Rivalry games

DesRoches, Waddell feel home-and-home series great chance to showcase IJHL

It’s a well-known fact the Arsenault’s Fish Mart Western Red Wings and Kensington Moase Plumbing and Heating Vipers do not like each another.

The two arch-rivals will meet in a home-and-home series next week.

Not only are the two games huge standings-wise, but both head coaches feel it’s a great opportunity to showcase the Island Junior Hockey League. “Both teams are going to do a really good job at promoting the league and showing off the product to a lot of people who will be going to a game for the first time this season,” said Red Wings head coach Nathan DesRoches.

The Red Wings will host the Vipers at the Evangeline Recreation Centre on Boxing Day at 2 p.m., and the teams will renew acquaintances at Community Gardens on Friday, Dec. 29, at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be another big crowd (on Dec. 29), and who knows what’s going to transpire on Boxing Day,” said Vipers head coach Wade Waddell.

“It’s a well-known rivalry, and I will put it up against any that’s been on P.E.I. the last 20 years. The game sells itself to me.”

Season series

The Red Wings lead the season series with the Vipers 2-1. Kensington won 4-3 while the Red Wings were victorious 7-5 and 5-3.

“They’ve been close games, both teams are very skilled, it’s fast hockey and both teams still hate each other, nothing has changed there,” offered DesRoches.

“To me an unfortunate part of the Kensington-Western rivalry is there always seems to be controversy in it, but at the end of the day it’s always a good hockey game.”