Other than winning the Credit Union Cup, the annual Showcase is about as good as it gets in the SJHL.
If you have never been to one, you are in for a treat. If you have, you know what I'm talking about.
I had the pleasure of going to the 2009 Showcase in North Battleford and it was one of the most unique experiences I've had in hockey.
For an SJHL fan, it's tough to get a good read on other teams and their players, especially when they don't play in your division.
So getting to sit in one arena and watch all 12 teams play over three days is something to behold.
This year's Showcase in Estevan will be in mid-October, less than a month after the season starts, so you'll get to watch all the rookies and get a first-hand look at the changes each team has made.
Where else would you see, say, Flin Flon and Melfort duke it out at 11 a.m.
Sure, the players don't enjoy playing at that time but for a fan, it's just a very cool thing to witness.
And the scouts! Scouts all over the place, from every conceivable school, junior team and even NHL club.
But this event will have something for everyone, not just the fans.
Hotel operators, restaurant proprietors and gas station owners will see the benefits as well.
It's not like Estevan's booming economy needs a boost right now, but we're not complaining.
This isn't something that happens often, so get out to the rink and take in the action while it's here.
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I've been getting lots of questions about when I'm going to start blogging about the Bruins. That day has come.
Check out my second effort at SJHL blogging, called Bruins Banter, at http://bruinbanter.blogspot.com
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at sports@estevanmercury.ca or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshlewis306. He dishes out almost as many tweets as Raffi Torres does dirty hits.
