Every team has the players that they will go to battle with for the rest of the season, now that the trade deadline has passed. In total 14 games will be played this weekend.
Bonnyville Pontiacs (28-10-7—63 points—-3rd in The North)
The Pontiacs will hope that a little home cooking will help them get closer to Whitecourt and get some distance from Lloydminster. Friday will be the third of six meetings between Bonnyville and Whitecourt. The Pontiacs have gone 1-0-1 against the Wolverines this season with both teams having scored 12 goals. Saturday will be the first of two meetings with the Camrose Kodiaks.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th vs. Whitecourt
Saturday, January 16th vs. Camrose
Drayton Valley Thunder (16-20-4—36 points—-6th in the North)
The Drayton Valley Thunder start the last third of their season playing two road games against divisional opponents. Friday will be the second of six meetings between the Thunder and Bobcats. Lloydminster won the only other meeting this season 4-3 in a shootout. On Saturday the road trip wraps up in Sherwood Park where the Crusaders and Thunder will meet for the fourth time this season. Sherwood Park is 2-1 in the three games against Drayton Valley and has outscored them 11-10.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th @ Lloydminster
Saturday, January 16th @ Sherwood Park
Fort McMurray Oil Barons (7-29-6—20 points—-8th in the North)
Fort McMurray will continue their five game home stand with two games this weekend. Friday will be the third and final meeting of the season between the Kodiaks and Oil Barons. Camrose has won both games in the season series thus far, averaging five goals per game while only giving up two goals on average. Saturday will be the fourth of six meetings between Whitecourt and Fort McMurray. The Wolverines have won all three games by a combined score of 16-9.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th vs. Camrose
Saturday, January 16th vs. Whitecourt
Tuesday, January 19th vs. Lloydminster
Grande Prairie Storm (9-30-3—-21 points—7th in the North)
Just one game for Grande Prairie Storm this weekend and it will be on the road. Friday Grande Prairie will be in Sherwood Park for the fifth meeting of the season. The Storm are 0-3-1 against the Crusaders and have been outscored 31-12 in those games.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th @ Sherwood Park
Lloydminster Bobcats (30-9-2—-62 points—-4th in the North)
Lloydminster will also just play once this weekend as they host the Drayton Valley Thunder. Friday's game will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. The Bobcats defeated the Thunder 4-3 in a shootout.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th vs. Drayton Valley
Tuesday, January 19th @ Fort McMurray
Sherwood Park Crusaders (25-15-2—-52 points—-5th in the North)
The Sherwood Park Crusaders still have hopes of finishing in the top four in the North Division but to do so, they are going to have to string some wins together. Sherwood Park will play twice this weekend as they start a four game homestand. Friday will be fifth of six meetings with the Grande Prairie Storm. Sherwood Park has won all four games in the season series. Saturday Sherwood Park will host the Drayton Valley Thunder for the fourth time this season. The Crusaders are 2-1 against the Thunder this season.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th vs. Grande Prairie Storm
Saturday, January 16th vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
Wednesday, January 20th vs. Drumheller Dragons
Spruce Grove Saints (34-6-3—71 points—-1st in the North)
The Spruce Grove Saints travel South for a pair of games this weekend. Saturday will be the first of two meetings this season against the Canmore Eagles. Sunday will also be the first time this season that the Saints will take on the Calgary Mustangs. Spruce Grove has a five point lead on the second place Wolverines and need will try and extend their lead for the division lead.
Upcoming schedule:
Saturday, January 16th @ Canmore Eagles
Sunday, January 17th @ Calgary Mustangs
Wednesday, January 20th vs. Whitecourt Wolverines
Whitecourt Wolverines (31-7-4—66 points—-2nd in the North)
The Whitecourt Wolverines will start a three game road trip this weekend with a pair of inter divisional games. Friday the Wolverines will be in Bonnyville to take on the Pontiacs for the third time this season. The two teams have split the two previous matchups with both teams scoring 12 goals in those contests. Saturday the road trip continues in Fort McMurray against the Oil Barons. Whitecourt has won all three games against the Oil Barons this season outscoring them 17-7 in those games.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th @ Bonnyville
Saturday, January 16th @ Whitecourt
Wednesday, January 20th @ Spruce Grove
Brooks Bandits (32-6-2—66 points—1st in the South) & Okotoks Oilers (23-17-2—-48 points—-3rd in the South)
The Brooks Bandits start the last third of their regular season in the top spot in the South Division and have won 14 straight games. The Okotoks Oilers have dropped their last two games but continue to hold down the 3rd spot in the South Division. The two teams will play a home and home starting on Friday in Brooks. This weekend will be the final two times that the two clubs will play in the regular season. Brooks has taken three of the four games against the Oilers this season.
Upcoming schedule:
Brooks Bandits
Friday, January 15th vs. Okotoks
Saturday, January 16th @ Okotoks
Okotoks Oilers
Friday, January 15th @ Brooks
Saturday, January 16th vs. Brooks
Wednesday, January 20th @ Calgary Canucks
Calgary Canucks (12-26-2—-26 points—-7th in the South)
The Calgary Canucks start their last third of the season with a two game road trip against the South division. The Canucks are trying to hold down the final playoff spot in the South Division and can extend their lead on the Mustangs this weekend. Friday the Canucks will be in Canmore for the fourth of six meetings with the Eagles. Calgary has gone 1-2 in the previous three games. Saturday the road trip continues in Drumheller. Saturday's game will be the sixth and final meeting of the season. Drumheller has outscored Calgary 16-15 and are 3-2 against the Canucks this season.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th @Canmore
Saturday, January 16th @Drumheller
Wednesday, January 20th vs. Okotoks
Calgary Mustangs (8-34-3—-19 points—-8th in the South)
The Calgary Mustangs are playing with more confidence as of late and have won two in a row. The Mustangs still have an outside shot at the final playoff spot in the South but will need to continue to get wins. Friday the team will be in Drumheller for the fourth time this season. The Dragons have won all three games by a combined score of 14-5. Sunday will be the first time this season that the Mustangs will take on the Spruce Grove Saints.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th @Drumheller
Sunday, January 17th vs. Spruce Grove
Camrose Kodiaks (28-9-3—–59 points—-2nd in the South)
The Camrose Kodiaks start the last third of their season by finishing off the last two games of their five game road trip. Friday the Kodiaks will take on the Fort McMurray Oil Barons for the third and final time this season. Camrose has won the previous two games this season. Saturday the road trip wraps up in Bonnyville against the Pontiacs. It will be the first time this season that the two teams have met up.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th @Fort McMurray
Saturday, January 16th @Bonnyville
Canmore Eagles (19-18-4—42 points—-4th in the South)
The Canmore Eagles have a tough time since the calendar turned over to 2016. The Eagles are still trying to reel in the Okotoks Oilers and will have an opportunity to get a little closer with a pair of home games this weekend. Friday they will host the Calgary Canucks for the fourth time this season. The Eagles are 2-0-1 and have outscored the Canucks 13-8 in the three games. Saturday the Spruce Grove Saints will make their lone trip to the mountains to take on the Eagles.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th vs. Calgary Canucks
Saturday, January 16th vs. Spruce Grove
Drumheller Dragons (17-20-5—-39 points—–5th in the South)
The Drumheller Dragons find themselves just three points back from being back in the top four in the South Division. The Dragons will play twice at home this weekend. Friday they will welcome the Calgary Mustangs. It's the fourth of six meetings between the two clubs this season with the Dragons having won all three games against the Mustangs. Saturday will be the six and final meeting between the Canucks and Dragons. Drumheller has won three of the five games, outscoring the Canucks 16-15 during that time.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 15th vs. Calgary Mustangs
Saturday, January 16th vs. Calgary Canucks
Wednesday, January 20th @ Sherwood Park
Olds Grizzlys (15-24-2—32 points—-6th in the South)
The Olds Grizzlys have the weekend off and will be watching to see if they lose any ground to the Drumheller Dragons this weekend. The Grizzlys won't return to action until January 22nd when they travel to Camrose to battle the Kodiaks.
Story by
Chris Colwell
@Cjcolwell