Meota and Turtleford play for the first time this season on Friday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. at the ACC in support of the Empty Stocking Fund. (Byron Hildebrand/Facebook)

By Austin Mattes

Empty Stocking Fund

Combines want give back in big rivalry game

Dec 18, 2024 | 2:53 PM

In the midst of the NHL and Junior hockey season, local senior hockey is also underway and going strong. In the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League (SPHL), it’s the Battleford Beaver Blues and Perdue Pirates who are tied for top spot in the East Division, both boasting a 5-1 record for 10 points on the season.

Then in the West Division, it’s been the Neiburg Monarchs who sit at the top, holding a 5-2 record for 10 points on the season.

But coming up this weekend though, the big story is between longtime rivals, the Meota Combines and Turtleford Tigers, who are both tied for third in the West with seven points. These two teams have had quite the history over the past few years, with the Combines beating Turtleford in the finals in 2022 and 2023, while also beating them last year in the semi-finals before going on to win the championship. Now, the two teams will meet each other for the first time this season on Friday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. at the Access Communication Centre.

“We got about six or seven guys that have been here for all 10 years and think we’ve always had a really solid group. I think anything outside of a championship is a failure in our eyes but I have noticed that we do look a little older this year and we did start to slow down but we picked up did pick up some good young guys again, so its going to be a good game,” said Aaron Cadrin, manager of the Meota Combines.

But apart from the game, the Combines are also doing something special to show their support to the community as well.

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On Friday night, the Combines will have a fundraiser social post-game in the lounge and will be donating all net proceeds to the Battlefords Empty Stocking Fund. They encourage everyone to come out and show their support as there will be free pizza and a DJ, all with the goal to help give back for the holiday season

“We’ve been doing it for like seven or eight years now just because it’s right around Christmas and we thought that it’s good charity to support around the Christmas season and it gets kind of the community together to support it too,” Cardin said.

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austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes