SIJHL regular season into the homestretch

There may still be snow on the ground in northwestern Ontario, but all seven SIJHL teams are thinking about the playoffs and the right to go to Summerside, Prince Edward Island for the 2026 Centennial Cup.

The defending champion Kam River Fighting Walleye has just three games remaining in their regular season:

Tuesday March 3 @ Sioux Lookout Bombers
Thursday March 12 @ Thunder Bay North Stars
Friday March 13 @ Thunder Bay North Stars

The highest the Fighting Walleye can finish is second place, which would mean a quarterfinal match-up with the Red Lake Miners.

They started play this week tied in points with the Dryden GM Ice Dogs. The Ice Dogs, coming off an 8-0 win last night against Ironwood, have five games remaining and all are against teams in the bottom half of the standings.

Tuesday March 3 vs. Ironwood Lumberjacks
Friday March 6 vs. Sioux Lookout Bombers
Saturday March 7 vs. Sioux Lookout Bombers
Tuesday March 10 vs. Red Lake Miners
Friday March 13 @ Sioux Lookout Bombers

The Ice Dogs find themselves six points behind the Fort Frances Lakers for the regular season crown and the first-round bye to the semifinals. The Lakers have four remaining games:

Friday March 6 @ Red Lake Miners
Saturday March 7 @ Red Lake Miners
Thursday March 12 vs. Ironwood Lumberjacks
Friday March 13 vs. Ironwood Lumberjacks

The Thunder Bay North Stars will look to hold off the Sioux Lookout Bombers and clinch home ice in the quarterfinals. The North Stars are nine points ahead of the Bombers.

North Stars remaining schedule:

Friday March 6 @ Ironwood Lumberjacks
Saturday March 7 @ Ironwood Lumberjacks
Tuesday March 10 vs. Ironwood Lumberjacks
Thursday March 12 vs. Kam River Fighting Walleye
Friday March 13 vs. Kam River Fighting Walleye

Bombers remaining schedule:

Tuesday March 3 vs. Kam River Fighting Walleye
Friday March 6 @ Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Saturday March 7 @ Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Thursday March 12 vs. Red Lake Miners
Friday March 13 vs. Dryden GM Ice Dogs

The Red Lake Miners have seven games remaining in their season:

Friday March 6 vs. Fort Frances Lakers
Saturday March 7 vs. Fort Frances Lakers
Monday March 9 vs. Ironwood Lumberjacks
Tuesday March 10 @ Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Thursday March 12 @ Sioux Lookout Bombers
Monday March 16 @ Ironwood Lumberjacks
Tuesday March 17 @ Ironwood Lumberjacks

The top team in the regular season advances directly to the semifinals while the quarterfinal matchups will look like this:

2^nd seed vs. 7^th seed
3^rd seed vs. 6^th seed
4^th seed vs. 5^th seed

The Bill Salonen Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Friday, March 20.