The Minor Midget AAA Leduc Techmation Oil Kings travelled to Lloydminster the weekend of March 7-10 for the AMMHL CrossIce Developments North Cup playoff tournament. The Oil Kings entered the playoff tournament in 3rd place of 11 teams in the north division with a 21-10-3 record.
The Oil Kings finished 2-0-1 in the 3 game round robin portion of the tournament, placing them in the top spot in their pool. The team was defensively sound during the round robin, allowing only 4 goals against in 3 games played.
The Oil Kings faced Fort Saskatchewan in the semi-final, beating them by a score of 5-2 including 3 power play markers. Winning the game against Fort Saskatchewan secured the Oil Kings a spot in the Provincial Championships.
The North Championship Gold-Silver Final wrapped up the weekend for the Oil Kings, where they faced St. Albert. During regular season league play, the Oil Kings went 2-1 against the Flyers, beating them once at home and once in St. Albert. The Flyers entered the playoff tournament tied with the Oil Kings in points so the game promised to be a battle. The game was knotted at 1 after the 1st period, but Leduc came out strong in the 2nd, tallying 3 goals in the period. St. Albert would add a quick goal to start the 3rd, making it 4-2. Ultimately, the boys battled hard and hung on to claim victory with a 5-3 win.
The strength of the team’s goaltending along with strong defensive play and offensive contributions throughout the line-up allowed the team to find success in the playoff tournament. The Oil Kings hope to carry the momentum into the Provincial Championships on March 20-24 in Edmonton.