Is there anything better than playoff hockey?

No. Only in the playoffs can rivalries be taken to the next level and in a split second, another rivalry can be formed. Locally, the MJHL (Manitoba Junior Hockey League) playoffs are heating up and making new experiences for everyone watching and playing.

“The playoffs are interesting and exciting for the fans,” MJHL commissioner Kim Davis told mjhlhockey.com. “The match-ups are excellent.”

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is down to their final four teams. In the Addison Division, the Winnipeg Saints are battling the Selkirk Steelers, while the Portage Terriers are going at with the Dauphin Kings in the Sherwood Division.

And with the playoffs come a lot of mixed emotions.

“You do have a small feeling of helplessness and nervousness but it’s definitely more of an exciting feeling,” said Winnipeg Saints assistant head coach Trevor Stokes. “All you can do is hope that your players have absorbed everything from the successful season and practices and use it to keep winning.”

“There is usually a combination of excitement as well as nerves hoping the team is prepared and focused for the game,” said coach Blake Spiller of the Portage Terriers.

There’s no question its tough being a coach during these times. Sure, when you are winning it’s all good and fun but what about when you’re losing, all you can do is stand and watch. Besides benching or double shifting players, the only tool you really have is your words and you hope that your team can follow through with them.

“You work all season for this time of year,” said Stokes. “If something is going wrong, we have practices and in between periods to hopefully fix things up.”

Players must learn to control and maintain there emotions while not changing their game plans or trying to do too much as players.

“It is really hard to get a read on players’ emotions – again we hope they have confidence in the game plan and are prepared to stick to it,” said Spiller.

In the playoffs, there is simply too much to lose.

“It was physically and emotionally exhausting,” Selkirk goaltender Alan Armour said after a recent game. “That’s playoff hockey.”

There is no question that a 62-game regular season is physically demanding but it is a time where a loss can be handled calmly since there are other games to make it up. On the other hand, the playoffs are a seven game series that make for a hard race to four wins; not much room for error.

This time of year separates the boys from the men. The playoffs are where the rookies look to the veterans for leadership, experience and a drive to take them a step further. At the end of the day though, the trophy is there for the taking; but who wants it more, you or them?

Published in Volume 63, Number 24 of The Uniter (March 19, 2009)