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Clash of CHL Titans
The Laredo Bucks and the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs will compete for the 2004 Central Hockey League title.

04.19.04 -- The 2003-2004 Ray Miron President's Cup Finals begin tonight in Laredo, Texas, as the Governors' Cup (regular season champion) Laredo Bucks host the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in Game One of the best of seven series to determine Central Hockey League supremacy.

Although this veritable clash of Central Hockey League titans will feature the CHL's top two defensive clubs from the regular season, you can expect plenty of scoring and fireworks.

The Bucks enter the title series with the most feared offensive attack in the circuit. They're averaging 4.09 goals per game in the regular season and are paced by the "Three Amigos" line of CHL Most Valuable Player Jeff Bes, Brent Cullaton and Chris Grenville.

The trio have accounted for 12 of Laredo's 36 goals through nine post-season games. Center Patrik Nilson has scored six times in their nine playoff games, and seven different Bucks have scored their seven playoff game winning goals.

Despite being the youngest team in the CHL (averaging 24.7 years per man), the Bucks also led the CHL in the regular season with a 2.27 goals against average, a 23.8 success rate with the man advantage, an 89.3 penalty kill rate and a CHL high 29.42 average penalty minutes per contest.

CHL Rookie of the Year David Guerrera and Marco Emond have performed admirably while splitting post-season goaltending duties, although Emond's status for the championship series is questionable following a recent lower leg injury.

Laredo swept Rio Grande Valley 3-0 in the opening round of the playoffs, and then topped Amarillo 4-2 in the Southern Conference Finals to advance.

For the Mudbugs, the swagger is back after failing to qualify for the playoffs last season for the first time in franchise history.

A refocused commitment to defense (2.28 goals against average in the regular season) and a quality mix of veteran leadership and youthful exuberance gave Bossier-Shreveport the Northeast Division title.

Most Valuable Player finalist Chad Spurr enjoyed a breakout year, posting career highs with 31 goals, 39 assists, 70 points and a +35 plus/minus rating. Veteran forward Chris Brassard led the club with 75 points, one of six Mudbugs finishing the season with 40 or more.

Leadership comes from veteran blueliner Jim Sprott, whose goal 3:43 into triple overtime against Wichita in Game Two of the Northern Conference Finals ended the third longest game in CHL playoff history, as well as sparkplug Dan Wildfong, who's leading the CHL post-season with seven goals while still embracing his reputation as a fiery and aggressive competitor.

Netminder Ken Carroll has been outstanding in the post-season with a goals against average of 2.12 and a save percentage of .924. The Mudbugs edged Indianapolis 3-2 in the opening round of the playoffs, then dispatched Wichita 4-1 in the Northern Conference Finals to advance.

Although the clubs have only met six times in their history (Bossier-Shreveport won four times), they have quickly developed an intense rivalry. Both clubs were dominant at home this season, with Laredo posting a CHL-best record of 27-2-3 at the Laredo Entertainment Center, and the Mudbugs a highly respectable 23-6-3 mark at the CenturyTel Center.

Bossier-Shreveport rattled off 15 straight home wins between November 28 and February 15, while Laredo's 21-game home winning streak between November 22 and March 3 established a CHL record, snapped ironically enough, by Bossier-Shreveport's 4-1 win on March 9.

In head to head action this season, Bossier-Shreveport won two of three meetings. On January 11, Laredo posted a 6-3 home victory by scoring five times in the second period. Patrik Nilson (two goals) and Jeff Bes (a goal and two assists) led the attack, with Chris Grenville rounding out the scoring with an empty net goal.

February 29 at the CenturyTel Center, the Mudbugs earned a 5-2 win behind a stellar performance from rookie Craig Soke, who broke a 2-2 deadlock with a goal in the second period and two more in the final frame.

The Mudbugs took the rubber match 4-1 in Laredo on March 9, with Craig Minard setting up three of Bossier-Shreveport's four goals in a spirited contest that saw a combined 106 penalty minutes assessed and ended the Bucks CHL-record home winning streak.

Bossier-Shreveport makes their fourth appearance in a championship series (having won three consecutive Western Professional Hockey League titles prior to the May 2001 CHL/WPHL merger), while the Bucks advance to the Finals in just their second season of play.

All-time in the post-season, Bossier-Shreveport has a sparkling record of 50-19, including a home mark of 31-5 the playoffs, while Laredo is 12-8 (6-4 both home and away) in their brief playoff history.

Both clubs should try to establish themselves early in the series in an all-out effort to win Game One, as in 16 historical CHL and WPHL championship series, the team winning the opening contest has gone on to win the title 15 times.

Expect a tight, physical series and special teams to play the largest role in determining who ultimately hoists the 2003-2004 Ray Miron President's Cup.