The Saskatoon Blades have been announced as one of three finalists for the 2013 Memorial Cup.
The team officially announced their interest in a bid earlier this spring and have been shortlisted as one of the top contenders.
The other two on that short list include the Kelowna Rockets and the Red Deer Rebels. Teams that have fallen by the wayside include Lethbridge and Prince George.
Saskatoon should definitely be looking as the possible frontrunner as the host for such an event due to the ability to host big events in the past. The city is known far and wide as an "event town" and recently hosted the World Junior Hockey Championships, which was considered a booming success.
Another element that will surely be part of the bidding process is looking at potential team strength for the 2012-2013 season.
Saskatoon could still potentially have players like Ryan Olsen, Brent Benson, Josh Nicholls and blueline anchors Duncan Siemens and Dalton Thrower in the mix for a playoff drive in 2013.
Giving up a big chunk of the future in the deadline deal for Brayden Schenn will surely hurt things for now, but there is still enough time to potentially re-group some assets before they would be needed.
The final bid presentations will be made on October 12th at the WHL Board of Governor meeting in Calgary.
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