Top Broncos’ prospects squaring off in AMHL final

Acouple of the Swift Current Broncos’ prized prospects are currently squaring off against one another in the Albert Major Midget Hockey League championship series.

Tyler Steenbergen and the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs are taking on Cole Johnson and the Lloydminster Baker Hughes Bobcats in the best-of-five championship series, which began Friday in Red Deer.

Friday, the host Chiefs won 2-0 to open the series. Steenbergen had the first assist on Layne Bensmiller’s game winning goal in the first period.

Saturday, the Bobcats tied the series with a 4-2 win at home. Johnson had an assist in the win and Steenbergen scored in a losing cause.

Game three was slated for Tuesday, game four goes tonight in Lloydminster, and game five, if necessary, would be played Sunday in Red Deer.

Lloydminster finished second in the Dodge Division with a 24-9-2 record before knocking out the CAC Gregg Distributors in the division semi-finals and then defeating the St. Albert Sports Raiders in the division finals.

Johnson was selected by the Broncos in the second round, 34th overall, in the 2013 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

The Marwayne, AB na- tive has six points in 10 playoff games for the Bobcats. He finished second in league goal scoring with 28 goals in 31 games in the regular season and added 17 assists to place fifth in league scoring with 45 points in his rookie season.

Red Deer, the two-time defending national champions, won the Chrysler Division with a 22-7-6 regular season record before eliminating the UFA Bisons and the Calgary Buffaloes in the playoffs.

Steenbergen is tied for eighth in playoff scoring with five goals and three assists in nine games. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2013 Bantam Draft.

The Sylvan Lake product is averaging almost a point per game in the regular season with a total of 14 goals and 17 assists in 32 games.