As discussed in my last Western Hockey League article, the young men playing in the WHL are 16-20 years old. Therefore, unlike other major league sports, the players are given a ten-day break to go home and spend the Christmas holiday with their families. Now they are coming back refreshed and ready to play.

So far this year, the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick are at 15 wins, 15 losses, one overtime loss, and one shootout loss. This puts them in fifth place in the Western Conference. While this may not seem a remarkable record, it must be noted that the quality of play and players had vastly...