The schedule for the 2020-21 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season has been announced.
Teams will play a 50-game season, down from the usual 58, with each team having 25 home games. The season is slated to begin on Nov. 6 and will continue until April 3.
The Estevan Bruins will be placed in a six-team south group that also includes the Weyburn Red Wings, Notre Dame Hounds, Yorkton Terriers, Melville Millionaires and Humboldt Broncos. Estevan will play these teams in home-and-home series before the Christmas break, with the vast majority of the games occurring on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Bruins will open their season on Nov. 6 in Melville, and then they will host Melville the following night at 7:30 p.m. at Affinity Place.
Estevan’s final games before the Christmas break will be a home and home with Humboldt; the two teams will meet Dec. 18 in Estevan and the following night in Humboldt.
Estevan’s first games after the Christmas break will be Jan. 7 against Humboldt and Jan. 8 against Yorkton. Both games will be in Estevan.
There will not be the traditional games against Weyburn around New Year’s Day.
Estevan will host Notre Dame on Jan. 20, and then spend several weeks on the road, as Affinity Place will be used for the Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts women’s curling provincials and the SaskTel Tankard men’s curling provincials in late January and early February.
During that time, the Bruins will start playing games against northern opponents, starting with a game Feb. 2 in Nipawin. Estevan is scheduled to face each of the six northern teams twice, once at home and once on the road.
The Bruins will be back on home ice on Feb. 13 against Weyburn.
Their final home game will be April 2 against Melville.
