Their last game never happened, at least according to the official standings. The Borderland Thunder plan to prove otherwise tonight.
After a 3-0 win over the Dryden Ice Dogs up there Oct. 30 was taken away by the Superior International Junior Hockey League because the Thunder had used an ineligible player, the home crew will look for payback tonight when the defending SIJHL champs come to town.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena.
The stakes are sizable tonight, with Dryden (9-4-1) just a point behind the first-place Thunder (9-3-2) in the SIJHL standings.
The Ice Dogs feature 10 players with 10 or more points so far this season—best in the league. Paving the way for Dryden are forwards Steve Roy, who has a team-high 11 goals, and Steve Bunney, who leads the squad with 19 points.
Dryden goalie Ryan McGillis is tied for first in the league with seven wins, and second in save percentage.
The game also signals the return of Terry Parisien to the area for the first time since the blueliner was traded by the Thunder to the Ice Dogs for forward Rob Scales and defenceman Mark Morin back on Oct. 1.
With only 15 healthy skaters at their disposal, the Thunder found partial relief to their manpower troubles with the signing this past week of defenceman Todd Rendell.
He had spent the first past of this season with the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
After tonight’s game, the Thunder host the Fort William Wolves for a pair of contests this Friday and Saturday night.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
