The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings went into Estevan Saturday night looking to close out the 2024 preseason with a perfect record of 5-0. Despite outshooting the Bruins 36-33, Estevan was able to eke out a 3-2 win in overtime over the Red Wings.
Estevan took the lead in the first period when Rory Elson scored an unassisted goal just 4:05 into the game. Then, 3:28 into the second, Reed Gramlich would beat Dazza Mitchell to make it a 2-0 lead for the Bruins.
Weyburn answered back just under four minutes later, as Jonah Bierd scored his first of the preseason at the 7:22 mark. Jase McNichol and Braigh LeGrandeur assisted his goal.
Connor Frost would tie the game up shortly after with a power play goal. His shot from just above the faceoff circle would find the twine, with McNichol and Blake Betson assisting.
Some of the nastiness from Friday's game in Weyburn would then carry over just 27 seconds later. A scrum in the corner would escalate to a fight with Weyburn's Liam Donovan dropping the gloves with Estevan's Jagden Taylor. Both would be assessed five-minute majors for fighting and game misconducts, with LeGrandeur from the Red Wings and Ewan Rennie from the Bruins also getting 10-minute misconducts.
Neither team would score in the third period, resulting in the game going to overtime. There, Kaelen Whittingham would score 3:17 into the 3-on-3 extra period, resulting in the Estevan win.
The Red Wings finished the preseason without a loss in regulation, one of just two teams in the SJHL to accomplish the feat in the preseason. The other team was the Flin Flon Bombers.
The Red Wings will now prepare for their regular season, which opens Friday night in Yorkton. The home opener will be a matinee game next Sunday as they take on the Terriers at Crescent Point Place.