| Subject: Cougars Complete Upset - Clinch Hoser Cup |
Author:
Brock Rockjaw
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Date Posted: 23:29:58 09/14/02 Sat
Teamwork. It’s a concept that Calgary coach Craig MacTavish preached to his team all year. When the team started strong, MacTavish talked of the teamwork involved in balancing the offense and defensive loads. When Joe Sakic missed half the season, team work was what kept the Cougars in the playoff hunt, as Steve Yzerman and Tony Amonte picked up the reins and ran with them. And Teamwork has led the Cougars to their 1st Hoser Cup Championship. The Cats won game six in an OT thriller, as Kris Draper got his 6th of the postseason to clinch the Cup. The sold out Saddledome erupted, and the Cats flew off the bench to swarm the celebrating Draper. The grins on the Calgary players faces couldn’t have been knocked off with a shovel. Joe Sakic, leading scorer of the playoffs, was quick to point out the team effort involved. "Sure. I got some lucky bounces and led in points. But look down our entire roster. Stevie, Tony, Beelze, Hullsy…these guys all rose to the occasion in this run. And don’t forget Kidder! He was golfing up in Red Deer 2 weeks ago, and now he’s getting a Hoser Cup Ring after being able to stop that powerful Halifax offense. He and Irbe were both fantastic for us. We knew that most nights they’d be able to keep us in the games until we could get our offense in gear. All 3 of our units (forwards, d-men and netminders) gelled in the finals here, and we were fortunate enough to win it all."
MacTavish, no stranger to championships in his playing days, says that winning one as a coach is a completely different feeling. "It’s so difficult watching from behind the bench. Especially when we went into OT. I came this close to jumping out there for the opening draw! But I had complete faith in these guys. We worked very hard on a plan to shut Halifax down, and they executed perfectly. This series Joe Sakic showed why he is perhaps the best Captain in the GWHL right now. His 3 points tonight were big, but so were the words he spoke after the third period. Joe’s a quiet guy, but when he talks, you better believe these guys listen. Even the older guys like Hull and Yzerman, he just seems to make them get that gleam in the eye and they’d come out flying." MacTavish also said the team thrived on being the under dog the last two series. "I’d spoken to a couple GM’s, and they made it sound like the Harpoons and Totems were locks to make the finals, and that the rest of us were just wasting our time. So winning this the way we did will hopefully prove that this team is for real. We beat three of the top four teams in the league to take the championship (The Cougars themselves were the 3rd best team in terms of points). Depending on what moved are made during the summer, I don’t think anyone will be calling us under dogs next year."
So the city of Calgary will continue to celebrate, with a parade planned for Monday, and beer gardens being set out in the block surrounding the Calgary Tower. The Parking lot of the Glenbow Museum will be the site of a free BBQ at noon, with the Cougars arriving at the Tower at 130pm. Be sure to bring a camera, because who knows when we’ll get to see the Hoser Cup in Calgary again.
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