The Shellbrook Elks (black jerseys) line up for the national anthem ahead of a contest at home against the Hanley Huskies on Jan. 21, 2024. (Shellbrook Elks Senior Hockey Club/Facebook)

By Logan Lehmann

Playoff fever

TRHL playoffs, senior hockey provincials start this weekend

Feb 2, 2024 | 8:00 AM

Along with the warm weather the province has been experiencing as of late, playoff fever has also fallen upon the Twin Rivers Hockey League (TRHL) as the regular season wrapped up play this past weekend.

Games are set to begin on Friday night with the matchups for the postseason locked in for round one.

In the East, the number one Birch Hills Blackhawks will face the fourth-place Cudworth Tricky Maroons, while the Allan Flames will line up with the Clavet Cougars in the second versus third series.

Claiming first in the West and their second consecutive regular season title is the Willow Cree Chiefs who will face the Shellbrook Elks in the quarterfinals meanwhile the defending champions Dalmeny Sabres will begin their quest for back-to-back banners against the third-place Rosthern Wheat Kings.

Additionally, a pair of clubs are getting a shot to raise a provincial banner in their respective arenas this season.

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During the Monday Nooner Podcast’s Senior Bracket Reveal Show back on Jan. 11, Rosthern was named to the Senior ‘C’ provincial playoffs and will face off with the Biggar Nationals of the Sask. West Hockey League in round one.

The Wheat Kings are set to play a three-in-three this weekend, including a pair of provincial games on Friday and Saturday as well as their first league playoff game on Sunday.

“We had a special practice on Monday and went through a few things,” said Rosthern’s head coach Ernie Muller. “There’s not much you can do to prepare for this, we haven’t played a three-in-three all year so it’ll be a busy weekend. We run with three goalies so we kind of have our choice that way, we don’t have to put one goalie in three nights in a row. We got lots of bodies so everything will work out.”

Shellbrook was the other team named to provincials, only they will be competing in the Senior ‘D’ playoffs and will square up with the Delisle Bruins of the Sask. Valley Hockey League in the first round. While the Wheat Kings are set to begin their provincial run this weekend, the Elks will have to wait until Feb. 24 to get their hands on the Bruins.

“With Delisle, it’s [very] different,” explained head coach Drew Ferster. “I haven’t seen them play, we know very little about them – [we] know a few names on the roster so we’re going in a little bit blind but that’s when we want to concentrate on our game, play our structure and the way we have in the last half of the season, and we feel if we play that way we have a chance to win everything.”

The Wheat Kings play their first provincial game on Friday night in Rosthern at the Jubilee Sports Centre with an 8:15 p.m. puck drop. Their first league playoff game happens on Sunday afternoon at 3:15 in Dalmeny.

The Elks on the other hand also begin their provincials at home, hosting Delisle at the Shellbrook Skating Rink for an 8:00 p.m. start time on Feb. 24. Shellbrook embarks on their league playoff run on Saturday night in Beardy’s with an 8:30 p.m puck drop.

The full provincial schedule for Rosthern can be found by clicking here, while Shellbrook’s provincial schedule can be found by clicking here.

The Twin Rivers Hockey League playoff bracket can be found by clicking here.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com