The River Rats play their first game since winning the provincial title when they meet the Wolseley Mustangs in Grenfell on Friday night. Puck drop is 8:00 PM at the Grenfell Recreational Park Arena.
The Regina River Rats are back on the ice for real this week. The club opens its pre-season schedule on Friday, October 23 against the Wolseley Mustangs, with puck drop at 8:00 PM at the Grenfell Recreational Park Arena — the GRP — at 709 Lake Street in Grenfell.
It is the first game action for the River Rats since they captured the 2026 QVHHL Provincial Championship last spring, and the first look at a roster that has turned over considerably. Eleven of the twenty-four players named this month are rookies.
There is some history in the matchup. Wolseley were the side the Rats swept in three straight last spring on the way to the championship series. The two clubs meet again in league play at Doug Wickenheiser Arena on December 19.
Friday's result does not count in the league standings. What it does offer is a first run at game pace for a group that has only been together since the start of October, and a chance for the new faces to get a shift or two under them before the games start to matter.
The regular season opens eight days later. The River Rats host the Davidson Cyclones on Saturday, October 31 at 7:45 PM at Doug Wickenheiser Arena in Regina — the home opener, and the first chance for Regina fans to see the banner raised.