EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – For the fifth consecutive week, the Edmundston Blizzard has captured the attention of experts from the Canadian Junior Hockey League, receiving an honorable mention among the 131 teams playing in the 10 leagues across the country.
After overtaking the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 4-2 last Thursday, the Blizzard loss 3-0 the following day at Truro against the Bearcats. Edmundston’s record is 28-9-1-6, 63 pts, good for second place in the overall standings of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League, 9 points behind the leaders, the Summerside Western Capitals (35-6-0-2, 72 pts). The Yarmouth Mariners dominate the Nova Scotia Eastlink South Division with 56 points (26-12-2-2).
Summerside has moved up one step and ranks 3rd nationally. Two teams from the Alberta Junior Hockey League, the Sherwood Park Crusaders (44-7-0) and the Okotoks Oilers (42-6-4) rank respectively 1st and 2nd.
In less than a month, the MHL regular season will be over. The Blizzard has only 8 games left, 4 on the road and 4 at home. Its last game will be played on March 6. Four of these clashes promise because they will feature the Blizzard against the Fredericton (3 times) and the Campbellton Tigers (once). These two teams total 51 points each and are engaged in a fight for third place in the division.
In the North Eastlink Division, the four teams qualified for the playoffs are already known after the weekend games which saw the Grand Falls Rapids and the Miramichi Timberwolves scratched from the elimination rounds. In the South, it’s much tighter, where no team is yet qualified. Fourteen points separate the leaders (Yarmouth) from fifth place (Pictou County).
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Photo
Blizzard is still ranked among the top teams in the country. Photo Percy Picard
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone