THUNDER BAY – Sports – The Minnesota Wilderness of the Superior International Junior Hockey League have been crowned regular season title holders for a third consecutive season. The Wilderness clinched their latest title over the weekend as none of the remaining SIJHL clubs can no longer mathematically catch the team in the standings.
Minnesota Wilderness Dominate SIJHL
Currently ranked No. 2 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, the Wilderness boasts a SIJHL-best record of 37-3-0-1 having not lost a game in regulation since Oct. 24. That marks a string of 26 consecutive contests in which they have gone 25-0-0-1 in that span.
Since joining the SIJHL in 2010 the club, under the guidance of head coach and general manager Rod Aldoff, has registered an impressive overall record of 128-15-4-6. They spent their initial two years as the Wisconsin Wilderness, playing out of Spooner, Wis., before relocating to Cloquet, Minn., this past off-season.
It’s a battle for the remaining teams as to where they will finish in the regular season standings as only three points separate second from fifth as the SIJHL heads into the final month of the 2012-13 campaign. League play resumes Tuesday as the Fort Frances Lakers host the Dryden Ice dogs in a 7:30 p.m. start at Ice for Kids Arena. Both sides are currently tied for second in the SIJHL standings with 53 points apiece.
The Thunder Bay North Stars will face off against the Minnesota Wilderness for a three game home stand starting on February 8th. The opening game will be at the Port Arthur Arena.
North Stars v. Minnesota Wilderness. The North Stars are going to need the support of a legion of fans to help them in their hunt for SIJHL success. The North Stars are currently in 4th place in the SIJHL Standings.
Editorial Note: There are lots of people in Thunder Bay stating how important a new Event Centre with a 6000 seat arena is for the future of our community. Filling the seats for Lakehead Thunderwolves and Thunder Bay North Stars would be a great way of demonstrating that need.
Currently the North Stars are attracting an average of 400 fans per game for extremely action filled hockey. The Thunderwolves are attracting about 3000 fans.
The Fort William Gardens is a 4000 seat hockey facility.
