Tonight’s Game Notes:
Welcome fans to tonight’s MJHL action featuring the visitingWaywayseecappo Wolverines (13-24-3) and your home town Virden Oil Capitals (22-14-6). Tonight’s game is brought to you by Trican Well Service Ltd.
What you see tonight is what you get. The trade deadline has come and gone and the ones who are listed on the back of tonight’s line-up card are the ones that will make the final push through the final third of the season into the playoffs.
Outside of the newly acquired, Owen Solecki, who scored his first as an Oil Cap on Saturday night, two more players will be new to the lineup tonight… well sort of. Kurt Johnas makes his return to the Oil Caps after being acquired on Saturday evening from the Yorkton Terriers. Johnas spent the first part of the season with the Terriers and joins the Oil Caps as their leading scorer. Johnas was picked up by the Terriers in the off-season from Virden as part of the future considerations from a trade involving Curtis Oliver in fall of 2013. 6’2”, 200 lbs defenseman, Cody Durdle, will also make his debut in the burgundy and black tonight. Durdle was acquired from Estevan in a deal that saw Lindsay MacLellen getting sent to the Bruins.
Tonight is the fourth meeting of season between the Wolverines and Oil Caps, with Wayway getting the best of Virden so far. Wayway holds a 2-1 record over Virden in the season series with three more meetings to come on the season.
The Wolverines come into tonight with a 2-3 record in their last five games since the holiday break. Rylee Zimmer has been a huge spark to their lineup since being assigned to them from the Regina Pats in the WHL. In 24 games, Zimmer has 27 points (7 G, 20 A) and is the only current point per game player in the Wolverines line-up. The second-year forward from Russell was just recently named the MJHL’s IBAM Rookie of the Month for December.(?)
As for the Oil Caps, Dylan Thiessen, Devan Schram, Corey Haverstick, Jordan Greig, andBen Williams all come into tonight on three-game point streaks. Meanwhile Soren Frederiksen has 18 points in his last 13 games and currently leads the team with 43 points (22 G, 21 A).
Virden enters tonight on a three-game win streak and are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. They sit just six points back of the second place Winnipeg Blues with a game in hand. The Oil Caps have one game remaining with both Steinbach and Portage, but have four to get in with the Flyers. Virden finished the season series with the Blues on Sunday with a 3-2 win to take the season series 5-1.
As always, we encourage fans to sign-in to tonight’s game on the Oil Caps APP for your chance to win a $10 gift card courtesy of Chicken Chef in Virden.
Enjoy the third game of the Oil Caps five-game home stand – and don’t miss Friday night! It’s the Oil Caps souvenir poster giveaway!