The Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers are playing the first of 8 meetings this season tonight and it’s the first of a home-and-home series between the two rivals. Last season the teams split their 8 game series (Sept 24^th: 4-2 win, Nov 30^th: 4-3 win, Dec 29^th: 5-2 loss, Dec 30^th: 3-2 loss, Jan 6^th: 3-1 win, Jan 27^th: 8-2 loss, Mar 10^th: 3-1 loss, Mar 17^th: 6-5 win/SO.) During the pre-season, the Canes and Tigers met twice and again split those two games with the Tigers winning 8-4 in Medicine Hat and the Hurricanes winning 3-2 on home ice thanks to a pair of goals in the 2^nd period and a 32 save performance from All-Star netminder Ty Rimmer.

The Hurricanes finished the 2012 preseason with a record of 3-3 while the Tigers were 1-4.

2012 – 2013 Preseason vs. Medicine Hat

September 9^th – Lethbridge (4) Medicine Hat (8)

September 12^th – Lethbridge (3) Medicine Hat (2)

Points:  Lethbridge – 7 Medicine Hat – 10

Shots on Goal:  Lethbridge – 57 Medicine Hat - 72

Powerplay:  Lethbridge – 1/3  Medicine Hat – 1/7

HOT HAND:

Rookie Remi Laurencelle finished the pre-season tied with Brady Ramsay with 6 points each.

Rookie Joel Topping was second in scoring after the preseason with 4 points

BY THE (Pre-Season) NUMBERS:

Points:   Laurencelle, Ramsay – 6 points each

Goals:     Laurencelle – 4

Assists:   Topping - 4

PPG’s:     Axel Blomqvist – 3

PIM’s:     Jaimen Yakubowski – 13

Top Scorers – Lethbridge:

Remi Laurencelle: 4G, 2A – 6 points

Brady Ramsay: 3G, 3A – 6 points

Joel Topping: 0G, 4A – 4 points

Jamal Watson (2G, 1A) Spencer Galbraith (1G, 2A):  – 3 points each

Top Scorers – Medicine Hat:

Hunter Shinkaruk: 2G, 4A – 6 points

Kyle Becker: 1G, 5A – 6 points

Miles Koules: 3G, 2A – 5 points

Curtis Valk: 3G, 2A – 5 points

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Be sure and join us for a charity BBQ before tonight’s game outside the NW Entrance of the ENMAX Centre. Purchase your Burgers (Pop and Chips) with proceeds from the event going to the United Way. BBQ starts at 6 o’clock.

Every Friday home game throughout the season is also “Food Bank Fridays”.  Be sure to bring a non-perishable food item for the Lethbridge Food Bank. Also look for the Food Bank on the concourse and be sure to enter your name into draw for a weekly prize (winners announced during the game)

EXCLUSIVE for Season Ticket Holders: This season we’re introducing the Perfect Attendance! We want to reward our Season Ticket Holders for their perfect attendance. If their season ticket is scanned for every home game during the Hurricanes 2012-2013 regular season, they will be entered in a draw to win a free season ticket in 2013-2014.

DID YOU KNOW?:

- Leading the Way: The Lethbridge Hurricanes were proud to name overage forward Graham Hood the 22nd Captain in Hurricanes history this week. Hood follows in the footsteps of three of his former teammates – Brody Sutter, Cam Braes (2011-2012), Mike Reddington (2010-11) and Carter Bancks (2009-10) who have worn the “C” during his time in Lethbridge. Hood enters the new season with a couple of milestones in his reach – 6 goals shy of 50 for his career and 2 points shy of 100.  

- According to the CSS:  Central Scouting released its “preliminary watch list” for 2012 and two Lethbridge Hurricanes will be heavily scouted this season. Defenceman Adam Henry (who is sidelined until January with a heart condition) and rookie Forward Axel Blomqvist are in the preliminary rankings. Henry finished with 21 points (4G, 17A) in 60 games last year while Blomqvist had 46 points in 38 games with Rogle J18 last season. 

- By the numbers: The Canes current roster is made up of 14 forwards, 10 defensemen and 2 goaltenders going into the WHL Opening Weekend. This group includes 11 WHL rookies (Ax. Blomqvist, Duke, Wong, Harper, Hackman, Sayers, Sutton, Pilon, Topping, Laurencelle, and Tai)

- Welcome Back! One of the great stories of training camp and the pre-season has been the return of Michael Sofillas. The 19-year old from Morden, MB played 64 games in the 2010-11 season but concussion symptoms forced him to miss all of last season. Sofillas returned to the Canes healthy and ready to pick up where he left off two years ago.

- Family Ties – Oh brother: Axel Blomqvist (acquired 17^th overall in the Import Draft) joins his brother Albin Blomqvist on the Hurricanes roster. Axel is a towering Forward at 6’5 and close to 200 lbs. Both are the younger brother of Anton Blomqvist.

Next up: The Hurricanes and Tigers will renew acquaintances Saturday night in Medicine Hat’s home opener. Game time is 7:30 and be sure to tune into the pregame show at 7:00pm with Pat Siedlecki on the home of the Hurricanes – 94.1 CJOC. Whether they’re home or on the road, don’t forget to follow your Lethbridge Hurricanes by following game analysis and team headlines on Twitter @WHLHurricanes and @CanesCast or by checking out our website at www.lethbridgehurricanes.com.  Fans can also follow us on our Official Facebook Fan Page at facebook.com/WHLHurricanes or check out the game live on WHL Web TV - log on to whl.ca for details and pricing. Fan can also drop by Pop's Pub South to watch the WHL Webcast live as they present all 36 Hurricanes road games this season.