Hurricanes vs. Prince George Tonight

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will hold their home opener tonight versus the visiting Prince George Cougars at the half-renovated ENMAX Centre.

The Canes' are 2-2-0-1 in their first five games on the road to start the season with wins against Calgary and Medicine Hat in week one. That was followed up by a shootout loss in Seattle and two regulation losses in Everett and Portland last weekend.

For the first time in nearly 8 months, the Hurricanes players and coaches got back into their old surroundings earlier this week. The ENMAX Centre has been a construction zone inside and out since April and will remain that way throughout this hockey season before the finishing touches will be put on the renovated facility about this time next year. Until then, the building is still a work in progress, but fans coming to games will certainly notice a difference with new entrances, washrooms, concessions, and more pen space.

Last year, the ENMAX Centre certainly wasn't a place that opposing teams were scared to enter. The Hurricanes this season hope to establish more of a dominance on home ice. It's important that all teams make their home rinks a place that other teams hate to come into. The good thing for the Hurricanes going into four straight games at home over the course of the next two weekends, is that they've gotten off to a much better start than at this time last season when the hockey club was 0-5.

As Rich Preston told our radio station earlier this week, the only player not back from injury is Mark Reners. He remains sidelined for another week or two with a knee injury suffered in the pre-season tournament in Tri-City. Brody Sutter will play his first game of the season for Lethbridge. The Hurricanes are hoping for him to step up this year. Sutter struggled a lot last season, but had a very good summer camp with the Buffalo Sabres and a strong pre-season pro camp with the Florida Panthers.

Tonight the Hurricanes era without veteran defenceman Brennan Yadlowski begins. This will certainly put some added pressure ofplayers like Oslanski, Jackson, and Johnston to really step up their games on the backend to fill that void. It's pretty clear Rich Preston has a lot of confidence in those three young guys as well as veteran D-men Machacek, Reddington, and Ryckman to lead the way on the Hurricanes defence.

Tonight the Prince George Cougars pay their first of two visits to Lethbridge this season. The Cougars are 2-3 to start the year and are coming off a 6-3 victory in Cranbrook against the Kootenay ICE on Wednesday. Just like the Hurricanes, P.G. is trying to turn things around after a very rough season. The Cougars ended up getting the top WHL Bantam pick and the number one Import pick this past spring as they continue to rebuild. Last season, the Hurricanes won both meetings between the teams. Both of which were the Canes' first two victories of the season back 2009-2010. That was then...this is now.

The puck drops shortly after 7:00 pm (MDT). The Canes' will hold a pre-game ceremony to announce this year's team to the home town fans. Fred Jack and I will have the pre-game show on CJOC starting at 6:30. The Hurricanes will host the Kootenay ICE tomorrow night at 7:00pm as well and next weekend Regina and Saskatoon will provide the opposition. The Canes' will head back on the road October 18th to get set for three games in Saskatchewan October 20, 22, and 23.

Thanks,
Pat

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