Brooks, Alberta – The Brooks Bandits host the Langley Riverman on Saturday for the annual Teddy Bear Toss game. This will be the franchise’s first ever visit to the Centennial Regional Arena. The Bandits then travel to Blackfalds on Sunday to face the Blackfalds Bulldogs in a big Interior East division match-up.
The Bandits are coming off a dramatic 4-3 comeback against the Coquitlam Express which saw them score four unanswered including the overtime game winner.
“Obviously, being down 3-0 is hard, but the coaches were telling us we were playing a good game and that the scoreboard wasn’t matching the game flow,” said Bandits forward Harry Ahlberg. “It was a great overtime goal from Frantisek Albrecht, and [Coquitlam] was chirping us all game so it was really fun coming back from the [deficit].”
Langley sits in third place in the Coastal East division with 24 points and a 12-12-0 record. Their 92 goals for rank fourth in the Coastal Conference.
“You have got to watch their top line,” said Bandits head coach Dakota Mason. “They have got some highly potent scorers including the leading [goal] scorer in the league.”
Aaron Rierson leads the Riverman and is third in the BCHL with 33 points in 23 games this season. His 21 goals lead the league and are three more than the next highest total. Zachary Benayon has 17 goals and 29 points in 24 games, while Sam Allaby has 23 points in 21 games; his 21 assists are tied for second in the BCHL. Brooks played the Rivermen in Langley in October, 2024, and won 8-0.
The Teddy Bear Toss will take place following the Bandits’ first goal, with all stuffed animals thrown onto the ice being donated to the Smiles for Christmas campaign. Even with the mid game pause, Mason does not believe it will distract his team.
“I think the guys really enjoy getting out there and picking up all the bears and taking the photos and things like that, but again it is not for us it is for all the people that the bears get donated too,” he added. “It is going to be an exciting night, and I just hope that the bears can fly early.”
Andreas Mikrogiannakis, who suited up for six games with the Bandits this season, has two goals and six points in 19 games with Langley. This will be his first visit back to the CRA since being traded in October.
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with more points than any other team in the BCHL. Their 18-7-0 record is tied for first in the Interior division, and their 101 goals for lead the league. Only five teams in the BCHL have at least 95 goals, with Brooks being among them.
The Bandits are still searching for their first win of the season against the Bulldogs after dropping all three meetings so far this year.
“Winning is very important for our confidence and for [keeping pace] in our division,” said Ahlberg. “We really need a win here.”
Coach Mason echoed that sentiment.
“Divisional games are extremely important,” added the head coach. “We aren’t looking at the three losses as much we are more looking forward to the next one [versus Blackfalds]. They are fast, they’re extremely competitive and are one of the most stingiest teams defensively… There is no dip in their game from their first line to their fourth line; everyone is fast and everyone is competitive.”
Bulldogs rookie Nikita Ivashchenko is fourth in the BCHL with 30 points. Thomas Neu has 29 and both Luke Dahlen and Joey Melo have 28, giving Blackfalds four players in the top ten in league scoring.
The Bandits have an extra day this week as they play a Saturday and Sunday schedule instead of the usual Friday and Saturday game alignment. It is not as much of an obvious tactical advantage as it might seem.
“I wouldn’t say the [extra] preparation is the advantage, it’s more about having that extra day [to recover],” Dakota Mason said. “Guys are sick, guys are injured, guys are away for World Juniors stuff, so having that extra day to rest up and be ready to go is important, but our preparation doesn’t change if we have five days or if we have one day to prep.”
Puck drop for the game against Langley is scheduled for 7:00 MT, with an expected mid game delay for the Teddy Bear Toss. Sunday’s game will begin at 4:00 MT in Blackfalds.
