The weekend play will provide a good barometer for the Rampage coming out of training camp, jumping right into the thick of things with two of the CIHL's more physical teams.
Saturday night's opener features the Williams Lake Stampeders, with the ice breaker for the new season bringing a puck drop at 7:00 PM
Sunday, the Rampage will be hosting the Quesnel Kangaroos, in an afternoon contest at the Jim starting at 1 PM, with the home side hopefully facing a weary Kangaroo squad which will have made the trip down the Skeena Highway after their season opener in Kitimat Saturday night.
Rampage fans will recognize a good portion of the line up with much of last years roster players making a return for the 2015-16 season, there are however seven new faces lacing up the skates this year, some solid additions that will provide for much in the way of depth for the team this year.
The newcomers include Tyler Halliday, Braydon Horcoff, Hayden Long, Benjamin McCallum, Tyler Ostrom, Patrick Robert and Jamie Schenkeveld.
Of the seven, three bring some extensive Junior experience to the North coast, with Tyler Halliday having spent numerous seasons in the WHL and CIS, while Braydon Horcoff and Tyler Ostrom return to Prince Rupert after stints in Junior B hockey in the Kootenays.
With a good mixture of returning veterans and some eager new additions, head coach Roger Aitchison and General Manager Ron German will be looking for a strong effort night in and out.
Expectations could be high for the season following a training camp that appears to have provided for some strong scoring combinations and defensive pairings to match up with some of the CIHL's top clubs.
Prince Rupert heads into their opening weekend coming off of an impressive 8-2 victory over last year's CIHL champs Terrace in last Saturday's exhibition game at the Jim.
And while the score in itself is something to talk about, the money that the Rampage raised from their tune up game with their Terrace rivals highlights the generosity of the Rampage fan base, with over 6,100 dollars collected in support of Dr. Frank Pyde and community health facilities.
Both the Rampage, River Kings and the Prince Rupert Port Authority as title sponsor, should be commended for their efforts last week in saluting Dr. Pyde and bringing the community together for the worthy cause.
Tickets for the weekend doubleheaders are available at Farwest Sports, Northern Savings Credit Union, Oceanside Sports, Rona, Rupert Cleaners and Stuck on Designs.
You can follow the Rampage through the season through our two archive pages.
One which will track the schedule and results for the 2015-16 season, while our other page makes notes of the stories and updates from around the CIHL for the season ahead.
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