A Closer Look at the MJHL Schedule

Just a reminder, the 2008-09 MJHL schedule's now available at http://www.mjhlhockey.ca/schedule.aspx , so please do check it out there. But here are a few things of note for both the Swan Valley Stampeders and Wayway Wolverines.

Swan Valley

- Opens the season at home against Wayway on Sat/Sep/13.

- Is the visiting team for 3 different teams' home openers (Sep/19 @ Dau, Sep/20 @ Way, Sep/23 @ OCN)

- Plays the Winnipeg South Blues FIVE times in a row! And then they're done with them. Sep 27/28 in Winnipeg, October 3/4 in Swan, and Oct/10 at the showcase.

- Plays the Blues and Winkler at the Showcase Tournament (Thanksgiving weekend at the Dakota Centre in Winnipeg, home of the Saints.

- Because of the Showcase games, they play the Blues and Winkler 5 times, the other 3 Addison opponents 4 times each, and their 5 Sherwood opponents 8 times each (4 home, 4 road)

- 6 of first 9 games are on the road, including 6 of 7 at one point.

Longest homestand is 6 games (Jan/28 vs Way, Jan/31 vs Sel, Feb/4 vs Nee, Feb/6 vs Beau, Feb/7 vs Beau, Feb/11 vs Way). That's followed immediately by their longest stretch of road games, 4 (Feb/13 @ Nee, Feb/14 @ Beau, Feb/15 @ Saints, Feb 20 @ Por)

- Had a 3 week break at Christmas last year. Many felt that was TOO much. This year, it's a little more "normal." They host the Saints December 20th, and come back January 2nd to start a home and home in Dauphin.

- Final regular season game Feb/24 in Neepawa.

Wayway

- Opens the season in Swan Sat/Sep/13.

- Home opener is a week later, Sat/Sep/20 against Swan.

- Meet the Beausejour Blades 3 times in 2 weeks early in the year (Sep 23, 27, Oct 7)

- Due to uneven Divisions, Wayway plays Dauphin at the Showcase, meaning the two Sherwood rivals will meet 9 times in 2008-09, after going 7 games in the first round of the playoffs each of the last 2 seasons.

- Longest homestand is 4 games (Jan/17 vs Nee, Jan/20 vs Nee, Jan/22 vs Por, Jan/27 vs SV. That's followed immediately by 5 straight road games, their longest stretch of the year (Jan/28 @ SV, Jan/31 @ OCN, Feb/3 @ Dau, Feb/6 @ Por, Feb/7 @ Wink)

- Plays the Neepawa Natives 3 games in a row, in a 5 day period (Jan 16, 17, 20)

- Christmas break is one day longer than the Stampeders'. Last game before the holidays is at home against Neepawa Dec/20. They're back Jan/3 in Beausejour.

- Regular season ends Feb/22 in Dauphin.