Spring is in the air and what a great time it is to be a hockey fan.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs are about to get underway with a number of teams in action within a few hour drive including the hometown Humboldt Broncos.
I have to admit after not seeing SJHL playoff hockey last year I am looking forward to my first taste of playoff hockey in Saskatchewan.
If regular season games against Notre Dame and Nipawin are any indication it is going to be fun.
The Midget AA Broncos also remain alive in their quest for a third consecutive league championship.
But the fun does not stop there as there will be plenty of Western Hockey League playoff action in the province as well as the Regina Pats, considered one of the best teams in Canada, as well as the Swift Current
Broncos and Moose Jaw Warriors have all clinched playoff spots.
The Saskatoon Blades are also currently in the thick of the playoff hunt and could potentially set up a first round match up against the aforementioned Pats.
Moving up the ladder, while it is difficult for residents of Saskatchewan to take in a live National Hockey League game, there will be plenty of Canadian content on our television sets this spring.
A welcome change from last year.
In the Western Conference the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are both sitting comfortably in the playoffs, holding ten and eight point leads respectively and the Winnipeg Jets sit just three points back of the final playoff spot.
Out East it is a similar situation as both the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators both appear to be comfortably in the playoffs and the Toronto Maple Leafs are just one point out.
All told, after a year where we had zero Canadian content in the playoffs we could see as many as six of the seven teams in the playoffs, marking the second time in three years at least five Canadian teams have been in the playoffs.
So for hockey fans out there, there is plenty of exciting hockey to come, between the Midget AA Broncos, the Junior A Broncos and other SJHL teams, WHL teams and the NHL spring is a wonder time.
Now let us enjoy this fantastic hockey, as we saw last year, it is not everyday we have so much action to choose from.
