If anything, there is no shortage of hockey teams in Red Deer, Alberta.

The Red Deer Rebels of the WHL headline the group, and with programs ranging from Dynamite to Midgets, every boy and girl in the city who has a pair of skates and a stick will have no problem finding a team to play with.

Red Deer, with a population of roughly 90,000, is the third largest city in Alberta. It's where Tri-City Americans forward Justin Feser and Chilliwack Bruins rookie defenseman Mitch Topping call home.

While it's not hard to find two players from the same hometown on opposite sides of the ice, these two players knew each other before they started playing hockey, then spent years playing together before their talents took them to the WHL.

"I played with Mitch for quite a few years growing up," said Feser, who is in his second year with the Americans. "And we work out together in the summer. Now, you just want to beat them and have some bragging rights."

Strengthening the link between the players, Feser and Topping played on a couple of teams coached by Feser's dad, Myron Feser.

"We missed one year together up until we were in midgets," Topping said. "We played together every year we could. His dad coached me and now he coaches my brother (Joel)."

While Topping's Bruins held bragging rights during the regular season with a 3-1 record against the Americans, it's Feser's turn to hold all the cards as Tri-City heads to Chilliwack with a 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 first-round Western Conference playoff series, which resumes Tuesday at Prospera Centre.

Feser has four assists in the series after finishing the regular season with 36 goals -- three times more than last season -- 73 points and a plus-17 rating.

"You always knew he had talent," Topping said of Feser. "He has a good shot, good ice presence and he works so hard. He's an unbelievable player and a lot of fun to play against. It makes it that much more competitive -- you don't want to lose to your buddy."

Myron Feser and Craig Topping carpooled from Red Deer to Kennewick for the weekend to watch their sons play. Tagging along for the ride were younger brothers Scott Feser and Joel Topping, who just finished their season with the Red Deer Rebels Black (bantam AAA) -- coached by Myron Feser.

The younger brothers wore replica jerseys with their older brothers' names and numbers. Being that it's about a 10-hour drive from Red Deer, one could have imagined a side bet between the Rebels top two scorers, but alas they admitted no such wager was made.

But Myron and Craig developed a system that left Mr. Topping a little lighter in the wallet by the end of the weekend.

"Whoever had the lead at the end of each period, it was the other guy's turn to buy," Craig Topping said of the exchange of cold beverages.