It’s a regular-season wrecking crew facing a playoff powerhouse in a series for all (or none of) the marbles as the Brooks Bandits and Prince George Spruce Kings meet in the Doyle Cup.

Regardless of the outcome, both teams are bound for Canada’s National Junior A Championship; the Bandits will host the tournament beginning May 11, while the Spruce Kings have secured their spot as the Pacific representatives.

Brooks spent most of the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the CJHL on the back of a historic campaign – it won 57 of 60 games (an AJHL record), including the final 33 in a row (another AJHL record). Prince George, meanwhile, saved its best hockey for when it mattered most; it romped through the BCHL playoffs with three-consecutive sweeps, brushing aside Chilliwack (the defending national champions), Victoria and Vernon to claim its first-ever league title.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (NJAC FINISH)
2018 – Wenatchee Wild (third place)
2012 – Penticton Vees (national champions)
2011 – Vernon Vipers (second place)
2010 – Vernon Vipers (national champions)
2009 – Vernon Vipers (national champions)

BROOKS BANDITS
AJHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 57-3-0 (1st in AJHL)
Goals for: 334 (1st in AJHL)
Goals against: 125 (1st in AJHL)
Power play: 95 for 321 (29.6% – 1st in AJHL)
Penalty killing: 211 of 250 (84.4% – 7th in AJHL)
Leading scorer: William Lemay (32G 58A 90P – 1st in AJHL)

Playoff record: 12-3
Goals for: 66
Goals against: 34
Power play: 15 for 69 (21.7%)
Penalty killing: 63 of 71 (88.7%)
Leading scorer: William Lemay (11G 12A 23P)

ROAD TO THE DOYLE CUP
Quarter-final: defeated Canmore 4-1 (8-2, 8-1, 2-3 OT, 4-3 OT, 4-0)
Semifinal: defeated Okotoks 4-2 (7-5, 3-6, 6-1, 6-5 OT, 2-3, 3-0)
AJHL championship: defeated Spruce Grove 4-0 (3-2, 3-2 2OT, 5-1, 2-0)

Last national championship appearance: 2017 (second place)
Total national championship appearances: 3 (2013, 2016, 2017)

PRINCE GEORGE SPRUCE KINGS
BCHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 39-13-6 (2nd in BCHL)
Goals for: 181 (10th in BCHL)
Goals against: 120 (1st in BCHL)
Power play: 47 for 238 (19.7% – 11th in BCHL)
Penalty killing: 153 of 185 (82.7% – 4th in BCHL)
Leading scorer: Dustin Manz (33G 37A 70P – 4th in BCHL)

Playoff record: 16-1
Goals for: 65
Goals against: 27
Power play: 16 for 59 (27.1%)
Penalty killing: 39 of 48 (81.3%)
Leading scorer: Ben Poisson (13G 8A 21P)

ROAD TO THE DOYLE CUP
Preliminary round: defeated Coquitlam 4-1 (3-1, 3-2 OT, 5-2, 0-3, 4-2)
Quarter-final: defeated Chilliwack 4-0 (7-0, 3-2, 8-0, 3-1)
Semifinal: defeated Victoria 4-0 (4-2, 4-2, 4-2, 3-2 OT)
BCHL championship: defeated Vernon 4-0 (3-1, 4-1, 4-3 OT, 3-1)

Last national championship appearance: 2007 (second place)
Total national championship appearances: 1 (2007)