EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – The Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MHL) unveiled on Thursday night the 12-team schedule for the league’s 52ndcampaign that will kick off next September.
As last season, each team will play 50 games, including two in neutral territory. The teams will converge on New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, on October 8 and 9, where they will play two games each as part of the 2018 MHL Showcase. The event will take place for a third consecutive year. It allows players to be watched closely by scouts at the same location.
As for the Edmundston Blizzard, its 24 local games played at the Jean-Daigle Centre will be divided according to the following days of the week: 9 on Saturday (7:30 pm), 5 on Friday (7:30), 5 on Wednesday (7:30), and 5 on Sunday (3 pm).
Edmundston will play seven games against each team from the EastLink North Division with the exception of Grand Falls which they will face eight times. Edmundston will face each EastLink South Division team twice with the exception of three games against Yarmouth and South Shore.
The Blizzard will play its first two games of the season on the road on Saturday, September 15 in Miramichi (7:30 pm) then on Sunday, September 16 (3 pm) in Grand Falls. This game will be the very first in the history of the Rapids franchise.
On Friday, September 21, the Blizzard will open its local season by hosting the Rapids. The same two teams will compete in the last two games of their calendar on Wednesday, March 6 (in Edmundston) and Friday, March 8 (Grand Falls).
The Blizzard is the MHL’s defending champion (season and playoffs).