The SIJHL released its 2007-08 schedule over the weekend, with the league’s all-star weekend coming to Fort Frances on Friday, Feb. 1 and Saturday, Feb. 2.
“They [the Fort Frances Junior Sabres] volunteered to host it, which was great, but it’s also a good marketing thing,” said SIJHL president and commission Ron Whitehead.
“It’s a new team, a new ownership group and, for all intents and purposes, a new group of fans, so it’s a good chance to show off to your local people,” he added.
Specifics regarding the all-star game likely will surface in September.
The format has differed from year to year. This past season, for instance, the two all-star teams were split between players from the Thunder Bay teams and the remaining three ones.
In other years, the league has gone with a more traditional east vs. west format.
Other ideas bandied about have included bringing in an all-star team from a rival league, but Whitehead said he was pleased with the reaction to last year’s game, which was hosted by Schreiber.
“I liked the rivalry idea last year, the Thunder Bay against the region, in that politics, hockey, you name it, it’s always been ‘Thunder Bay’s always been picking on us,’” he noted.
“The regional group had a lot of vocal support against the Thunder Bay team.”
The all-star weekend likely will be made up of a skills competition on the Friday and then the game itself on Saturday night, although Whitehead stressed all details are fluid and, by and large, at the discretion of the host team’s ownership.
Meanwhile, the SIJHL’s full regular-season schedule includes 50 games to be played by the expansion Jr. Sabres.
The new Fort Frances team will play its first home game on the league’s opening night (Friday, Sept. 14) at 7:30 p.m. against the Thunder Bay Bulldogs, with a second game against the Bulldogs the following day.
SIJHL fans waiting for the rekindling of the old Fort Frances-Dryden rivalry won’t have to wait long as the Jr. Sabres’ second series is a pair games up there against the Ice Dogs.
The Ice Dogs then will come to Fort Frances for the Sabres’ third series (on Sept. 22 and 25).
The defending champions—the Schreiber Diesels—will play their first games against the new Fort Frances team on Dec. 7-8.
The Jr. Sabres also close out the regular season against the Diesels on March 7-8.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
