Salmon Arm, B.C. — The BCHL announced the full schedule today for the 2019-20 regular season.
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks will kick things off at home with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, September 8 against the West Kelowna Warriors. It’s the first of eight matinees to be played at the Shaw Centre this season. Following the home opener, the Silverbacks will travel to Trail for a double-header against the Smoke Eaters on Sept. 13 and 14.
The regular season concludes with another home matinee, set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 23 against the Merritt Centennials.
In November, the Silverbacks will play in front of their fans at the Shaw Centre eight times — the most home games of any month — while hitting the road just four times. The longest homestand, however, will be six straight games from Dec. 29 to Jan. 15, which concludes when the Silverbacks welcome the defending Fred Page Cup champion Prince George Spruce Kings to town. The longest road trip of the season will immediately follow that, with five consecutive away games from Jan. 18 to 26.
The Silverbacks will play 36 games before the holiday break, with the last of those being played on Sunday, Dec. 15 against the Smoke Eaters at 3 p.m. The club will then resume play following a 13-day break with a home-and-home against the divisional rival Vernon Vipers on Dec. 28 and 29.
The final month of the season will see the Silverbacks play twice as many away games as home games, with six road contests and just three at the Shaw Centre in February.
Twenty-one of the Silverbacks’ 28 home games this season will be played on weekend dates — either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. They will play just 10 weekday games all season long — seven at home and three on the road.
As usual, the Silverbacks will play six games against each Interior Division opponent, plus two games against each of their 10 non-divisional opponents, totalling 56 games. The remaining two games on the schedule will be played during the BCHL Showcase Festival presented by Bauer from Oct. 2-5, with those matchups and locations to be announced later this week.
Some key dates on the 2019-20 schedule to remember are:
Sunday, Sept. 8 — Home opener at 3 p.m. vs. the West Kelowna Warriors
Wednesday, Oct. 16 — First visit of defending Interior Division champion Penticton Vees at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30 — First visit of divisional rival Vernon Vipers at 6 p.m., who have gotten the better of the Silverbacks in two straight playoff series
Sunday, Dec. 29 — First home game following the winter break, vs. the Vipers at 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 15 — Only visit of defending Doyle Cup champion Prince George Spruce Kings at 7 p.m.
Listed below is the full schedule breakdown by month.
September: 8 (4 home, 4 away)
October: 11 (5 home, 2 away, 2 showcase)
November: 12 (8 home, 4 away)
December: 7 (2 home, 5 away)
January: 11 (6 home, 5 away)
Feburary: 9 ( 3 home, 6 away)
For the full Silverbacks schedule, click here.
2019-20 Silverbacks season tickets are now on sale! Call the team office at 250-832-3856 or visit https://www.sasilverbacks.com/season-tickets for more information.
