It's Kitimat Ice Demons v Williams Lake - again - as finalists emerge from division races in CIHL championship series

The Kitimat Ice Demons, defending CIHL playoff champions, and the Williams Lake Stampeders, will again play off for the Rio Tinto Cup in the CIHL championship series. Both won their divisional championships in tough, best-of-three series that went all the way. The Ice Demons, winners 3-2 in Smithers in game one, played poorly and lost 5-2 in game two, Saturday night, on home ice, to the Steelheads, but had the edge in a 3-2 double overtime win that gave the fans their money's worth in Kitimat on Sunday. The Stampeders, after losing game one in Williams Lake, had an uphill battle to win two on the road, but succeeded, winning both games by identical scores of 3-1. These two teams met in October, with Williams Lake coming from behind to win in a 9-8 shootout and then 5-3 on the October 10-11 weekend. Demons will be out to make up for that - and losing twice to the Stamps in the Terrace Coy Cup, won by Williams Lake.