While sports fans around the United States are filling out their brackets for the college basketball tournament, fans around Canada are preparing for the run to the Memorial Cup. All three junior leagues in Canada finished their regular seasons this past weekend, with 48 of the 60 teams qualifying for the playoffs. Each league has 16 teams in the playoffs, with the champion of each league ultimately earning a spot in the Memorial Cup (Final Four). The fourth and final spot belongs to the Rimouski Oceanic, who is this year's host team. If Rimouski wins the championship in the QMJHL, the runner-up will get that fourth spot.

Two years ago, the Boston Bruins had a couple of prospects come out on top, as Milan Lucic and Wacey Rabbit helped lead the Vancouver Giants to a 3-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers, locking up the championship. Lucic was named the tournament MVP, as the Memorial Cup was held in Vancouver that season. This season, there will be five future Bruins fighting for the chance to win it all.

Unfortunately, one of Boston's prospects will not get to see any playoff action this spring. Maxime Sauve and the Val-d'Or Foreurs were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, when they fell 12-1 against the Montreal Junior. The final playoff spot in the QMJHL came down to Val-d'Or and Lewiston, as the two teams entered the final day of the season tied with 46 points each. The Maineiacs lost in overtime against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, locking up the final spot. With the Foreurs in rebuilding mode, next year should be better for Sauve and company. That being said, this season was a good one individually for the 19-year old. He led Val-d'Or in scoring with 27 goals, 49 assists, and 76 points.

Although Sauve lost out on the playoff spot, another future Bruin benefited from this past weekend. Denis Reul and the Lewiston Maineiacs head back to the postseason for the second year in a row. Lewiston is also a rebuilding club, meaning the future will be bright in the coming seasons. This year, Reul had four goals, 14 assists, 18 points, and 91 penalty minutes. All four of Reul's tallies came on the power play. Even though nothing is technically impossible, the Maineaics have one heck of a task in front of them, as they will face the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the first round. Drummondville led the QMJHL with 112 points, while lighting up Lewiston for ten-plus goals on two separate occasions.

The second player to reach the playoffs in the QMJHL is Alain Goulet. Goulet started the season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, before switching over to juniors, where he joined the Gatineau Olympiques. The Olympiques won their division, going 38-25-2-3, and will play host to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the first round of the playoffs. The two teams went in opposite directions in the final few months of the season, so in all likelihood, this should be a victory for Gatineau. However, if all of the higher seeds come out on top, things could become challenging in the second round, as the Olympiques would face a very tough Shawinigan team. Goulet picked up 35 points in 32 games with Gatineau, and has quickly gained a lot of positive attention in the Q.

In the OHL, the Bruins have three players in the playoffs. The first is Adam Courchaine of the Ottawa 67's. Following a 40-21-5-2 season, the 67's enter the postseason as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and will take on the sixth-place Niagara IceDogs in the first round. Ottawa and Niagara headed in opposite directions as the season came to an end, with the 67's winning six in a row, while the IceDogs were winless in five straight. Ottawa should have the edge in this series, but could be in for a tough match-up in round two if they are to face Brampton. During the season, Courchaine split goaltending duties with Chris Perugini. In 30 games, the future Bruin went 13-11-2, with a 3.28 goals against average, an .896 save percentage, and two shutouts. Unfortunately for Courchaine, it looks like Perugini will be between the pipes when the series begins on Friday.

Boston's second representative in the OHL playoffs is another netminder. Michael Hutchinson and the Barrie Colts finished the season at 30-33-3-2, landing them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. That sets up a first round series against the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, who completed the regular season by winning eight of their final ten contests. This might seem like a tall task, except for the fact that Hutchinson led the Colts to a first-round upset over the Brampton Battalion last season. If the future Bruin plays like he did a year ago, this one could go Barrie's way. If the Colts do win, they would likely be faced with the Belleville Bulls in round two. This season, Hutchinson was also involved in a split between the pipes, as he shared duties with Peter DiSalvo. Hutchinson did see slightly more action, going 15-20-1, with a 3.02 goals against average, a .915 save percentage, and five shutouts. DiSalvo had a better record, goals against average, and save percentage than Hutchinson, but we'll have to wait and see who they start in game one on Friday.

The final player in the OHL playoffs is forward Jamie Arniel of the Sarnia Sting. Following a 35-26-4-3 season, the Sting also enter the postseason as a fifth place team. The opposition in the first round will be the Plymouth Whalers, who finished just two points ahead of Sarnia during the regular season. Because of how even the two sides are, this is a tough series to make a prediction in, as it could go either way. However, if the higher seeds do advance in the other three series, the road will likely end in round two, as 57-10-0-1 Windsor would be waiting in the wings. Looking at the individual numbers, Arniel finished second in scoring on the Sting, recording 32 goals, 36 assist, and 68 points. Half of those goals came with the man advantage. Sarnia's series with Plymouth gets started on Saturday.

On the college scene, an upset in the Hockey East Tournament has landed a pair of future Bruins in the second round. Brock Bradford, Tommy Cross, and the Boston College Eagles swept a two-game series from the University of New Hampshire this past weekend, setting up a date with Boston University on Friday. Boston College entered the playoffs as the sixth-place team, following an 11-11-5 regular season within the conference. However, those records were thrown out the window, as the Eagles came away with the upset. Bradford picked up a pair of goals in Friday's 5-3 win for BC. Counting the two markers from Friday, Bradford has 25 goals, 17 assists, and 42 points in 36 games. Cross has eight assists in 24 games.

Denver's Joe Colborne will also be seeing some more hockey this weekend, as the Pioneers will be playing in the WCHA's Final Five. Denver finished the season in second place, going 16-8-4 in conference play, while turning in a 22-10-5 record overall. Colborne has played in 37 games with the Pioneers, registering nine goals, 20 assists, and 29 points. Denver will face Wisconsin on Friday.

The final Boston prospect saw his season come to an end this past weekend, as Nick Tremblay's Clarkson Golden Knights fell to Union in the first round of the ECAC Tournament. Clarkson posted an 8-10-4 mark in the conference, while going 10-19-7 overall. In 36 games with the Golden Knights, Tremblay had four goals, seven assists, and eleven points.

Maxime Sauve could be on his way to Providence to join the P-Bruins for their tun toward the Calder Cup, while his other future teammates should be in line to join him as their seasons finish up. This is great news for the Baby B's, who are already leading the AHL's Atlantic Division with 82 points.

The Boston Bruins returned to the ice for a practice on Tuesday, as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. The Providence Bruins are off until Friday, when they host the Albany River Rats.

Yes, the P-Bruins always get some of the guys who have finishes and/or have been eliminated, but they have to be (by coaches decisions, etc.) ready to made a debut.

I always remember Zach Hamill last year and darn... hate my memory that forgets, but there was a defenseman I think just a short time ago that really blew us away.

Adam Courchaine played well here last year in the few games he played,would not mind seeing him again.

I thought the same thing. He's in their playoffs for now, but we don't know how long they'll last. If the teams is out fast, I also hope we see Adam Courchaine, even if he's just here to practice with the team. From what I'm figuring, he could be a part of the team next season. I guess we'll see. I know I was impressed with him.