The two-week holiday break is over for the eight teams that compete in the Big Six Hockey League with action set to resume this weekend.
The Carnduff Red Devils (8-3-1) start the post-Christmas fun with a trip to the Wawota Community Forum for a date with the Flyers (6-4-1) on Friday. Both teams are back in action the next evening with the Red Devils heading to the friendly confines of the Carnduff Fast Trucking Centennial Arena to meet the Carlyle Cougars (2-9), while the Flyers welcome the Midale Mustangs (3-7-1) to town.
The Red Devils boast the second-best record in the Big Six Hockey League thanks in part to the strong goaltending tandem of Cody Dumaine and Shane Marsh, who each occupy a spot among the top four goalies in the league with four wins apiece. Matt Audette and Kody Martin lead the Carnduff attack with Audette tallying eight goals and 16 points and Martin notching six goals and 13 points.
The defending Big Six Hockey League champion Flyers boast the top-three scorers in the league in Brent Struble (12 goals and 29 points), Justin Lamontagne (12 goals and 22 points) and Riley Riddell (four goals and 19 points). Sitting between Riddell and Audette on the scoring chart is Jordon Miller (12 goals and 18 points) of the Redvers Rockets (8-3), which begin the weekend with a Friday night tilt at the Redvers Rec Centre against the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings (6-3-3) before they head to the Bienfait Memorial Arena to face the top ranked Coalers (8-2-1) on Saturday.
Rockets netminder Thomas Bauche leads the league in wins with six while Coalers goalie Jackson Walliser sits only one back with five victories. Bienfait gets their offence through a balanced attack led by Payden Benning (six goals and 16 points) and Dylan Herzberg (six goals and 15 points).
One day before meeting the Red Devils, the Cougars will travel to the Midale Harry O. Memorial Arena to play the Mustangs. The expansion Cougars are led offensively by Ben Johnstone (six goals and 12 points), while the Mustangs offence primarily comes through Brad Tomiski (nine goals and 15 points).
The weekend's final contest will feature the Oxbow Huskies (4-7) heading to the Yellow Grass Communiplex to face the Wheat Kings. A big reason for the Wheat Kings success this season is veteran goaltender Tanner Erickson who boasts four wins with the Huskies mainly relying on Riley Hengen (three wins) to provide their last line of defence.
