Brooks, Alberta — The Brooks Bandits welcome a pair of divisional rivals to the Centennial Regional Arena this weekend, hosting the Blackfalds Bulldogs on Friday before facing the Spruce Grove Saints on Saturday.
The Bandits last met Blackfalds on December 7, earning a 3–1 victory. Brooks has also enjoyed success against Spruce Grove this season, remaining undefeated in two matchups and outscoring the Saints 12–7.
Brooks enters the weekend coming off a 6–4 loss to West Kelowna, their first game action of the new year. Forward Dmitrijs Dilevka believes the contest was an important step in getting the team back up to speed.
“[That game] should help us get used to playing again,” said the Latvian forward. “We’re getting ready. It’s been a hard week, and we’re going to put up a battle against Blackfalds.”
After a restful week without games, the Bandits are eager to regain their momentum.
“We’re back in business,” Dilevka added.
The Bulldogs currently sit first in the Interior East Division with 47 points, while Brooks trails in second with 38. Blackfalds is led by rookie Nikita Ivashchenko, who tops both the Bulldogs and the entire BCHL with 44 points (17 goals) in 32 games. The Bulldogs also feature two more of the league’s top-10 scorers in Thomas Neu (37 points) and Luke Dahlen (36 points).
Spruce Grove enters Saturday’s matchup riding a three-game winning streak, having picked up victories against Sherwood Park (twice) and Prince George. The Saints sit fourth in the Interior East with a 15-14-1 record.
The Saints have also undergone recent changes behind the bench, with Assistant General Manager Martin LaChaine taking over as Interim Head Coach following the departures of Bram Stephen, Dustin Kohn, and Brandon Switzer.
Special teams have been a strength for Brooks this season. The Bandits boast the second-best power play in the BCHL at 33.3 percent, trailing only Coquitlam (34.1%). Their penalty kill sits at 79.8 percent, ranking second in the Interior West Division.
Both games will start at 7:00 MT. Nathan Crosby and Ken Fleury will have the call on New Country 105.7 and FloHockey.
