Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are primed and ready to kick-off the 2021-22 NAHL Regular Season this weekend against the Janesville Jets! Both Friday and Saturday’s games begin at 7 pm CST.
The Jr. Blues make their long awaited return to the ice after sitting out the 2019-20 season due to COVID-19, marking the first time that Springfield has not participated in an NAHL season since 1993. Despite the hurdles and obstacles of having to rebuild an entire roster, Head Coach Tyler Rennette & Assistant Coach Todd Pococke are looking forward to getting back to hockey.
“We have a great group of guys in this locker room and we’re really building something special in Springfield,” said Rennette. “We’re excited to see what happens on the ice this weekend against a strong Janesville squad.”
The Jr. Blues will face an uphill battle in their first test of the season. The Janesville Jets, a longtime divisional foe, are coming off a Midwest Division Regular Season Championship which saw them go 31-13-4 for 66 pts in 48 games played. They were upset in the first round of the Robertson Cup Playoffs by the Kenai River Brown Bears and won’t be an easy match-up for the Jr. Blues this weekend.
If you’re planning on making the trip to Janesville this weekend to attend the games in person, please be aware of the following statement from the Jets:
“The City of Janesville has re-instated the facemask requirement in all City buildings effective July 30th. All patrons, staff, coaches, players, and skaters at the Janesville Ice Arena are required to wear a facemask regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. The Jets also encourage fans to practice social distancing measures where possible inside the Janesville Ice Arena.”
We ask that all Jr. Blues fans who attend this weekend’s games to comply with the City of Janesville facemask requirement.
Behind The Note:
- The Jr. Blues return five players from 2019-20: Leo Bacallao, Carson Jones, Noah Marino, Jonathan Panisa, and Cole Schneider. Combined they have appeared in 242 NAHL games and have accounted for 38 goals and 55 assists.
- This weekend’s games will be the 113th and 114th meeting between the Jr. Blues and the Jets (includ. both playoff series – 2011-12 & 2017-18). We have played more games against the Jets than any other active NAHL team, but our 136 contests against the Santa Fe/Topeka organization (Roadrunners & Pilots) is still the most in our franchise history.
- Our game this Friday will mark the first time since the 2017-18 season that the Jr. Blues will be playing a regular season game prior to the NAHL Showcase (Sep. 15-18). Our opponent that night? The Janesville Jets.
*You can catch every second of this weekend’s action against the Jets exclusively on HockeyTV! And if you happen to have missed their Early Bird Special…have no fear as they have extended the deal to September 13th! Use the promo code EBSNAHL21 to receive $60 off your 2021-22 All-Access Pass. Head over to HockeyTV TODAY to sign up and watch every game this season – home or away!*
