SIJHL announces 2011-12 schedule

Press Release

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Superior International Junior Hockey League announced Thursday its composite schedule for the 2011-12 season.

The six returning SIJHL clubs in the Dryden Ice Dogs, Duluth Clydesdales, Fort Frances Lakers, Sioux Lookout Flyers, and Thunder Bay North Stars along with the defending league champion Wisconsin Wilderness welcome the Iron Range Ironheads to the fold for the upcoming campaign, which will mark the 11th year of operation for the league.

A total of 198 games are on this year’s slate with each squad playing a 56-game schedule.

Each side will play 27 home games as well as 27 away contests along with two matches apiece during the SIJHL’s second annual Showcase Weekend, which will be hosted by the Clydesdales Jan. 21-22 at the Heritage Sports Center in Duluth. Games during the league showcase will once again count in the overall standings.

League play will commence Sept. 16 on two fronts as the reigning SIJHL champs from Wisconsin travel to Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena to take on the Flyers while the other match-up sees Fort Frances hosting Thunder Bay.

The expansion Ironheads, who will be based in the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota, are slated to make their debut Sept. 30 in Duluth.

Regular season action will conclude in the final week of February, which will be followed by six weeks of playoff hockey to determine this season’s Bill Salonen Cup champion.

While fans can once again follow game action all season long with live in-game scoring via Pointstreak on the league’s website at www.sijhl.com another option has also been added for the upcoming campaign as the SIJHL have reached an agreement that will see every league game available on a pay-per-view basis via live online streaming with NeuLion, a global leader in delivering live and on demand video via the internet. Among their multitude of clients is the National Hockey League.

Following the postseason the Thunder Bay North Stars will serve as the host team for the 2012 Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Jr. A championship in April. Joining the North Stars will be the SIJHL title holder along with the champions of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and the Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Should Thunder Bay capture the league crown they will be joined by the SIJHL finalist at the DHC, which will be held at the venerable Fort William Gardens April 17-21, 2012. The Dudley-Hewitt winner will then move on to 2012 Royal Bank Cup national Jr. A championship next May in Humboldt, Sask.

NOTE: Due to some unforeseen circumstances involving the late addition of Iron Range to the SIJHL for the 2011-12 season, which were beyond the league’s control, a number of game dates for the Ironheads have yet to be completely finalized. These dates and times will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. The expansion side is expected to play home games in such Iron Range communities as Hibbing, Chisholm, Coleraine, Hoyt Lakes and Eveleth, the site of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The SIJHL apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)