PHOTOS: Wayne Moore (Justin Schultz)/Garrett James Photography (Colton Sissons)
The rare feat of back-to-back Stanley Cups is just four wins away for Warriors alumni Justin Schultz as the Pittsburgh Penguins look to become the first team since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 to hoist Lord Stanley in back-to-back seasons. Standing in the Penguins way is another former Warrior in Colton Sissons and the cinderella story that is the Nashville Predators.
Schultz and the Penguins have battled through major injuries throughout the course of their playoff run and have impressively earned their way back into the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games before eliminating the Washington Capitals in seven games in the 2nd round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Pittsburgh secured their second consecutive Prince of Wales trophy with another seven game series, this time ousting the Ottawa Senators.
The West Kelowna, B.C. native has played a huge part in the Penguins success over the playoffs, tallying three goals and ten points over the course of 15 playoff games. Schultz missed a pair of games in the Eastern Conference Final with an injury but had a goal and an assist in the Penguins 3-2 2OT win in Game #7. The former Warrior defenseman spent parts of three seasons from 2006-2009 in West Kelowna amassing 24 goals and 90 points over 97 career games before spending four seasons at the University of Wisconsin.
The Nashville Predators have shocked the hockey world with their strong play throughout the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs and former Warrior forward Colton Sissons has stepped into the spotlight in a big way. The Preds started their playoff run with an improbable sweep of the top team in the Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks before eliminating the St. Louis Blues in six games to head to their first Western Conference Final in franchise history. The Predators faced off against the Anaheim Ducks and captured their first Clarence S. Campbell trophy with a six-game series win to head to their first Stanley Cup Final.
The North Vancouver, BC product is fifth in team scoring throughout his 16 playoff games with five goals and five assists including a hat trick in the series clinching Game #6 in Nashville. Sissons spent the 2009/10 season with the Warriors and compiled six goals and 22 points over 58 regular season games with the club while scoring a goal and an assist in eleven playoff games before playing three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Game #1 of the Stanley Cup Final goes on Monday night from Pittsburgh at 5:00 PM PST with all games being available on Hockey Night in Canada on CBC. For a full schedule of the Cup Final, click here.
2017/18 season tickets are on sale with some great prizes to be won before early bird pricing comes to an end on May 31st! Head down to the Warriors office or call Kim at (250) 769-7051 for more details on how to get yourself a seat for Warriors hockey for next season!
