Wilderness and Iron Rangers to meet for the Paul Bunyan Cup

Press Release

 SPOONER, Wis.  – Superior International Junior Hockey League hockey action returns to the Ice House in Spooner, Wis., this Thursday and Friday as the 1st annual Paul Bunyan Cup exhibition series between the Minnesota Wilderness and Minnesota Iron Rangers takes place.

With both these SIJHL clubs having already wrapped regular season play the two clubs will take to the ice in the two-game set as a tune-up for the upcoming playoffs as well as for Northern Minnesota/Wisconsin Jr. A hockey bragging rights.

Both contests feature a 7 p.m. face-off at the Ice House.

The Wilderness, who played their first two seasons in the SIJHL in Spooner, won their third straight league regular season crown finishing with an impressive 53-3-0-2 overall record.

Included was a streak of 41 games since their last loss in regulation time, which came way back on Oct. 24.

They were a staggering 39-0-0-2 in that span with one of their two shootout setbacks during that run coming at the hand of the Iron Rangers.

The Wilderness also finished up ranked No. 2 overall in the final Canadian Junior Hockey League Top 20 rankings of the season released earlier this week. Those listings were tabulated each week in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting.

As for the Iron Rangers they finished up regular season play with a 26-28-2-0 mark under first-year coach Chris Walby.

That marked a 34-point improvement from the organization’s first season in the league, which was last season.

Not only was Spooner the host venue for back-to-back SIJHL championship teams with the Wilderness in 2010-11 and 2011-12 they also successfully hosted the SIJHL Showcase in two years ago.

This past January Ice House also staged the 1st annual Superior – Northern Showdown featuring last season’s SIJHL finalists, the Wilderness and Fort Frances Lakers, taking on the reigning Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and Dudley-Hewitt Cup champion Soo Thunderbirds as well as the Elliot Lake Bobcats in a four-game showcase event.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)