There are five games on tap this weekend in the MMFHL, as four of the six teams will play twice, while two teams are only in action for a single game.

First off, let's take a look at the actual schedule, then get into previewing the particular matchups.

Saturday:

3pm, West Hants Sports Complex, Windsor - EDZA West Reds at Halifax Western Capitals (streamed on YouTube through Maritime Athletic Profiles)

4pm, Hector Arena, Pictou - Bussey Auto Brokers Penguins at Northern Subway Selects (streamed on 3sixty.live through Petter Pictou Sports)

7pm, Membertou Sports and Wellness Centre, Membertou - EDZA East Moncton Subaru Rockets at Cape Breton Lynx (streamed through the Lynx Facebook Page)

Sunday:

11am, Membertou Sports and Wellness Centre, Membertou - EDZA East Moncton Subaru Rockets at Cape Breton Lynx (streamed through the Lynx Facebook Page)

12pm, RBC Centre, Rink C, Dartmouth - EDZA West Reds at Bussey Auto Brokers Penguins (streamed through Penguins Facebook Page)

Season series for this weekend's matchups:

Reds vs Western Capitals - 3rd meeting, Reds lead 2-0

Penguins vs Selects -5th meeting, Selects lead 3-1

Rockets vs Lynx - 1st and 2nd meetings

Reds vs Penguins - 1st meeting

Streaks coming into the weekend (and record over last five games):

Selects - 3W (4-1-0)

Reds - 3W (4-1-0)

Penguins - 1W (3-1-1)

Western Capitals - 1L (1-3-1)

Lynx - 2L (2-3-0)

Rockets - 3L (1-4-0)

Following our consultations with Nova Scotia Public Health and Nova Scotia Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang, we have been advised that fully-vaccinated teams can now travel to New Brunswick for sporting events provided that the event (game, tournament, etc.) they are attending has a requirement for both spectators and participants to show proof of vaccination (POV).

Teams with unvaccinated players under 12 are not permitted to travel to tournaments in New Brunswick where a circuit breaker is in place. Please visit the Government of New Brunswick website to find up-to-date information about what areas of the province are currently under circuit breaker restrictions. 

While travelling to New Brunswick for competition, all local COVID-19 protocols and Public Health orders must be followed. Our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tina Atkinson would also like to strongly encourage all of our teams and hockey families to follow these guidelines to further decrease the risk of a COVID-19 exposure:

• Wear masks at all times while indoors (only removing them for eating, drinking and playing hockey).
• Always wear masks while in crowded outdoor spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• Avoid crowded restaurants (and only visit restaurants where servers are masked).
• Wash and sanitize hands frequently.
• Avoid close contact with people you don’t know.
• Consider shopping for essential items only.

We would also like to remind you all to follow the Rebound Plan 2.0 and keep a close eye on exposure notices from the province.

If you have been holding off on securing tickets or a weekend pass for the PWHPA Weekend Dream Gap Showcase as you wait for the league schedule to be posted, you are now free to do so.

To make sure everyone has the opportunity to take in the first professional women’s hockey games to be hosted in Atlantic Canada there will be no league games scheduled during the PWHPA Weekend Dream Gap Showcase. This will allow players, parents or teams who wish to attend this event, to do so without worrying about the team schedule.

Dream Gap Showcase Tickets (single games, single day, full weekend)

Links to special group offer of 25 tickets to Female Hockey Associations.

GAME 1 Calgary VS Boston

GAME 2 Montreal VS Toronto

GAME 3 Consolation Game

GAME 4: Championship Game

If there are specific requests from any teams that will not be attending the PWHPA Weekend Dream Gap Showcase, please contact your Scheduler and Regional Director.  If there are other teams available that weekend, we will look into scheduling on a case-by-case basis.

For more information on the Dream Gap Showcase click here.

It's Hallowe'en weekend, and the six teams in the MMFHL will all be in action.  Before we get too far into talking about what is ahead, let's first acknowledge the great work done by all of our teams who participated in the Sobeys Cup hosted in Pictou County this past weekend. 

The Northern Subway Selects came away with the title, after going 4-0-1 throughout the weekend.  The only blemish, a 0-0 tie against the Halifax Western Capitals.  The Caps also made the semi-finals, going 2-0-1 in pool play, before dropping a close semi-final to the Cape Breton Lynx.  While we talk about the Lynx, they finished in second place, going 2-0-1 in pool play, winning the aforementioned semi-final, then losing the final to the Selects.  The Bussey Auto Brokers Penguins, meanwhile, finished 1-1-1 in Pool Play, but missed out on the semi-finals based on goal differential to the EDZA West Reds.  The Reds were also 1-1-1, and lost to the Selects in the semi-final.  The Rockets had a rougher go of it, finishing 0-2-1.

Now, it is time to get back into league action with 6 games, including one home-and-home set.

NOTE:  All stats referenced in the preview do not include tournament statistics.  Only league play is taken into account.

BUSSEY AUTO BROKERS PENGUINS vs HALIFAX WESTERN CAPITALS

Pens at Caps - Oct 30, 3pm at West Hants Sports Complex (see Capitals social media pages for streaming details)

Caps at Pens - Oct 31, 2:45pm at RBC Centre, Rink D (see Penguins social media pages for streaming details)

Season Series - Western Capitals lead 1-0-1 (2-1 win, 2-2 tie)

PENGUINS:

Record: 5-4-1 (11 pts, 2nd place)

Goals Scored: 2.80 per game (Best in League)

Goals Against: 2.20 per game (T3rd)

Streak: L1

Last 5:  3-1-1

Leading Goals:  Lauren Smith (5)

Leading Assists:  Johanna Turton, Brooke MacCurdy (5 each)

Leading Points:  Lauren Smith (8)

Leading Goalie GAA:  Kaitlyn Langille (1.67)

Leading Goalie Sv%:  Grace MacNutt (0.923)

WESTERN CAPITALS:

Record: 2-5-3 (7 pts, 4th place)

Goals Scored: 1.20 per game (6th in League)

Goals Against: 2.20 per game (T3rd)

Streak: L1

Last 5:  1-3-1

Leading Goals:  Rylee Bennett (3)

Leading Assists:  Kate Furlong (4)

Leading Points:  Kate Furlong, Rylee Bennett, Samantha Taylor (5 each) 

Leading Goalie GAA:  Lucy Phillips (1.33)

Leading Goalie Sv%:  Lucy Phillips (0.953)

EDZA EAST MONCTON SUBARU ROCKETS at NORTHERN SUBWAY SELECTS

Both games at Hector Arena - Oct 30, 4pm and Oct 31, 9;30am (both available through 3sixty.live) 

Season Series - First meeting

ROCKETS:

Record: 1-4-1 (3 pts, 6th place)

Goals Scored: 1.50 per game (5th in League)

Goals Against: 3.00 per game (6th)

Streak: L1

Last 5:  1-4-0

Leading Goals:  Monica Richard (3)

Leading Assists:  Marissa Delaney, Beatrice Legere-Bitting, Isabelle Pellitier (2 each)

Leading Points:  Marissa Delaney, Monica Richard, Beatrice Legere-Bitting (3 each)

Leading Goalie GAA:  Janelle Gallant (2.25)

Leading Goalie Sv%:  Janelle Gallant  (0.927)

SELECTS:

Record: 6-2-0 (12 pts, 1st place)

Goals Scored: 2.50 per game (T2nd in League)

Goals Against: 1.00 per game (1st)

Streak: W1

Last 5:  3-2-0

Leading Goals:  Brooke Thomson, Sara Stewart (4 each)

Leading Assists: Olivia Fitt (4)

Leading Points:  Brooke Thomson, Jaylen Langille (5 each)

Leading Goalie GAA:  Gabby Arsenault (0.42)

Leading Goalie Sv%:  Gabby Arsenault (0.980)

CAPE BRETON LYNX at EDZ WEST REDS

Oct 30, 5pm at Grant Harvey Arena and Oct 31, 10:30am at Willie O'Ree Sports Complex (see Reds social media for streaming information)

Season Series - First meeting

LYNX:

Record: 2-4-2 (6 pts, 5th place)

Goals Scored: 1.88 per game (4th in League)

Goals Against: 2.50 per game (5th)

Streak: W1

Last 5:  2-2-1

Leading Goals:  Kameryn Lahey (4)

Leading Assists:  Maira Pino (6)

Leading Points:  Maira Pino (8)

Leading Goalie GAA:  Meghan Muise (1.88)

Leading Goalie Sv%:  Meghan Muise (0.922)

REDS:

Record: 4-1-1 (9 pts, 3rd place)

Goals Scored: 2.50 per game (T2nd in League)

Goals Against: 1.50 per game (2nd)

Streak: W1

Last 5:  4-1-0

Leading Goals:  Isabelle Michaud (3)

Leading Assists:  Katelynn Bird, Myriam Theriault (4 each)

Leading Points:  Isabelle Michaud (6) 

Leading Goalie GAA:  Kristy Michaud (1.07)

Leading Goalie Sv%:  Kristy Michaud (0.951)

On the advice of Nova Scotia Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang, Hockey Nova Scotia will continue to prohibit teams from travelling to communities in New Brunswick located in zones affected by circuit breaker measures.

As an update to our Oct. 7 communication regarding travel to New Brunswick, we wanted to let you know that the circuit breaker measures that have been in effect in some areas since Friday, Oct. 8 have been extended until at least Friday, Oct. 29. Please note these measures could be extended into November.

These areas include Zone 1 (Moncton region) as far north as and including Sainte-Anne-de-Kent and including Havelock in Zone 2; the northern portion of Zone 3 from and including Deerville and Florenceville-Bristol, but excluding Hayesville and Parker Ridge; and all of Zone 4 (Edmundston region).

Late last week, it was announced that Zone 5 (Campbellton region) will also enter a 14-day circuit breaker beginning on Friday, Oct. 22.

A detailed breakdown of the areas of New Brunswick impacted by these measures can be found by clicking here.

We expect that New Brunswick Public Health will provide more information later this week on their restrictions. We will provide an update if anything changes.

The MMFHL is saddened to announce that the Fundy Nationals have withdrawn from the 2021-22 season.  The team has withdrawn due to a lack of available players.

The schedule has been revamped effective immediately.