Blaine, Minnesota – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are excited to be heading up to Blaine, MN for the 2021 NAHL Showcase! We will be playing four teams in four days – and it all starts tomorrow evening against the Jamestown Rebels!
After an emotional and monumental weekend up in Janesville, WI where the Jr. Blues collected four out of four possible points, the boys will look to continue their momentum as they shift their focus to a fellow returning team in the Rebels. Regardless of last weekend’s outcome, Head Coach Tyler Rennette is not letting the team look past their opponent on Wednesday evening.
“Jamestown had a long off-season as well,” said Rennette. “They’re going to be hungry to get back to the ice and start off on the right foot. We’ll need to keep that same energy and intensity that we had last weekend if we want to get the result we’re looking for.”
The Rebels, who have previously called Wenatchee, Rio Grande Valley, Aston, and Philadelphia home, are rejoining the fold for the season after having to sit out due to the COVID-19 pandemic last season. They faced the same challenge that the Jr. Blues had to endure this summer – refilling an entire roster. The Rebels, however, braved the challenge and are ready to compete for the Robertson Cup this season.
Behind the Note:
- The Rebels’ have forward Brett Morich on their roster – a familiar name to Jr. Blues fans as he played here in Springfield at the beginning of the 2019-20 season. Morich is one of 11 players who played for the Jr. Blues in our last season who are currently playing for a different NAHL team.
- The Jr. Blues returners – Bacallao, Jones, Marino, Panisa, and Schneider – combined for 76 points during the 2019-20 season. After one weekend of play during the 2021-22 season, those players have 7 of the Jr. Blues 18 points.
- Ethan Roberts began his NAHL career in remarkable fashion, winning both starts and allowing only one goal in each start. He has a line of 2-0-0, 1.00 GAA, and .965 SV%. Roberts is the first goalie since Juraj Ovecka in 2017-18 to win his first two starts with the Jr. Blues.
- The Jr. Blues have only played the rebels one time – way back in September 2012 when the Rebels were then known as the Wenatchee Wild. The Jr. Blues lost that game 6-4, and since then have not played any of the other iterations of the Rebels.
Catch all of the exciting, hard-hitting action of Jr. Blues hockey only on HockeyTV! Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm and we will have more information on which audio feed to choose as we get closer to game time! Make sure to follow along on Social Media if you aren’t able to join us on HockeyTV!
