The Wadena Recreation Centre will play host to the Nipawin Hawks and Yorkton Terriers Tuesday for an SJHL neutral site game. (Clark Stork/NortheastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Neutral Site Matchup

Wadena welcomes Hawks and Terriers in neutral site matchup

Jan 17, 2023 | 1:00 PM

The Nipawin Hawks will hit the highway Tuesday for a neutral site game with the Yorkton Terriers.

The contest will be the Terriers home game, so Yorkton will enjoy all home ice advantages such as last change and the choice of dressing rooms at the small town rink. The town does have some connections to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) including many alumni from the town over the years plus the community’s proximity to Yorkton, Humboldt, and Nipawin.

Hawks General Manager and Head Coach Tad Kozun also won a senior hockey championship last winter alongside pro hockey teammate Joey leach. Leach is the captain of the Wildcats senior squad. He said the town is looking forward to hosting the high-calibre game.

“It’s a nice thing, even playing some senior here now the kids love us so I am sure it will be great for them to watch some high calibre hockey in town,” Leach said.

He acknowledged that his and Kozun’s hockey paths likely crossed in rinks across Saskatchewan and the Northeast, but it wasn’t until the pair suited up in South Carolina together in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) where their friendship began. Kozun was a Leach recruit to the Wildcats last year and was enjoying playing until the Hawks promoted him to head coach in December of last year taking away Kozun’s time to play. Leach said he’s looking forward to seeing Kozun on the bench leading the Hawks.

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“It’s pretty exciting for him to be stepping into that role,” Leach said “I have been watching closely and things have been going pretty well for him. It’s nice for him and it will be exciting to see. I may have to sit behind the bench and chirp him a little bit and see how he likes it.”

On the ice the Hawks are looking for their third straight win and third road win of the 2023 calendar year. The Hawks downed La Ronge 3-2 last Wednesday on the road and defeated Melville 4-0 at home on Friday.

The game is meeting four of five between the Hawks and Terriers. Nipawin has won the last two games scoring 17 goals in the two wins after being shutout 3-0 by the Terriers in September.

The game will be broadcasted on 750 Beach Radio beginning with the pregame show beginning at 6:45 p.m. Face-off is slated for 7 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork