Game Preview: Johnstown @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Sep 18, 2015

The Matchup

The Johnstown Tomahawks open the 2015-16 season tonight, as they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights at 7 p.m. The Tomahawks and Knights meet 16 times this season, with the first three meetings taking place at the Knights home rink. Johnstown will host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the first time Nov. 12.

Johnstown

            The Tomahawks begin the regular season after closing the pre-season with a 4-1 win over the Aston Rebels Saturday night. Four different players picked up goals for the Tomahawks, while Jake Houston tallied three assists in the victory.

            Johnstown returns 11 players from last season’s roster, while adding five players with NAHL experience. The Tomahawks also have a strong pool of new players who are ready to make their mark in the NAHL.

            Following tonight’s game, the Tomahawks close out the weekend tomorrow night with a trip to New Jersey. Face-off for their first meeting against the Titans is set for 7 p.m.

The Tomahawks then travel to Blaine, Minn. for the 2015 NAHL Showcase, which begins Wednesday. The Tomahawks face Corpus Christi, Brookings, Coulee Region and Lone Star in their four showcase games.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

            The Knights begin their inaugural regular season tonight, after dropping their pre-season finale against the Youngstown Phantoms last Saturday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton starts the season with a young team that features players from varying levels of hockey.

            Wilkes-Barre/Scranton travels to the NAHL Showcase next week, where they will take on Austin, Corpus Christi, Brookings and Topeka. They hit the road the following weekend for games at New Jersey and Aston.

News & Notes

  • Tomahawks Defenseman Logan Hudson will serve as Captain for the 2015-16 season. The Mattawan, Mich. native is entering his third season with the Tomahawks.

 

  • Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Assistant Coach Kerry Huffman played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including playing for the Philadelphia Fyers, Quebec Nordiques and the Ottawa Senators.

 

  • This will be the third time in four seasons that Johnstown will open the regular season on the road. The Tomahawks visited the Port Huron Fighting Falcons to open their inaugural 2012-13 season, before visiting Keystone to open the 2014-15 season.