No games against, or road trips to, the Kootenays. No three-games-in-three-days. A vast majority of Friday/Saturday home dates to be played.
The upcoming Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season will have a different feel and look for the North Okanagan Knights.
“We will be playing a 47-game, unbalanced schedule,” said Knights head coach and general manager Bryant Perrier. “And that’s because we are not playing any crossover games during the regular season.”
The Knights, who finished fourth in the 52-game Okanagan-Shuswap Division a year ago, will play all of their regular-season games against divisional rivals Princeton Posse, Osoyoos Coyotes, Summerland Steam and Kelowna Chiefs, and 15 games against teams in the Doug Birks Division: 100 Mile House Wranglers, Kamloops Storm, Chase Heat, Revelstoke Grizzlies and Sicamous Eagles.
Gone are games against the 10 teams in the Kootenay Conference.
“It’s mainly about money,” said Perrier of the scheduling change. “It’s not an easy venture (Junior B hockey). There is lots of bleeding financially.”
The move, said Perrier, will likely save the Knights between $15,000 and $20,000.
Gone, as well, are the three games in three days for the Knights.
“That’s mostly about player safety,” said Perrier.
North Okanagan will open its regular season in Princeton on Friday, Sept. 9. The team’s home opener will be Saturday, Sept. 17, against the Revelstoke Grizzlies at the Nor-Val Sports Centre.
The Knights will play 19 of their 23 home games on Friday and Saturday nights at the Nor-Val Sports Centre, with games starting at 7:30 p.m.
Three home games will be played at the Enderby Arena, including the only two Wednesday night home dates, and there will be one Sunday afternoon home game, in December, against Princeton starting at 1 p.m.
The playoffs will have a different format.
Teams will battle within their division for the first two rounds, with the opening round series being a best-of-seven divisional semifinal.
The division final will then be a best-of-five.
The winner of the Okanagan-Shuswap Division will face the winner of the Doug Birks Division in the third round Okanagan Conference Final, which is also a best-of-five series.
The winner there advances to meet the winner of the Kootenay Conference in the best-of-seven league championship.
The league’s Creston Valley Thundercats will host the 2017 Cyclone Taylor Cup Junior B provincial championship, and receive an automatic berth.
The Knights open their main training camp Friday, Aug. 19, at Nor-Val, and the camp runs until Aug. 21.
The team will play three pre-season games, in Kelowna against the Chiefs on Aug. 26, and in Sicamous against the Eagles on Friday, Sept. 2.
North Okanagan will take on the Chiefs Sunday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m., at Vernon’s Kal Tire Place.
Billet families are required for the upcoming season.
For more information, call Perrier at 250-488-0874, or email him at bryantperrier@yahoo.com.
North Okanagan knights 2016-17 regular-season home schedule
Date opponent time (PT)
Saturday, Sept. 17 vs Revelstoke 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24 vs 100 Mile House 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 30 vs Kelowna 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 1 vs Kamloops 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 8 vs Kelowna 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 15 vs Osoyoos 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22 vs Summerland 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 28 vs Princeton 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4 vs Osoyoos 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5 vs Sicamous 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 9 vs Summerland (at Enderby Arena) 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 25 vs Osoyoos (at Enderby Arena) 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 2 vs Summerland 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 3 vs Revelstoke 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 11 vs Princeton 1:00 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16 vs Chase 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 6 vs Princeton 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 11 vs Kelowna (at Enderby Arena) 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 14 vs Summerland 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 27 vs Kelowna 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 3 vs 100 Mile House 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 10 vs Princeton 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17 vs Osoyoos 7:30 p.m.
