Local junior hockey teams hitting the ice for training camp

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

The weather may say it’s still summer, but the action on the ice is heating up for the local Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) teams.

The Uxbridge Bruins, Port Perry Lumberjacks and Little Britain Merchants all open their training camps this week, ahead of the 2024-25 PJHL season.

With all three teams lacking ice in their home arenas, at this time of year, the three clubs will all take up temporary residence at other local rinks, this week. The Bruins will start with a series of skates, this week in Whitby, before shifting to Stouffville, before ice is installed in Uxbridge, ahead of the Labour Day weekend. Port Perry opens their training camp, at Campus Ice Centre, in Oshawa, while the Merchants will be skating in Lindsay.

This week will see the Bruins take the trek to Wasaga Beach, to tangle with the Stayner Siskins.

Meanwhile, the Merchants will be on the road, on Friday night, against the Innisfil Spartans. At 7 p.m., on Saturday night, the Shopkeepers will host the Lumberjacks, in Lindsay.

The Lumberjacks are set for a busy weekend, with a pair of games on Saturday, an afternoon match-up in Peterborough, against the Lakefield Chiefs, before the aforementioned game in Lindsay against Little Britain. On Sunday, the Lumberjacks travel to Orillia, for a 7 p.m., match-up against the Terriers.

All of the local teams have been busy recruiting and making trades, over the summer, with an eye on competing for the Cougar Cup, as champions of the Orr Division this season.