Midwest entries from NAHL and NA3HL first to hit the ice

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Midwesthockey.info

Hockey is back!

Junior hockey is back for what looks like it could be the first relatively normal season in the past three years and this weekend sees at least a couple Midwest-based teams at the start line.

Already out of the gates is the North American Hockey League and the NA3HL with early games not involving Midwest-based teams.

On Friday (Sept. 10), Midwest teams will enter the fray with the Minnesota Magicians playing host to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, the Chippewa Steel entertaining the the Kenai River Brown Bears and the Springfield Junior Blues traveling to face the Janesville Jets for weekend sets.

Thursday will see the rest of the league hitting the ice as the annual NAHL Showcase will take place at the National Sports Center Super Rinks in Blaine, Minn. With 14 games played on four consecutive days.

The NA3HL will also see some Midwest-based action on the weekend as the St. Louis Jr. Blues travel to Milwaukee to play the Power in a pair of games. Other teams will follow beginning the following weekend.

The United States Premier Hockey League will see some teams in action, but the Premier Midwest region teams are idle until at least the following weekend.

The United States Hockey League will kick off Sept. 23-26 with all 16 teams taking part in a Showcase event in Pittsburgh.

Midwest teams in Canadian Leagues will begin later in the month as well. The Superior International Junior Hockey League is scheduled to begin Sept. 17 with the two Midwest entries, the Wisconsin Lumberjacks and Thief River Falls Norskies facing each other at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls.

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League kicks off Sept. 16 with the lone American Midwest entry, the Soo Eagles hosting Canadian rival, the Soo Thunderbirds at Pullar Stadium the following night.

The Ontario Hockey League, a Canadian Major Junior loop will begin play Oct. 7 with the Flint Firebirds playing their first contest Oct. 9 while the Saginaw Spirit will not play until Oct. 16.