Welcome Back to the Corral
Stampeders: 1-0-0-0 (T1st in West) Power Play % (28.6% 4th in MJHL) Penalty Kill % (80% 5th in MJHL)
Blizzard: 0-1-0-0 (T6th in West) Power Play % (20% 6th in MJHL) Penalty Kill % (71.4% 7th in MJHL)
After silencing Blizzard fans last night, the Swan Valley Stampeders look to earn four points to start opening weekend of the 2026-27 season.
The Stampeders played a great game, one that had heated moments, adversity, and joy all in it, but they cannot get overconfident after one game. Swan was able to win 5-2 thanks to the third period hat trick from Dylan Ruff and the steady play by Easton Falls in net. Kannen Kirkwood was a big factor that will play into tonight’s game.
Takeaways
Last night saw the Stampeders get 7 power play opportunities and score on two of them, which is all fine, but the penalty kill saw lots of action as well going 4/5 last night, including a 5 minute major penalty kill which was eventually killed off. If the Stampeders want tonight to go the same, they must answer the bell for special teams.
The star power was in full effect last night for the Stampeders, Dylan Ruff had 4 points, Ben Groome opened the scoring with a power play goal and his first MJHL fight, while Trace Langan chipped in with many chances and an assist. Not to mention Easton Falls stopped 30/32 as well.
Buying into the systems HC Josh Tripp and AC Mark Woolgar definitely showed last night. Everyone played their role to the letter and did a very good job in every area of the ice. This is something that must continue throughout the season for the Stampeders in order to be successful.
The opponent
In last night’s contest, there were times the Blizzard definitely seemed to have control of the game but were not able to convert. When facing adversity, it seemed tough to bounce back from. However, one game out of the way to get the chemistry going is surely going to show in the second game of the weekend, as the Blizzard will surely look to silence the Stampeder crowd early and often.
Players to Watch
Stampeders: Dylan Ruff, Easton Falls, Hunter Toth
Blizzard: Kannen Kirkwood, Odile Grenier, Liam Carlone
It’s the MNP Home Opener! MNP will have an activity and trivia game outside in the rink parking lot before the game! Note to all people who participated in the golf tournament, your free tickets to the home opener will be available at the door, we will have a list.
