The North Island Eagles rep midget and bantam teams will each play three of their five tiering-round games at home, but they'll kick off the season with road play this weekend.
The Vancouver Island Hockey League schedule was release this week. And while the arenas in Port Hardy and Port McNeill will both host Progressive Goaltending's minor hockey clinic, each of the North Island's rep teams will hit the road to begin the series of games that will determine their tier placement for the coming season.
The midgets play at Saanich Saturday night and at Nanaimo Sunday afternoon. They'll play their home opener Oct. 1 against Alberni Valley at 4 p.m. in Port Hardy, then host Comox the following day at 1:15 p.m.
The bantams travel to Victoria to face Juan de Fuca Saturday and stop on the return trip to take on Campbell River Sunday. They also have a pair of home dates Oct. 1-2, facing Kerry Park Saturday in Port Hardy at 1:45 p.m. and hosting Nanaimo Sunday at 11 a.m. in Port McNeill.
The peewees are at the southern end of the island this weekend for games against Sooke Saturday and Peninsula Sunday. They play in Port McNeill Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. against Alberni Valley but travel the following day to take on Comox.
The atom development team, which opened with a preseason victory over Campbell River last week, start tiering play Saturday at Port Alberni. The atoms will be back on the road Oct. 1-2 and play their lone home placement game Oct. 15 in Port McNeill.