Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “,….. proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community….
As much as the return of the National Hockey League regular season sparked our interest this week, so too does the launch of the Greater Metro Junior Hockey League season for the Knights of Meaford.
Tonight is opening night for the Knights at the Meaford & St Vincent Community Centre when they host the South Muskoka Shield at 7:30 pm.
It will be interesting to see if the slight delay in the start of the season has any impact on the Knights.
Normally, the GMHL begins right after Labour Day.
Because the Municipality of Meaford has always supported the Apple Harvest Festival in early October, and because the vendors at the Craft Show would rather stand on the arena floor rather boards covering the ice surface, most years the Knights launched their season with 4 to 5 road games before finally coming home.
This year we have a different scenario with Meaford playing 4 straight and 5 of their first 6 games on home ice.
Of course, this a double edged hockey stick.
On the one hand, a winning start on home ice can jump start your season.
By the same token, a less than productive homestand to launch the year might be a bad omen of things down the road on the road.
All of which makes tonight’s game intriguing. It’s not a crucial contest nor a must win, but there is a level of significance attached to starting well and doing well through October at home for the Knights of Meaford.
For Pete’s Auto Body, I’m Fred Wallace.