By James Shewaga /

They are already guaranteed to be playing for a Canadian championship in May in their home rink.

But the league-leading Dauphin Kings are determined to go into the 2010 RBC Cup as the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions.

“It’s easy to lay back and be complacent knowing that we’re going to be playing May 1 to May 9 and have a chance at a national championship,” said Kings head coach/general manager Marlin Murray. “But we’ve stressed it right from Day 1 that we want to get there the right way.”

The host team for the Canadian Junior A hockey championship, the Kings completed the regular season with an impressive 50-11-1-0 record — best in franchise history — and began the playoffs by battling the Neepawa Natives in the opening round.

The Kings have loaded up for their 2010 run with former Western Hockey League players, including top centre Bryce Lamb (Prince Albert Raiders) and No.1 netminder Joe Caligiuri (Brandon Wheat Kings/Prince George Cougars), along with Dale Hunt (Everett Silvertips), Cody Esposito (Red Deer Rebels), Joel Kot (Red Deer), Mitch Czibere (Regina Pats) and Patrick Kozyra (Prince Albert). Dauphin also dealt for veteran MJHL sniper Zeanan Ziemer prior to the league’s trade deadline, adding to a potent lineup that already featured Kings forwards Shane Luke and Ryan Dreger — who finished 1-2 in league scoring with 101 and 99 points, respectively — and Steven Shamanski, the league’s top-scoring defenceman (71 points in 62 games).

“When an opportunity comes up like this, you’ve got to jump at it,” said Murray. “It doesn’t happen every day where you are going to host a national championship ... We went through the recruiting part of it and our scouting staff was excellent throughout the course of the year in adding players and trying to get the right fit here. We made a few trades throughout the course of the season that have really helped us out and we’ve added some top-end players at the Junior A level that came from the WHL level.

“And then our veteran players, our Junior A players that came back, are having an outstanding year and I think everyone is hungry and eager for the playoffs.”

The Kings organization is also hoping the playoffs will provide a final boost to ticket sales for the RBC Cup, slated for May 1-9 at Dauphin’s 1,800-seat Credit Union Centre. The Kings have surpassed the 1,000 mark in tournament passes sold, but hope to sell around 1,600, with the rest of the seats held for Hockey Canada and visiting teams.

“Would I be happier if we had sold a lot more? Absolutely,” said tournament co-chair Randy Daley. “But I think it’s pretty much in line where we expected to be.”

The host committee has also completed some additions to Credit Union Place, building two new press boxes and new dressing rooms, while Canadian country singer Charlie Major has been signed to headline the opening night entertainment.