Warriors Return to Hangar to Raiders Saturday Night
September 21, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
Moose Jaw, Sask. - Saturday night is a big one at the Hangar in downtown Moose Jaw.
The Moose Jaw Warriors are set to hit home ice for the first time in the 2024-25 regular season, but before they do that, the team will be holding a special pre-game ceremony to celebrate the 2024 Western Hockey League Championship.
"There's a lot of guys in that room that had their hands all over this championship from last year and tonight they get to celebrate it one last time and put that banner in the rafters, so it will be a special night for them and a lot of fans around Moose Jaw," Warriors head coach Mark O'Leary said.
The Warriors capped off an incredible 40th season in Moose Jaw by capturing the team's first Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Warriors defenceman Connor Schmidt said it will be a special moment.
"We had such a great year last year and to the banner go up into the rafters is going to be pretty cool," he said.
After the pre-game ceremony though, it will be down to business for the Warriors, who will be looking to get into the win column after dropping their season-opener on Friday night in Brandon.
O'Leary said the Warriors need to compete harder in front of both nets to bounce back from Friday's 5-2 loss to the Wheat Kings.
"The game was kept close with goaltending, Jackson [Unger] made things a little bit closer than the game was," he said. "Brandon was a whole lot more urgent in terms of getting inside, that was the difference in the game."
Schmidt scored the opening goal of the WHL season and the 17-year-old said he's hoping to build off that moving into the rest of the season.
"It felt really good, but just got to be better tonight and get a win in the win column," he said.
The Warriors and Raiders will face-off in the home opener at the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Saturday night.
Get to the arena early as the Warriors are hosting a Pre-Game Tailgate Party from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and then when doors open, the first 1,500 fans will receive a mini replica WHL Championship banner.
The pre-game ceremonies on the ice will begin at 7 p.m.
If you can't make it to the rink, tune into all the action with IKS Media Warriors Live on CHL TV, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:40 p.m. on YouTube and Facebook.
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Western Hockey League Stories from September 21, 2024
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