With an eye on a return to First overall, the Road beckons for the Prince Rupert Rampage

Saturday Night  is Hockey Night in Smithers, with the Prince Rupert Rampage the guests of the Steelheads.  

The weekend travels the first time the Rhino's have hit the road since mid December.

The play on Saturday, marks the second last weekend for Regular season matchups, with the February Playoffs just around the corner. 

And as the teams get ready to hit the ice, scoreboard watching will be part of the off ice activity.

That with the CIHL standings a highly contested race for the top berth and the home ice advantage that would come with it for the playoffs.

Four of the CIHL's teams have a shot at the top spot with Terrace River Kings the current placeholders atop the listings, the Rampage are just one point off their pace.

Nipping at the back of the skates for the Rampage are Hazelton and Williams Lake, both also looking to make the final two weeks a push to the top.

Of the four, the Rampage face a must win on Saturday, having played one game more than all of their competitors, they also will need some help over the weekend to hold their spot in the race for first.

Some of that help could come from Smithers who play Terrace on Sunday afternoon, that the second half of a weekend road trip for the River Kings that takes them to Vanderhoof on Saturday night.

Hazelton is on the Cariboo swing of their schedule with games in Quesnel and Williams Lake, in addition to the Wolverines visit, the Stamps weekend dance card is full with Kitimat also on the way this weekend.

The second last weekend for the Regular Season is also key towards the Scoring Race, with Prince Rupert's Judd Repole, sitting just a few points off the pace of Hazelton's Tanner Wort.

The Rampage return to the Jim next weekend to put a wrap on the Regular Season, with Smithers coning to town for the Saturday, February 3rd regular season finale.

Follow the Rampage through their Social media stream here.

You can review the team's season to date through our Results archive here.

More notes on the Rampage and the CIHL can be re reviewed through our archive page here.