Tradesmen face first-place Wolfpack in major midget play

SYDNEY — The Cape Breton Tradesmen will face the top team in the Nova Scotia EastLink Major Midget Hockey League for a pair of games on home ice this weekend.

The Tradesmen will entertain the Cole Harbour Wolfpack on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. at Centre 200.

Cape Breton is looking to turn things around in the win column. They sit in seventh place in the eight-team league with a 4-11-0-2 record. It’ll be a daunting task against the first place Wolfpack, who sport a 152-1-0 mark.

What the Tradesmen do have going for them is one of the top lines in the league. Rookie Mitchell Balmas has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 17 games, and sits second in the league in points. Balmas was named to the Team Atlantic roster this week for the upcoming World Under- 17 Hockey Challenge to be played in Cape Breton, Dec. 29-Jan. 4.

Team captain Kelly Yates has 12 goals and 19 helpers for 31 points, and Tristan Nordine has nine goals and 10 helpers for 19 points.

The Tradesmen split their previous series with the Valley Wildcats. Their Nov. 9 victory over the Valley ended an eightgame losing skid.

Cape Breton will look to contain Wolfpack forward Nicholas Bruce, the club’s top offensive talent.

He’s scored 13 goals and added 15 helpers for 28 points this season.

The NSMMHL’s other local entry, the Cape Breton West Islanders, hit the road for games against the Halifax McDonald’s on Saturday and the Newbridge Academy Gladiators on Sunday.