in a hotly contested first round series. Now at 0-2 in the Memorial Cup their season is again on the line against the Pats.

The Broncos can lean on experience with potential elimination games against both Regina and Moose Jaw earlier this playoff run.

"We're not crying in there," said Broncos goaltender Stuart Skinner. "We're not down... we've been in this situation so many times. We've been in how many game sevens and how many overtimes... every time our backs are against the wall we come out the other side. It depends how we come out."

The Broncos have also generally bounced back when they've hit a rut. That includes responding to lopsided Game 4 and 6 losses against Regina in the first round and back-to-back 5-1 losses against Lethbridge in the Eastern Conference Final. In those moments the Broncos seemed to have lost their game and were able to regroup and get back to what made them successful.

"Just staying in the now is a big thing for our group," said Broncos Head Coach/Director of Player Personnel Manny Viveiros. "What happened we can't change. What we can control is what we do today and what we do tomorrow. How we prepare, our rest, our food, everything and our focus and our desperation level. That's something we can control. When we do that we usually play quite well. I'm expecting and our kids are expecting us to be much better."



"We've been in those situations when we don't win and we're done. We just have to make sure we go through our normal routine to get rid of the nervousness. If we're prepared and mentally ready we're going to be fine."

Looking back at the first round battle with Regina the Broncos want to get back to a style of play that puts pressure on the Pats.

"I think we played pretty relentless," noted Swift Current captain Glenn Gawdin. "It was a long series and could have gone either way, but I thought we stuck with or game throughout the ups and downs... and we ended up winning that series. For us it's just staying relentless and patient."



There were plenty of ups and downs in a series that saw the teams trade wins all the way up to Swift Current's Game 7 victory. Both can look back on games they had almost total control of as inspiration for their Memorial Cup contest.

"We knew each other so well. Nine straight games," Paddock said. "I don't think there was anything easy. Sometimes in the last two home games we played there was a little bit more open ice for whatever reason. For the most part Swift Current doesn't give up home ice home or away. They're not going to give up open ice tomorrow very freely just like I hope Heppo and Glenn don't get open ice from us. It's going to be a grind 'em out game I think... I don't think it has the potential to be a high scoring game."



Swift Current has turned the puck over more and given up more high quality scoring chances in the first two games of this tournament than they had in most of their playoff run.

"We've got to push the pace," Paddock said. "That's how we like to play to start with. Just do that. That's always been a big part of our game is playing at a high tempo. The puck moves faster than anyone can skate so if you're doing good things with the puck you're playing at a high tempo."

Gawdin made a similar statement focusing on getting the puck moving more quickly than the Broncos had against the Bulldogs. The sluggish performance against Hamilton has some wondering if the Broncos are too banged up and fatigued to play at the level they have at other times in the playoffs.

"Our mindset is still the same," Gawdin said. "We've got six days left... we're feeling good. We're here for a reason and that's to win. It's pretty easy to get up obviously our backs against the wall."

Steel and Gawdin have been matched up against each other for a lot of big games throughout their junior careers. This next one might be the biggest for two of the CHL's best centres.

"It's going to be a great match-up," Steel said. "He's a great player. We've had a lot of battles. It might be the last one at this level. I'm just preparing for playing one of the biggest games of my career and I'm sure he is too. It's going to be a great game."

Skinner was the story of Swift Current's 2-1 loss to Hamilton and has been one of the biggest stories of their playoff run this year. The Pats will look back on his last two games at the Brandt Centre against Regina which saw him pulled during decisive Pats victories as a reminder he can be human.

"He's a good goalie but if you get puck and bodies towards the net and get in front of him I think you can score against him," said Pats forward Cameron Hebig. "Not trying to let him see the puck and get lots of rubber on him."

Skinner can also use those experiences as motivation to avoid that same feeling again.

"I think we're going to have that mentality where if you make a mistake, you make a mistake," Skinner said. "Going through adversity and going through mistakes... I've been pulled in this barn so now I know how to react to that and how it feels so I'm going to do my very best to make sure I don't get that feeling again."

The two teams may have some extra fans on their side for this game. A Swift Current win would earn Hamilton a bye right to the Memorial Cup championship game, while a Regina victory gives that spot to Acadie-Bathurst.

"We're cheering for Swift Current," said Bulldogs defenceman Riley Stillman after their 3-2 win over the Titan. "If they win that puts us in a tie with (Acadie-Bathurst) and I think we win the tiebreaker there. We're cheering for Swift Current and they should have a good game. They're 0-2 right now and they're a desperate team. We're pushing for them and hopefully they can do a job."

You can listen to our broadcast of Wednesday's game live on The Eagle 94.1 FM with Robertson Family Group Broncos Hockey at 7:30pm.