And while it might not be as utterly crazy as the Sean O’Connor and Dustin Slade years, there’s still little doubt the two teams look forward to playing one another every time they see a game coming up on the schedule.
The 2019-20 season is no exception, and this time things will get going with the swiftness – the two teams will meet on opening weekend for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, with the Warriors in Regina tonight followed by the Tribe’s home opener on Saturday.
“Oh yeah, it’s always awesome going down there and playing in their barn and stealing two points from them,” said Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt. “With both teams and our history and the rivalry, we can’t wait… it’s always nice to have that short bus ride to Regina knowing we’re going to play in a game like that.”
Warriors overager Jadon Joseph has only been with the Tribe for a little over a week but has already gathered a sense of the importance of games between Moose Jaw and Regina.
“I love rivalry games, it’s one of the things I look forward to,” he said after the team’s final pre-season practice Thursday. “It’s always nice to start off the season with a good rival, so we’ll have to see how it goes but hopefully it’s a pretty intense game.”
When it comes to results, the Moose Jaw Warriors have had a decided advantage over the last five years – the Tribe carry a 20-8-3-1 record against Regina, including a 7-1-0-0 mark last season and 6-2-0-0 record in 2017-18. It hasn’t matter where they played, either: the Warriors are 11-3-2-0 at Mosaic Place and 9-5-1-1 at the Brandt Centre.
Neither team had a standout pre-season, with each team playing seven games and the Warriors going 2-5-0-0 and Regina 2-3-0-2.
Bringing some additional fun to the weekend will be a wide variety of festivities taking place during the home opener on Saturday.
Fans can get in on some pre-game tailgate action during the Pregame Soiree featuring a beer gardens and music running from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the front pad of Mosaic Place. The Pile of Bones Brass Band will provide music and food and drink specials will add to the entertainment.
As for the game itself, a major off-ice highlight will be the night’s 50/50 draw, which will start at $20,810 and could reach six digits by night’s end, based on past draws.
Fans are also encouraged to dress in 1920s fashion for a shot at winning a host of prizes in addition to the regular game-day draws.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
