The Creston Valley Thunder Cats were back on the ice over the weekend as training camp kicked off.
Team president Brandon Buliziuk said it was good to get a look at the club ahead of next month’s home exhibition game on Saturday, Sept. 6, when they host the Spokane Braves.
“After that, we are Friday, Sept. 12, at the Johnny against the Nelson Leafs, and then we’re on the road a bit in between there as well, visiting Grand Forks, Nelson and Spokane,” said Buliziuk.
“The 5th, we are in Grand Forks. The 7th, we’re in Spokane, the 10th in Nelson, and the 12th at home. Our regular season kicks off Friday, the 19th. We’re on the road for that first game as we’ll be in Fernie playing the Ghostriders.”
The Thunder Cats will return home Saturday, Sept. 20, for their home opener against the Columbia Valley Rockies.
“As most in the community know, we’re going through a reassessment of tiering this year and really making a push to keep junior A hockey in the valley,” said Buliziuk. “There’s been some changes within the organization and some big pushes being made. We’ve sold a record number of pre-season ticket sales. A lot of excitement around the club right now.”
One change supporters can expect to see this season is a 7 p.m. start time, instead of last season’s 7:30 p.m.
“Make it a little earlier, a little easier on the kids and folks getting home in time,” said Buliziuk.
“This is a great opportunity for the valley to show why we should have a high-calibre junior hockey here and everyone just coming together to support the club. At the home opener, there’ll be a couple of little surprises that people aren’t used to seeing. I’m not going to give them away yet, but definitely worth coming out to see and we really hope to bring a new level of game-night entertainment to the rink this year.”
The Thunder Cats are also hosting their annual golf tournament fundraiser this Saturday, Aug. 30. The event is a shotgun start at 9 a.m., followed by dinner and a silent auction.
“A great day and an opportunity for the new players coming in and the returning players to get to know people around the community and some golfers and just spend some quality time together while also raising funds for the club through many of our amazing community sponsors,” said Buliziuk.
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