Oliver Paipoonge, ON - The Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Junior League are excited to announce the signing of a three year lease with the township of Oliver Paipoonge, a monumental agreement that will see them become the first Junior “A” club to play out of the NorWest Recreation Centre.
Walleye President Derek Geddes is grateful that they were able to form this partnership. “From our ownership group, to our hocke
y operations staff, to our players, we are all committed to
creating something special in Oliver Paipoonge. We are going to 
engage the community and make the Fighting Walleye their team” said Geddes, adding that everyone in the organization is anxious to get things rolling.
Oliver Paipoonge also sees the benefit of the Walleye setting up shop on the banks of the Kam River. "It is with great anticipation that we welcome the Kam River Fighting Walleye to the NorWest Arena in Oliver Paipoonge", said Mayor Lucy Kloosterhuis. "We welcome you to our community and know that this is just the beginning of a very special relationship."
The SIJHL regular season is tentatively set to begin on November 15th. Regular season ticket packs, as well as souvenirs and merchandise, are available at shop.fightingwalleye.com.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of a community that is progressive and growing,” added Kam River general manager Kevin McCallum. “Having Oliver Paipoonge as our home will be very rewarding for us as we look to grow the program into a national Junior A contender. The community will be overwhelmed with our presence in the area and interaction with our fans, community groups and area youth. We are proud to be the first Junior A hockey club to call Oliver Paipoonge home,” McCallum concluded.
Fighting Walleye head coach Matt Valley is pleased to have his team represent his home community. “It's hard to fully express how proud and excited I am to be part of this move to Oliver Paipoonge and the NorWest Arena,” Valley said. “For me personally, this is more than a move to a new hockey rink or different community, it's about coming home. I, along with much of my family, grew up in Murillo. My mom grew up right in Stanley, not far from the rink. Both me and my brother’s first hockey practices and games were here at NorWest. I spent a lot of time in that rink as a kid and know how important hockey is to that community. So this is about family for me and bringing junior A hockey to our already wonderful community of Oliver Paipoonge. That first skate out here is going to be emotional, that's for sure,” added Valley.
The club also announced that advertising opportunities are now available. Interested parties can email president@fightingwalleye.com for more information.