The West Nipissing Lynx are back in action, opening their season under new head coach Moe Mantha Jr. at the Sturgeon Falls arena on Friday, Sept. 23. After two years of COVID restrictions, eager fans packed the arena to watch the Lynx battle the South Muskoka Shield.
The ceremonial puck drop was aptly performed by Jane Labbé. She and her late husband Marcel Labbé were recently honoured for their dedication to bringing the recreation centre to West Nipissing, with the centre, which houses the arena, renamed after them.
The enthusiastic hometown support didn’t help the local crew, who couldn’t get on the score board at all. Despite a solid effort in net by goalie Deric Rivet, the Shield scored three times while the Lynx missed many opportunities.
General Manager Patrick Miron was not discouraged, already looking forward to the next game and thrilled with the local turnout.
“We would like to thank the community of West Nipissing for their amazing support, (…) seeing that arena packed to the rafters is what we hope for all season long. The boys need all your support in order to succeed,” he expressed. “Sorry to the fans who had to stand all game, our arena isn’t big enough!”
