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This article was published 20/10/2017 (1066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Down to six teams from seven this season, the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League is set to drop puck this weekend on the 2017-18 regular season.

Gone are the Grunthal Jr. Red Wings, who have taken a leave of absence from the loop due to a shortage of players.

The Red Wings finished sixth in the standings last year with a 7-15-2-0 record, and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

The remaining six teams are all returning and all be in action this Saturday on opening night as Mitchell hosts Red River, Lorette is at St. Adolphe and the defending champion Springfield Xtreme host the Steinbach Huskies at Oakbank. All three of those games get underway at 8:00 p.m.

Red River posted the best regular season record last year at 18-6-0-0, just two points ahead of the Springfield Xtreme. But it was the Xtreme that prevailed in the league finals last spring, defeating those same Mudbugs in six games in the championship series.

League president Ray Laing says they feel that with six teams they still have a strong league, "but we are allowing teams to bring in some players from outside the region, we want to make sure that these teams remain viable and that they have enough players."

With six teams this year, following up on their highly successful 30th anniversary campaign last season, the top two teams will receive a first round bye in the playoffs. Each team will play a 25-game regular season schedule.

Following this weekend’s Saturday night tripleheader that will kick off the current campaign, play will resume next Thursday, Oct. 26, as the Mitchell Mohawks will entertain the St. Adolphe Hawks at 8:00 p.m.