Mariners kick off regular season Friday

The Yarmouth Jr. A Mariners kick off the start to the 20192020 regular season with games at home this weekend.

The reigning league champions will host the Truro Bearcats for their season opener on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. The following evening, Yarmouth hosts the Miramichi Timberwolves. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

In addition to pre-season trades and transactions, the Mariners have been using their recent training camp and exhibition game schedule to shape their roster heading into the season.

Two exhibition road games the team was to play this past weekend versus Valley and South Shore couldn’t be held on their scheduled days due to hurricane/tropical storm Dorian. The weather and power outages both played factors.

The second weekend of the season will feature a rematch of the 2018-19 Canadian Tire Cup Final as the defending

MHL Canadian Cup champion Yarmouth Mariners host the Campbellton Tigers on Sept. 20.

Fans will see a new team name at the Mariners Centre this season as this will be the first season for the Fredericton Red Wings. Fredericton joined the league following a franchise purchase of the St. Stephen

Aces after last’s year season.

The MHL has moved to a balanced 52-game schedule for its 53rd season, up from 50 games last season, with a total of 312 regular season games. Each of the league’s 12 teams will play 26 home and away games, with one home and away game against every opponent in the opposite division and four home and away games against every team in their own division.

The MHL last played 52 regular season games in 201314.