On top of hosting the Women's World Cup Friday, Winnipeg hosted the North American Hockey Classic as it does every year. While fans of Women's Soccer were not treated to a goal, fans of youth hockey were. On Friday, Edina's Grant Sillianoff set the city ablaze with 7 Goals for the '01 Blades. Another hot player from the State of Hockey was Mitchell Kohner from Rosemount, the '02 Blades star had 4 Goals and 3 Assists, helping his team to a #3 seed in their quest for three wins in a row at the NAHC. JJ Wiebusch had a great day, too for the 2004 MN Blades - he notched 4 Goals in their two games Friday. The River Falls, WI native showed why so many say Wiebusch is the best '04 player who plays MN Hockey. 

While the Blades had some individual stars, the team of the day had to be the '01 Machine Orange. They used a balanced attack to beat tourney co-favorite Vancouver Selects 6-3. The Orange nabbed the #1 seed heading into Saturday. The '01 playoffs will be as competitive of a level in Winnipeg as you will find.

2006

Machine Orange > Team Sask (8-1)...Drew Roelofs 3G/1A, Lucas Mann 2G/1A

H2 Selects > Machine Orange (1-0)

MN Blades > Sask Huskie Prospects (8-5)...Simon Seidl 3G/1A, Max Plante 1G/2A

What to watch for: Blades vs. Manitoba Xtreme...winner gets #1 pool seed which likely means '06 Machine on Sunday, loser likely gets H2 Selects).

2005

Team Sask Brick > Machine Orange (7-0)

Team Minnesota vs. Wild All Stars (4-4)...Wes Berg 1G/1A

Winnipeg Jr. Jets > Team Minnesota (3-1)...William Whitelaw 1G

What to Watch for: Team MN will be big favorite over Team West, if they win, they will need help from Jr. Jets to gain Final Four. One of three Brick teams will get bounced Saturday. Alberta and Sask look set in other pool. Very likely an All Brick Final 4.  

2004

MN Blades vs. VAN Vipers (2-2)...JJ Wiebusch 2G

MN Blades > Manitoba Xtreme (5-2) JJ Wiebusch 2G, Isaac Howard 2G

VAN H2 Canucks > Machine Orange (11-2)...Maddox Fleming 2G

What to Watch for: Blades are in the driver's seat in their Pool, a win over a very good Black Aces team...they are in Final 4 (what kind of name is that?).

2003

South Sask Selects > Machine Orange (8-1)...Dylan Lewis 1G

Rockford Ice Dogs > MN Northern Wings (6-2)...Justin Stalboerger 1G, Kian Bell 1G

What to Watch for: Machine need two wins Saturday to advance, one over Team West Selects who seems to be the class of this level so far.

2002

MN Blades > Foothills Mustangs (6-3)...Mitchell Kohner 2G/2A, Cade Lemmer 2G

MN Blades > DHI Octane (5-3)...Mitchell Kohner 1G/2A

Machine Orange > Sask Huskies (7-0)...Ryan Mulrenin 2G, Luke Ruegemer 2G, Jack Reimann 1G/2A

2K2 Warriors > Machine Orange (6-4)...no Machine player with > 1 point

What to Watch for: Blades take third seed and play Okanagon, Machine take eighth seed and face hometown 2K2 Warriors for the second time in 24 hours. Look for the Blades to advance, no surprise if Machine does, too. Could their be a rematch of last year's epic semifinal between these two rivals?

2001

Machine Orange > VAN Selects (6-3)...4 Orangemen with 1G/1A (Rollwagon, Norman, Streeter, and Kiecker-Olson).

Machine Orange > Lethbridge Wolfpack (4-2)...Killian Kiecker-Olson 2A

MN Blades > Calgary Warriors (7-5)...Grant Sillianoff 4G, Jackson Jutting 1G/1A

MN Blades vs. Team Alberta (5-5)...Grant Sillianoff 3G/1A

What to Watch for: Machine nab the #1 seed face Team Alberta (who tied the Blades 5-5 late Friday)...Blades get BC Bears on Saturday. Both Minny teams have a very good shot at the jersey. Winner of the Edmonton/VAN Selects game is a tough foe for the top seeded Machine, assuming they get by Alberta.