With the exhibition season now over, the Weyburn Red Wings look to hold their regular season home-opener this Saturday, Sept. 18, against the Yorkton Terriers.

The Wings concluded their exhibition season on Saturday against the Melville Millionaires. The preseason only lasted four games this year, which was a drastic change from the 2003-2004 season, which had over a dozen exhibition matches.

Michell Giroux, president of the Red Wings, said the short exhibition season was just how things worked themselves out this year, as the Wings held their fall training camp a little later than usual.

"We could maybe have added a game against Yorkton or Notre Dame, but they just chose to start getting ready for the regular season next week instead," she said.

The Wings were originally scheduled to play Yorkton on Friday, Sept. 17, but the game has been postponed until January because the Terriers' arena is not yet ready for use.

The Wings' home-opener is sponsored by the Co-op, which will be making a presentation to the Red Wings regarding its Co-op Cash program at the start of the game.

The Co-op will also be handing out numbered grocery bags at the game, Giroux said, to be used for the drawing of prizes but also to create a "whiteout" in the stands.

"(Fans) will be able to use those bags to create a sea of white in the stands," she said.

September Showcase next up

Following their home-opener on Saturday, Red Wings fans will have to wait until Oct. 1 to see the team back in the Colosseum.

The Wings play an away game on Tuesday, Sept. 21, against the Melville Millionaires. Then, from Sept. 24-26, the Red Wings will be participating in the September Showcase in Saskatoon.

The SJHL/CIS September Showcase will involve all 12 teams from the SJHL, six Western Canadian CIS teams and two Midget AAA teams.

The Red Wings will be facing the Flin Flon Bombers at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24; the Nipawin Hawks at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25; and the La Ronge Ice Wolves at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26.

All games will be held at the Canlan Arenas (formerly, the Jemini Arenas).

These three games count as regular season games towards the Red Wings' totals. The tournament is meant as a showcase for college and professional scouts - over 100 hockey scouts of all levels are expected to attend.

Also, over the course of the weekend, the SJHL will be providing scholarship, drug and alcohol awareness, and "respect" education seminars to all its players.

The Red Wings then return to the Colosseum to host the Terriers on Friday, Oct. 1.

Season shortened

Fans can expect to see a shorter season this year in the SJHL, as the league decided this summer to extend their playoff schedule and reduce the number of regular season games to 55.

The season will include 26 home games and 27 away. The regular season ends the week of Feb. 22, with playoffs starting Feb. 25.

This year's playoff format will be slightly different this year. Because Humboldt has been moved to the Dodge Conference, the league now stands at six teams per division.

The top three from each conference will play a round robin, with the winner determining who they will face in the first round of playoffs. No one will be eliminated from the round robin.

The fourth and fifth place teams, meanwhile, face each other in an elimination round. The winner moves on to the playoffs.

The usual playoff format then resumes, with the exception that the winner of the round robin chooses their opponent.

"We've discovered that playoff hockey really generates excitement amongst the fans," said SJHL president Laury Ryan, in a press statement. "What we're doing here is increasing the playoff round with more intense action and giving more people the opportunity to see playoff hockey."