Springfield, Illinois – For the first time since February 2020, the Springfield Jr. Blues will be hosting a North American Hockey League (NAHL) regular season game at The Nelson Center! After a hot start in Janesville and at the Showcase, the Jr. Blues will welcome the Minnesota Magicians to town this Friday and Saturday!
The Jr. Blues began the season with six games in nine days, compiling a 5-1-0-0 record by the end of the Showcase and then saw forward Connor Smith named the Midwest Division Star of the Week. Ethan Roberts has seen the bulk of the action so far, holding a 3-1-0-0 record with a 2.00 GAA and .919 SV%. But after so much action in such a short amount of time, the boys welcomed an early off week to rest and recuperate.
Now we shift our attention to the Minnesota Magicians, a division rival who also happened to be our last opponent during the 2019-20 season before COVID-19 shut us down. The Jr. Blues and Magicians always seem to play hard games against each other, whether it’s the regular season or in the playoffs, and we’re certain this weekend will be no different.
While the Jr. Blues may have stolen the show through the first two weeks, the Magicians come into this weekend tied with us for 2nd place in a strong Midwest Division. Minnesota is coming off a weekend split with the Anchorage Wolverines which saw a combined 18 goals between the two games. Minnesota’s 5-3-0-0 record (10 pts) is the 4th best record overall in the NAHL, but it’s the third best record in the Midwest Division.
Behind The Note:
- Hunter Longhi is on the Minnesota Magicians roster this season. Longhi is one of 11 former Jr. Blues players who are now playing for other NAHL teams for the 2021-22 season.
- While the Fairbanks Ice Dogs own the #1 overall spot in the league through three weeks with a 5-2-0-1 record (11 pts), the Jr. Blues are tied for the highest win percentage in the league at .833 with the Amarillo Wranglers.
- The Jr. Blues and Magicians have split their last 28 games against each other with Springfield having the advantage in 17/18, the Magicians in 18/19, and a tie in 19/20. The lone playoff meeting between the two clubs in 2018-19 went to the Magicians in four games.
- The Jr. Blues are home this weekend but then hit the road for three straight weeks – one stop in Chippewa and then two weeks in Alaska. When we return in late October we are home for two more weeks before returning to Alaska. All in all, we only have three home stands before Thanksgiving.
Tickets for this weekend’s games can be purchased in advance on tickets.jrblues.com. Adult tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door, while tickets for Children 12 & Under are $6 in advance and $8 at the door. Doors open at 6 pm on Friday with puck drop set for 7:05 pm and doors open at 5 pm on Saturday with puck drop at 6:05 pm. Make sure you stop in early on Friday to enjoy our Happy Hour Specials that last from 6-7 pm!
