Barrhead’s hockey fans were treated to a special sight Aug. 31 at the Agrena, as the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Spruce Grove Saints and Drayton Valley Thunder faced off in an exhibition game.
In a game packed with end-to-end action, the Thunder pulled out a hard-fought 4-3 win over the reigning league champion Saints.
After the first period, the Thunder had taken a 2-1 lead over the Saints, a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.
The second period saw the Thunder increase their lead to 3-1 before Spruce Grove notched its second goal to cut the deficit to one goal, 3-2. However, the Thunder would reply before the period was out to take a 4-2 lead after 40 minutes.
In the third, the Saints again cut the lead to 4-3, but were unable to score the equalizer. The Saints even pulled their goalie for the last minute, but were unable to put the puck in the back of the net before the clock ran out.
After the game, Drayton Valley coach Fran Gow said the game was like most preseason games, in that there are times the play will drag on and times when the play will be on par with a midseason game.
“It’s not atypical when you consider the mixed experience in the lineups as the teams are trying out different combinations to try to find the best team,” he said.
As for the experience of playing in Barrhead, he said he found the support from the crowd at a Wednesday night preseason game to be “outstanding.”
“We enjoy coming out here,” he said. “When you’re able to come out and showcase the AJHL, you’re excited to do it.”
The game had been in the works since June, said Barrhead Minor Hockey president Larry Knapp, when the owner of the Saints first proposed the idea.
In fact, Knapp said there is some preliminary talk about possibly bringing a regular season AJHL game to Barrhead.
“It’s an idea,” he said. “It’s nothing concrete.”
The game was not just a chance to show off Junior ‘A’ hockey to Barrhead; it was also a fundraiser for the minor hockey association.
Although Knapp said he doesn’t yet know how much money the game raised, he said the event was still a success.
In total, about 500 people took in the game, which was less than expected, he said, but understandable when considering it was the first day of school.
Speaking to the level of play displayed on the ice, he said it certainly was a higher level of play, but not as high as it could have been if it were a regular season game with set rosters and fewer players fighting for a spot on the team.
