The Moose Jaw Warriors annual Snowbird Night is traditionally one of the hottest tickets of the season for the local Western Hockey League club,
With everything surrounding the 10th annual edition of the match-up with the Regina Pats on Saturday night, it could be one of the biggest yet.
Arch-rivals, a chance to clinch a playoff spot, two generational talents facing off and all the festivities surrounding the 431 Air Demonstration Squad? What’s not to like?
“We are really excited to bring back our Snowbird Night in 2022,” said Warriors director of business operations Jaret Schneider. “It has been a few seasons since we have been able to host the squadron and it is always a great night for everyone. The Snowbirds are a big part of the Moose Jaw community and to be able to come together with them is very important to us.”
The Warriors will take the ice in special jerseys for the occasion, and they’re as unique as can be, featuring a special re-design of the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey logo to include the snarling moose wearing a Snowbirds flight helmet.
And fans can end up taking home the sweaters off the players' backs at the end of the game if they can prevail in a silent auction running on the Mosaic Place concourse throughout the night. The auction begins at 6 p.m. and closes when the puck drops to start the third period, with fans also able to use a “Buy It Now” option to secure their favourite jersey.
A second live online action is also currently taking place at www.thecrushedcan.com featuring the jerseys of Daemon Hunt, Ryder Korczak, Denton Mateychuk, Brayden Yager, Jagger Firkus and Carl Tetachuk. All six are proving to be hot items, each having drawn over $500 in bids as of Friday afternoon, with Tetachuk’s sweater cracking $700.
The live auction closes on Sunday, Mar. 20 at 8 p.m., with only online bids being accepted.
Net proceeds from the event will go to the Support Our Troops charity, which helps members, veterans, and their families overcome extraordinary challenges as a result of military service.
As for the game itself, one exceptionally important aspect takes centre stage.
The Warriors will have a chance to officially clinch a playoff spot with a win and Prince Albert Raiders regulation loss in Saskatoon on Saturday night, which will mark their fifth consecutive playoff appearance.
That’s right -- with no playoffs the last two seasons, the Raiders are still the defending WHL champions and the Warriors’ playoff streak lives on.
Overall, the Warriors have a magic number of four points, meaning a Moose Jaw win and Prince Albert loss at any point from now until the end of the regular season will lock down a post-season spot.
Then there’s the latest meeting between a pair of players shaping up to be generational talents, as 16-year-olds Yager and Connor Bedard will once again share the ice.
Yager heads into the contest with a brand new team record under his belt, with his 30th goal of the season in Brandon on Tuesday night breaking Theoren Fleury’s 37-year-old mark for most goals by a 16-year-old.
Bedard, meanwhile, has been Connor Bedard. The Pats standout became only the eighth 16-year-old to hit the 40-goal mark in WHL history this past weekend and is currently fourth in WHL scoring with 79 points in 49 games.
There’s even some good news for fans looking to get into the game for free -- members of Conexus Credit Union can show their member card at the Mosaic Place Box Office on Saturday and receive up to four free tickets for the contest. Only 1,000 tickets are available and the box office opens at 12 p.m.
Puck drop on Saturday night at Mosaic Place is 7 p.m.
