MEHL starts Oct. 17
Posted By Mark T. Buss
Posted 11 months ago
The Manitoba East Hockey League will be starting their 2009-2010 schedule a little earlier than expected.
With the acceptance of the Fisher River Terriers – who will play out of the Teulon Rockwood Arena – the MEHL has pencilled in an Oct. 17 start to accommodate a seven-team, 24-game schedule.
Oct. 17 games will include the Beausejour Beavers hosting the Springfield 98s at the Sun Gro Centre while the two-time defending champion Selkirk Rivermen will welcome the Terriers to the East Selkirk Rec Centre. Both games are at 7:30 p.m.
The remaining five teams will hit the ice shortly thereafter.
The Lac du Bonnet Blues travel to Sagkeeng to take on the Braves Oct. 23. The Gimli Wolves will play there first game at home Oct. 30 when they host the Terriers at the Gimli Recreation Centre. Both games are at 8 p.m.
The MEHL has traditionally started league play the last week of October with a 20-game schedule.
Selkirk, Beausejour, Springfield, Lac du Bonnet, Gimli and Sagkeeng joined forces to create the MEHL in 2007.
The Blues, Rivermen, Beavers and Wolves came over from the South Interlake Hockey League. All four teams relished their time in the SIHL but waning player commitment due to travel time – a three-hour one-way trip in some cases – work and family priorities forced their hand to come up with a more centralized alternative.
Feeling the same pinch of lesser player commitment and costly travel, the Warren Mercs left the SIHL for the South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League in 2005. The Stonewall Flyers followed in 2006.
The MEHL has annually discussed the possibility of inviting both the Mercs and the Flyers to join feeling the close proximity of the communities would feed natural rivalries, maintain the high level of play and keep travel costs down.
Warren and Stonewall representatives have respectfully declined.
