In a division where competition is fierce, the Tri-City Americans know that all too well. With key injuries throughout last season, many wrote them off, even as they qualified for the 2018 WHL Playoffs. Then came two straight four-game sweeps and a dogfight of a six-game series against the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference Championship. With incoming head coach Kelly Buchberger, there’s bound to be a transition period where the team gets used to the coach and vice-versa, but the former Moose Jaw Warriors forward knows the league and is no doubt determined to have immediate success. There’s no way to look past the departures on defence, but it isn’t all doom and gloom. Besides the losses of Geekie and Topping, the Americans can boast a healthy array of talent up front that should keep the team competitive for a spot in the 2019 WHL Playoffs.