By Jeff D'Andrea

Get to know the Telus Cup field

Apr 19, 2014 | 3:33 PM

The Prince Albert Mintos are the only team out of the six participating in this year’s tournament that have a Telus Cup national championship to their name.

They have two, as a matter of fact, having won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. In the tournament’s 40-year history, the Mintos are one of only four teams to have defended their national championship.

The Mintos are also 14-0 all-time at the Telus Cup, and have the second longest winning streak in Telus Cup history. Ste-Foy from Quebec is the winning-streak holder, getting 18 wins in a row from 1978-1980.

Here’s a little more on the Mintos’ schedule and their opponents. All games will be at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw.

Toronto Young Nationals (Central Region), April 21, noon

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The Toronto Young Nationals posted a pedestrian 3-2 record in their round robin, before winning both of their playoff games 6-1 against Markham in the semifinals and 4-2 against Ottawa to win the Central Regionals.

Jeremy Pullara led the regionals in scoring with 11 points in seven games. He also led in penalty minutes with 14. Young Nats goaltender Izzy Beningo has a 4-1 record and 1.80 goals against average.

No team from Toronto has ever won a national midget AAA tournament since they began in 1974. Despite their moniker, the Nationals haven’t made it to the national stage in 13 years, where they earned a bronze.

Regular season: 23-5-5 (1st)
Playoffs: 12-2-2
Top 5 scorers (regular season)

Noah Gurr 32 GP, 18 G, 18 A, 36 PTS
Steven Harland 32 GP, 17 G, 18 A, 35 PTS
Mackenzie Graham 32 GP, 17 G, 15 A, 32 PTS
Marco Bozzo 32 GP, 13 G, 17 A, 32 PTS
Jeremy Pullara, 29 GP, 10 G, 17 A, 27 PTS

Goaltenders
Oliver Jacobs, 16-3-1, 2.70 GAA

Grenadiers de Châteauguay (Quebec Region), April 22, noon

The Grenadiers de Châteauguay needed all seven games to beat the Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin in the Quebec Midget AAA hockey league finals and qualify for the Telus Cup. Unlike other league winners, the Grenadiers did not have to attend regionals.

Regular season: 24-16-0-1 (5th)
Playoffs: 11-3
Top 5 scorers (regular season)

Brandon McCulloch 42 GP, 20 G, 34 A, 54 PTS
Justin Samson 42 GP, 22 G, 26 A, 48 PTS
Alexandre Payusov 42 GP, 18 G, 27 A, 45 PTS
Pascal Laberge, 40 GP, 20 G, 23 A, 43 PTS
Samuel Laberge, 40 GP, 17 G, 20 A, 37 PTS

Goaltenders
Étienne Montpetit 16-1, 2.46 GAA, .922 SV%

Okanagan Rockets (Pacific), April 23, 4 p.m.

The Red Deer Optimist Chiefs will not have a chance to make it three straight Telus Cup titles. The Chiefs, who won the last two Telus Cups, lost to the Okanagan Rockets in the Pacific Regionals in three games. The Rockets won Game 1 3-1, the Chiefs rebounded with a 7-1 win in Game 2, before the Rockets won in overtime 3-2 in the deciding Game 3 to move on to the Telus Cup.

Former Prince Albert Raiders prospect Jake Kryski plays for the Rockets. The Raiders drafted Kryski 13th overall in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, then shipped him to the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for overage goaltender Cole Cheveldave. 

In just seven post-season games, Kryski had six goals and 11 points. Kryski had 16 goals and 48 points in 37 regular season games this year.

Regular season: 32-5-3 (1st)
Playoffs: 5-1
Top 5 scorers (regular season)

Tyson Jost 36 GP, 44 G, 44 A, 88 PTS
Tanner Campbell 38 GP, 29 G, 38 A, 67 PTS
Liam Finlay 28 GP, 17 G, 34 A, 51 PTS
Jake Kryski 37 GP, 16 G, 32 A, 48 PTS
Cory Santoro 40 GP, 20 G, 24 A, 44 PTS

Goaltenders
Reid Kilburn 17-4-1, 2.56

Moose Jaw Generals (Hosts), April 24, 7:30 p.m.

The Generals will have by far the longest layoff heading into the Telus Cup. They haven’t played a game since March 9, when they were ousted by the Regina Pat Canadians in Game 4 of the first round of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs.

The Generals beat the Mintos in all of the first three meetings between the two sides with a 1-0 win to begin the season Sept. 28, a 5-1 victory Oct. 13 and 2-1 on Jan. 26.

The Mintos finally picked up a victory Feb. 8 against the Generals on Feb. 8.

Only four hosts have won the national championship in the 40 years of the tournament. The latest was in 1991 when the Calgary Northstars won it in Calgary. The 1990 Riverains de Richelieu, 1984 North Bay Pine Hill and the 1976 Calgary Spurs are the other three hosts to win gold.

Regular season: 25-9-7-3 (4th)
Playoffs: 1-3
Top 5 scorers (regular season)

Donovan Neuls 43 GP, 19 G, 33 A, 52 PTS
Rykr Cole 41 GP, 23 G, 22 A, 45 PTS
Trey Tendler 38 GP, 23 G, 18 A, 41 PTS
Dawson Davidson 42 GP, 5 G, 34 A, 39 PTS
Riley Cannon 44 GP, 13 G, 23 A, 36 PTS

Goaltenders
Grant Naherniak, 15-7-5, 2.68 GAA, .905 SV%

Halifax McDonald’s (Atlantic Region), April 25, 1 p.m.

Halifax McDonald’s went 4-0 in their round robin, outscoring their opposition 16-3 before beating St. John 5-4 in the Atlantic Regionals.

Defenceman Morgan Nauss led Halifax in scoring with six points in four games, third overall in Atlantic Regionals scoring. Justin Ritchey had a .914 save percentage and 1.80 goals against average.

Of the five regions, the Atlantic Region is the only one to not have won a gold medal. Their only silver came in 2002 thanks to the Dartmouth Subways which featured NHL phenom Sidney Crosby.

Regular season: 44-9-1-2
Playoffs: 12-5
Top 5 scorers (regular season)

Luc Poirier 34 GP, 15 G, 37 A, 52 PTS
Johnny Jones, 32 GP, 19 G, 20 A, 39 PTS
Dillon Boucher, 34 GP, 16 G, 22 A, 38 PTS
Jordan Yochoff, 34 GP, 15 G, 23 A, 38 PTS
Justin Doiron, 32 GP, 12 G, 19 A, 31 PTS

Goaltenders

Justin Ritchey, 15-3, 2.31 GAA, .930 SV%
Reilly Pickard, 13-3, 2.00 GAA, .930 SV%

The semifinals will be on April 26.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea