Virden, MB (CKLQ) – After nearly a week of sitting on the sidelines, the Virden Oil Capitals and the Steinbach Pistons will be resuming their MJHL Final series tonight at Tundra Oil & Gas Place.
After a Game 1 victory on Friday, the Oil Capitals were notified of the bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team that killed 16 people, and injured many more.
The next day the Manitoba Junior Hockey League postponed Game 2, originally scheduled for Sunday out of respect of the broncos organization.
The league moved the series back a few days and it will resume tonight.
Both teams will honour the Broncos organization throughout the game starting with a pre-game ceremony.
Lights will be dimmed and both teams will skate onto the ice and line up on the respective blue lines.
Players on both teams will be wearing yellow laces, in addition to using yellow and green sock tape in honour of the Broncos, whose team colours are green and gold.
On-ice officials will also be wearing yellow skate laces.
Both the Pistons and Oil Capitals will be wearing the name bar “Broncos”.
Two minor hockey teams from Virden will also skate onto the ice, with one team wearing jerseys from a Steinbach minor hockey team as a showing of unity within the hockey community.
Also participating in Thursday’s pre-game ceremony will be a billet family from both Virden and Steinbach, in addition to first-responders from Virden.
Fans can also make a donation to the Broncos and receive a memorial green ribbon.
On sale for fans will be special commemorative ‘Humboldt Strong’ t-shirts, with the proceeds going to assist the Bronco organization and families affected by the bus crash of last week.
The MJHL says when the series shifts back to Steinbach for Game 3 on Saturday, a similar ceremony will be held.
The game starts at 7:30pm at Tundra Oil and Gas Place.
The Oil Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 1-0.
Oil Capitals, MJHL to resume playoff series
By Matthew Higgs
Apr 12, 2018 | 11:43 AM