Patrick King

What will the crowd support be like for the host Majors?

Looking at home-ice advantage and the Chynoweth connection at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

The MasterCard Memorial Cup is the ultimate equalizer.

After each team wins its own league, there's a fine line between celebrating a league title and preparing for a national championship. Not every team can make the transition smoothly. Ask any coach that has been here before: if you don't win early, the hole gets awfully deep, awfully fast.

As with any MasterCard Memorial Cup, the storylines are endless and this year's version is no different. The 2011 tournament will mark the third year in a row the host team did not win its league.

The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors came as close as possible, losing in overtime of Game 7 in the league final to the Owen Sound Attack. While it may be a bad omen to enter the tournament as the only non-league champion, it's not an indication of the Majors’ chances.

Of the last three host teams that did not win their league, one went on to win the MasterCard Memorial Cup: the 2007 Vancouver Giants. Like the Majors, the Giants lost in Game 7, also in overtime.

Here are some more storylines to watch before the tournament gets underway on Friday:

Chynoweth connection

Jeff Chynoweth, the general manager of the Kootenay Ice, realized a dream by capturing the Western Hockey League title. The trophy is named after his late father and one of the Canadian Hockey League's architects, Ed Chynoweth.

The elder Chynoweth's fingerprints are all over the junior game. In addition to the Ed Chynoweth Cup awarded to the WHL champions, the MasterCard Memorial Cup has another trophy in his honour. The Ed Chynoweth Trophy is given to the tournament's top scorer.

It was truly a special moment for son Jeff when his Ice captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup last Friday. He won a WHL and MasterCard Memorial Cup title with his father, who was the Ice's president and governor, when Kootenay won its first national championship in 2002.

Shugg looking for rare three-peat

Mississauga forward Justin Shugg will be looking to join some rather elite company. After winning the MasterCard Memorial Cup in 2009 and 2010 as a member of the Windsor Spitfires, Shugg could become just the second player to win three-straight national championships.

Defenceman Robert Savard is the only player to achieve the feat when he won three straight from 1980 through 1982. Savard captured his first two with the Cornwall Royals then helped the Kitchener Rangers win it in 1982. Savard scored the championship-winning goal in overtime in 1980.

Now in his third tournament, Shugg's role with the Majors is much greater than it had been with Windsor. A broken collarbone ended his tournament in 2009 and he was a secondary player in last year's tournament.

Majors looking for home-ice advantage

The Majors' inability to fill their building with passionate fans has long been mentioned in the media. With tickets still available in the days leading up to the tournament, it's obvious the rink won't be packed with a decided home crowd atmosphere for the Majors.

Mississauga won nine of 11 playoff games at the Hershey Centre, but lost the most crucial of all -- Game 7 of the Ontario Hockey League final. Owen Sound, meanwhile, won six of 11 road games in the playoffs and two of four in Mississauga.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Saint John Sea Dogs went a perfect 10-0 on the road in the playoffs. The Sea Dogs even triumphed with two double-overtime wins in one of the QMJHL's toughest barns, the Robert Guertin Centre in Gatineau, Que.

The Kootenay Ice won eight of 10 road playoff games on the way to winning the championship in the WHL. Although neither Kootenay nor Saint John is familiar with the Hershey Centre, the ability to win on the road could be transferable.

If any other team is going to enjoy a home-ice atmosphere, it will be the Attack. Many of their fans made the trip to Mississauga for the OHL finals and they should be well-represented again in the tournament.

Homecoming for Saint John’s Jacob De Serres

While the MasterCard Memorial Cup won't be new to the former Brandon Wheat Kings goaltender, neither will be his surroundings. DeSerres is a well-traveled 21-year-old who spent his first 10 years living in Toronto, Ont. DeSerres suited up on some youth all-star teams which included NHLers Steven Stamkos, Michael Del Zotto and Alex Pietrangelo before his family relocated to Calgary, Alta.

The MasterCard Memorial Cup will be DeSerres' final games in junior hockey. He lost in the final of last year's tournament as a member of the host Wheat Kings. He's hoping for a chance to continue his hockey-playing career professionally and will be using the tournament not only to redeem himself for last year, but also to audition for NHL teams.

Owen Sound's three-headed monster

The Attack captured the OHL title with a rather unconventional method. All three goaltenders started at least two games each, with Jordan Binnington carrying the load in Games 6 and 7 to win the league. The goaltending carousel will be an interesting storyline for the Attack.