CIHL final positions? It’s a big guessing game and it’s anybody’s guess who take over as #1

This past weekend in the CIHL answered a couple of glaring questions about possible first place finishes in league’s East and West Divisions for the 2006-07 season. As expected, the first two clashes between the Omenica Ice and the runaway leaders of the East Division, the Williams Lake Stampeders, only created more questions, as the Ice took three of four points from the Stamps in their own barn, the two teams tying 6-6 on Saturday night and the Ice prevailing 7-3 in the Sunday afternoon game, to close the gap between the teams by three points. However, the Stamps still hold an overwhelming seven point lead, with 27 points compared to Ice’s 20 points total. Both teams have six games remaining. The Ice will have two more chances to close the gap some more as the two teams go at it again this coming weekend, Jan 13 and 14 in Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake. Then it gets complicated in the east. The Ice need to re-schedule two snowed-out games with the Houston Luckies and will also have two more games against the third place Mackenzie Moose. Wins all the way could mathematically make them eastern division champs, but likely the Stamps still have the edge, with two games remaining against the division doormats, the 100 Mile House Bears. They likely only need two of these four points to clinch first place. The Bears took a point from an 8-8 tie, at home, Sunday against the Mackenzie Moose, and could still be spoilers for the Stamps. Moose won the Saturday night game in a close one, 4-3. With the difficulty of re-arranging the cancelled games, the Ice could be in danger of having to cede the points to Houston and that could spell a second place finish and a valid complaint from the Smithers Steelheads who are battling the Luckies for the final playoff spot in the league. The Ice turned down an opportunity to play the delayed games on the New Year weekend, much to the chagrin of the Luckies. Given the Hazelton Wolverines two losses to the Houston Luckies, 9-2 Saturday and by a whopping 14-3, on Sunday, the western division Luckies will surely not be willing to give any more advantage of the Ice as the two teams are currently tied with 20 points, with the Ice having two more games to play. With the Houston games still on the menu, somewhere, the Ice will have the tougher row to hoe. Meanwhile, the Smithers Steelheads currently have a grip on the third overall playoff spot, at the end of the weekend’s play. The Steelheads defeated Terrace River Kings, in Terrace, 7-1 on Saturday night, to take both points and move to within two points of the division-leading Kitimat Ice Demons. The Ice Demons, however, who have 24 points, have five games remaining, all against lower standing teams in their own division. After Saturday’s game against the Kings, the Steelheads will have only two games remaining, against the Houston Luckies, who are on a surge. Demons will take on the struggling Wolverines in Kitimat this weekend in a double header. The Demons three remaining games are all on the road, two in Hazelton, against the Wolverines and a final game in Terrace against the River Kings on Jan. 30.