The Nelson Leafs took the Castlegar Rebels 6-5 in their last exhibition game of the season on Wednesday. The Leafs led 5-2 going into the third but the Rebels fought back, scoring three goals. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Leafs scored a sixth to hold the lead 6-5.
The Leafs also tamed the Rebels during the third exhibition game of the pre-season, blowing them away with a 7-4 victory at home on Tuesday. Aspiring players bore down on their neighbourly rivals as they vied for a spot on this season’s roster.
The Leafs began the pre-season by besting the Beaver Valley Nitehawks 3-2 last week, but they were subsequently walloped 6-2 in Fruitvale.
The final roster for the 2015-16 season was still in the works at press time Thursday as coach David McLellan was working on some trades.
The regular season begins tonight in Nelson against the Kelowna Chiefs. On Saturday, the Leafs face the Fernie Ghostriders on home ice. Puck drops at 7 p.m. both nights.