With the regular season just over a month away, the Estevan Bruins are gearing up for what could be another tumultuous season. After falling short at the tail end of last season, the black and gold are turning a new leaf, setting their sights to preseason action.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League released the Bruins' preseason schedule yesterday, boasting collaborations with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the North American Hockey League.
The Bruins are back on the ice starting on September 4, when the Virden Oil Capitals will visit Affinity Place. Then, the Aberdeen Wings, out of Westport, South Dakota, will play host to the black and gold inside the Odde Ice Arena for two back-to-back games on September 7 and 8. It all comes back in the southeast, where a new round of Highway 39 Rivalry will be fully displayed. The Bruins and the Weyburn Red Wings will end the preseason with a doubleheader on September 13 and 14.
"We're building our team and, you know, we're looking forward to it. We think we've added some nice pieces; some younger players and I think we're a little bit of a bigger team this year than we were last year. We've added some size to our team. We want to be a team that's a little bit harder to play against this year, getting back to our championship year and the year after that," head coach Jason Tatarnic shared in a previous interview with DiscoverEstevan.
Regular season action starts at home inside Affinity Place with the Melville Millionaires on September 20.