Top 30 Moments - #5 Hurricanes Advance to Memorial Cup Final

May 17th, 1997 – After posting a 2-1-0 record through the round robin of the 1997 MasterCard Memorial Cup, the Lethbridge Hurricanes found themselves in a semi-final showdown with the Ontario Hockey League champion, Oshawa Generals. Three days earlier, the ‘Canes dropped a 2-1 decision to the Generals in the round robin, but it was the Hurricanes who got revenge. The game also marked the return of Hurricanes Head Coach and General Manager Bryan Maxwell who coached his first game in 14 months after serving a suspension. The ‘Canes were victorious in Maxwell’s return to the bench as Byron Ritchie scored a hat-trick, capped off by the overtime winner, as the ‘Canes edged the Generals 5-4 to advance to the Memorial Cup final.