Jets take perfect record into NAHL Showcase this week
October 17, 2005 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Fargo-Moorhead Jets News Release
Fargo (ND) The wins keep piling up, and this week the Fargo-Moorhead Jets will get their chance to prove how good they are to the rest of the North American Hockey League.
Fargo-Moorhead swept a three-game home stand from Helena and Billings last weekend, and takes a season opening eight game wins streak into the NAHL's annual family reunion.
As the only undefeated team remaining in Junior A hockey, the Fargo-Moorhead Jets will take an unblemished 8-0-0 record into this week's NAHL Showcase at the Super Rinks in Blaine, MN. The Showcase features all 20 of the NAHL's teams, playing inter-division games before roughly 200 (often more) college and professional scouts.
While the Showcase games count in the standings, they are also a pivotal point in a player's career as he tries to latch on with a Division I school in the future. For the FM Jets, bringing a perfect record into the Showcase will help set the team apart as scouts decide which games and clubs to focus on.
At any given time, upwards of four games are going on at once.
Last season, the FM Jets were one of only two teams to win all four of their games at the Showcase (Texarkana was the other). That, coupled with the team's postseason run last season, should also help draw added interest from scouts.
Tougher Competition
While displaying their wares for the scouts in attendance, the Jets will also have the opportunity to see how their record stacks up against teams they typically don't see.
Through the Jets season opening eight-game winning streak, Fargo-Moorhead has played just one team above .500 (Billings on Oct. 14). However, at this week's Showcase, the Jets will face three of four teams who are above .500%, not to mention traditionally strong programs.
The Jets open the Showcase with a game against the Cleveland Jr. Barons, a team that routinely sends a half dozen players a year to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. That is followed by a game versus the Springfield Jr. Blues, a franchise that won two Robertson Cups in the mid 1990s and is usually a lock for a postseason berth.
Then the competition kicks up to another level, with game against the Texarkana Bandits. The Bandits were many people's pick last season in the South Division Finals to upset Texas, and considered to have upgraded considerably this year.
Speaking of Texas, the FM Jets will end the Showcase with a rematch of last year's National Championship game against the Texas Tornado, a franchise that has unmatched success in the NAHL both on and off the ice.
"This is our chance to show to the rest of the league how strong the Jets program is" said head coach Chad Johnson. "Our guys are looking forward to the challenge of this week."
Preece to Set New Record
Veteran defenseman Bob Preece (Bonita Springs, FL) will set a new Fargo-Moorhead regionally record this week when he plays in his 123 game on Thursday versus Springfield. Preece enters the showcase having played 121 games all time, the second most in FM junior hockey history.
The current record is 122 games, held by another former Jet, Dain Prewitt.
Home Winning Streak Continues
The Fargo-Moorhead Jets have now won 13 consecutive home games dating back to Feb. 19 of last season.
North American Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2005
- IceDiggers head to showcase with momentum - NAHL
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Travels To NAHL Showcase - U.S. National Team
- Jets take perfect record into NAHL Showcase this week - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- Cats fall to Junior Blues - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Phantoms top Barons 4-2 - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Blizzard drops Outlaws for third straight win - North Iowa Outlaws
- Alpena completes sweep of Stars - Traverse City North Stars
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