The anniversary season for the Superior International Junior Hockey League kicks off this weekend.
The Junior ‘A’ circuit, which was founded in 2001, will see all seven active teams play a 48-game regular season schedule consisting of four home and four away games against each opponent.
The Kam River Fighting Walleye and Thunder Bay North Stars get each other nine teams, including a pair of neutral site games in February.
The Walleye won three of four games against the North Stars in the shortened 2020-2021 season and also went undefeated in the Teleco Cup against the Lakehead Junior Hockey League selects.
“It’s been a good relationship so far with the Walleye,” says North Stars Head Coach Rob DeGagne. “It’ll be a good rivalry for the league, and hopefully for us as well as more people will attend the games.”
Saturday’s contest marks the first of a six game road trip for the North Stars as they wait for upgrades to be completed at the Fort William Gardens.
For the Fighting Walleye, who play both games in September at home, bench boss Matt Valley tells Acadia News the North Stars might be the crown jewel of the SIJHL.
“I like what we got, so to go up against them and test ourselves against one of the top teams in the league right away in our barn? It giving me chills down my shoulder,” added Valley.
Game time Saturday will be 7:30 p.m.
