The Borderland Thunder is a team on the rise.
Riding a 6-0-2 start in the early going of the Superior International Junior Hockey League season, the first-place Thunder have moved into the No. 10 position in this week’s rankings by the Canadian Junior ‘A’ Hockey League (CJAHL).
Borderland forward Matt Johnson is king of the scoring hill, netting four goals and 12 assists for 16 points, while linemate Kyle Prystupa is the league’s top gun with nine goals.
The Thunder will host the Thunder Bay KC Bulldogs (4-2) in a two-game set Friday and Saturday at the Ice for Kids Arena. The puck drops at 7:30 both nights.
Captain Josh Baxter (knee) and fellow forward A.J. Tucker (toe) are expected to return to the line-up tonight, as is defenceman Jay Phillips, who missed last week’s games in Nipigon due to personal commitments.
Thunder head coach Dave Allison also announced Thursday that defenceman Mark Morin, acquired from the Dryden Ice Dogs along with forward Rob Scales in exchange for defenceman Terry Parisien, has been released.