The puck was finally dropped on the 2020-2021 Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) season this weekend and last night (October 31) the Airdrie Thunder skated to a win in their opener on home ice.  

Matthew MacDonald had a goal and an assist as the Thunder doubled the Mountainview Colts 4 - 2 at the Ron Ebbesen Arena in the opening game of a season that will have a much different look to it because of COVID-19.

Mason Ducharme, Jason Horn, and Jacob Cathcart also scored for Airdrie and Justin Fedoruk stopped 27 shots to pick up the win between the pipes.  

Paton Rothenbusch picked up a pair of points on a goal and an assist for the Colts and Lucas Mulholland collected the other marker.  

It was the first of a four-game series between the two clubs who will meet again Wednesday night at 8:30 pm in Carstairs.  They'll square off again Friday, November 6th at 8:00 pm in the Ron Ebbesen before the final game Saturday night, November 7th at 8:30 pm, again in Carstairs. 

After the initial series, the Thunder will have two weeks off to ensure the health of players and staff during the pandemic.  Airdrie's next series begins Sunday, November 22nd when they'll play the first of four games against the Three Hills Thrashers.  That game goes in Three Hills.

The Thunder will play five, four-game series during the HJHL regular season.  After Three Hills they'll face the Red Deer Vipers followed by the Sylvan Lake Wranglers and the Rocky Rams. 

Friday night's HJHL season openers were the first games for the league in seven and a half months after hockey in the province was forced to shut down on March 12th due to the pandemic.   

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