The puck drops Monday for the St. Albert Raiders in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League pre-season.
Game time is 6:15 p.m. against the Canadian Athletic Club at Bill Hunter Arena.
It’s first of seven exhibition games for the Raiders and the last three will be staged at Akinsdale Arena on Sept. 17 against the Sherwood Park Kings at 7:45 p.m., Sept. 20 against the Southside Athletic Club at 6:15 p.m. and Sept. 21 against the Leduc Oil Kings at 5 p.m.
There were 43 players listed on team’s Thursday practice roster and another 11 were at junior camps or injured.
League play starts Sept. 27 against the Maple Leafs at 2:45 p.m. at Bill Hunter Arena and the first home game is Sept. 28 against the Southside at 1:15 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The St. Albert Sabres make their pre-season debut this weekend against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers.
The teams skate tonight at 6 p.m. at Go Auto Arena and Sunday in Fort Saskatchewan at 7 p.m.
Next week the John Ferguson Memorial Tournament gets underway at the Terwillegar Arenas 4 Plex. Tuesday the Sabres face-off against the SSAC Southgate Lions at 6 p.m. Games are also scheduled against the KC Squires at 6 p.m. Thursday, Lloydminster Heat at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sherwood Park Flyers at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
The latest player list for the Sabres includes four netminders, 12 defencemen, and 14 forwards.
The Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League lid-lifter is Sept. 21 against the Grande Prairie Storm at 2:30 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The St. Albert Slash wrap up pre-season play this weekend at the NAIT tournament.
The midget AAA female team is on the ice today against the Red Deer Chiefs, the host team for the 2015 Esso Cup national championship, at 10:15 a.m. and Sunday against the Highwood Raiders at 3:45 p.m.
The Slash opened the tournament Friday against the Battleford Sharks but the score was unavailable at press time.
Last weekend the Slash beat the Spruce Grove PAC Saints 2-0 at Glenn Hall Centennial Arena. Brianna Jones tallied twice and Natalie Bender and Erynn Shantz shared the shutout.
The league opener for the Slash is Saturday against the Lloydminster Steelers at 4:45 p.m. at Go Auto Arena.
Sunday the Slash visit the Saints at noon at Grant Fuhr Arena.
