Teams back on the ice for exhibition games

Hockey fans will get a break from the heat at three arenas in the region this week.

Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St. Catharines and the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s newest venue, Meridian Community Centre in Pelham, will all host exhibition games.

All eight teams in the junior B loop’s Golden Horseshoe Conference are giving prospects opportunities to showcase their skills under game conditions.

The Pelham Panthers, 2-1, and Fort Erie Meteors, 1-1, have already started their pre-season schedules with games last weekend at the Panthers’ new 1,000seat home at the corner of Regional Road 20 and Rice Road in Fonthill.

Action at the Seymour-Hannah four-pad gets underway Wednesday with the St. Catharines Falcons hosting the Kitchener Flying Dutchmen of the Midwestern Conference in a 7:30 p.m. faceoff in Rink 1.

St. Catharines is back in the same rink the following night with a game against the Thorold Blackhawks, also beginning at 7:30.

Four teams, including the Blackhawks, are each playing three games in the 2018 Canucks Junior Classic starting Friday in Niagara Falls.

Thorold takes on the Hamilton Kilty B’s, formerly the Ancaster Avalanche at 5 p.m., with the host Canucks facing off against the Welland Jr. Canadians at 7:30 p.m.

Two games are scheduled for both Saturday — Hamilton versus Niagara Falls, 12:30 p.m.; Thorold-Welland, 3 p.m. — and on the final day Sunday — HamiltonWelland, 11 a.m.; Thorold-Niagara Falls, 1 p.m.

Junior B exhibition action Friday at Pelham has the Lockport Regals, relocated from Buffalo during off-season, facing the Brampton Bombers at 6:30 p.m. and the Panthers hosting the Meteors in the 8 p.m. game.

Fort Erie, Lockport and Pelham each play two takes Saturday, including one against teams from the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

The Meteors face Brampton, noon; and the PJHL’s Woodstock Navy Vets, 4:30 p.m.; the Regals play the PJHL Niagara RiverHawks, 9 a.m.; and Pelham, 7 p.m; with the Panthers hosting the Navy Vets at 10:30 a.m. before wrapping up the two-day tournament against Lockport.

With ice at Welland Arena not expected to be ready until after Labour Day, Gale Centre is serving as training camp home for the Jr. Canadians.

Not being able to work out at their home arena doesn’t matter to Welland head coach Keith Osborne.

“That don’t matter,” he said. “You’ve got to learn systems before you worry about playing in a hockey arena.

“It’s good for me, I live five minutes from the Gale Centre.”