March 19, 2023
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Having completed the regular schedule for its 21st season of competition, the Superior International Junior Hockey League is announcing first-round matchups and scheduling as the quest for the 2023 Bill Salonen Cup kicks off on two fronts Thursday March 23rd.
It’s the first playoff hockey to be played in the league since the Red Lake Miners triumphed over the Kam River Fighting Walleye in 6 games to capture the 2022 edition of the Bill Salonen Cup on April 30, 2022.
The SIJHL quarterfinals will feature three best-of-seven series and will open at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay where the fifth-seeded and reigning Bill Salonen Cup Champion Red Lake Miners open defence of their title against the Thunder Bay North Stars.
The other series to get underway Thursday will feature the second-seed Dryden GM Ice Dogs hosting the seventh-seed Fort Frances Lakers at the Dryden Memorial Arena.
Finally, the expansion Sioux Lookout Bombers earned the third-seed in the regular season standings, and will host the sixth-seeded Wisconsin Lumberjacks Friday night at Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena.
By virtue of finishing top-spot in the 2022-23 SIJHL regular season standings, the Kam River Fighting Walleye have earned a quarterfinal bye, and will face the lowest-seeded team to advance in the semi-finals.
As was the case last year, the 2023 Bill Salonen Cup Champions will earn entry into the CJHL Centennial Cup National Junior A Hockey Championships taking place in Portage, MB starting May 11.
Here is the full schedule for the opening round of the 2023 Playoffs:
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| March 23, 7:30pm EDT, Fort William Gardens | March 23, 7:30pm CDT, Dryden Memorial Arena | March 24, 7:30pm CDT, Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena |
| March 24, 7:30pm EDT, Fort William Gardens | March 25, 7:30pm CDT, Dryden Memorial Arena | March 25, 7:30pm CDT, Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena |
| March 27, 7:30pm CDT, Cochenour Arena | March 27, 8:15pm CDT, Ice for Kids Arena | March 28, 7:05pm CDT, Spooner Civic Center |
| March 28, 7:30pm CDT, Cochenour Arena | March 28, 8:15pm CDT, Ice for Kids Arena | March 29, 7:05pm CDT, Spooner Civic Center |
| March 30, 7:30pm EDT, Fort William Gardens (*if necessary) | March 31, 7:30pm CDT, Dryden Memorial Arena (*if necessary) | March 31, 7:30pm CDT, Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena (*if necessary) |
| April 2, 7:30pm CDT, Cochenour Arena (*if necessary) | April 1, 7:30pm CDT, Ice for Kids Arena (*if necessary) | April 2, 7:05pm CDT, Spooner Civic Center (*if necessary) |
| April 5, 7:30pm EDT, Fort William Gardens (*if necessary) | April 3, 7:30pm CDT, Dryden Memorial Arena (*if necessary) | April 5, 7:30pm CDT, Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena (*if necessary) |
All games will be live streamed on SIJHL.TV. Subscription required for viewing.
Media Inquiries:
Darrin Nicholas, SIJHL Commissioner,
807-472-7228
commissioner@sijhlhockey.com