Blades Host Mallards in Junior Hockey December 1 in Owatonna

In their only home December game, the Steele County Blades junior hockey club will host Rum River Saturday, December 1 at the Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna. The teams will start a home-and-home weekend Friday, November 30 in Isanti. The teams have not played each other yet this season.

The Blades will have a two-week break from games after Saturday then play a couple of road games December 14-15 before traveling to a showcase event in Chicago beginning December 20. Blades fans can look forward to a Highway 14 battle on December 31 with a game in Kasson at 7 pm. The Vipers just swept a weekend series in Owatonna November 23-24. Steele County beat Kasson 6-4 back in September. The New Year's Eve game will be the final between the two.

Listen to an interview with Blades assistant coach Eric Hofmann:

Hofmann is in his first year as a Blades assistant but coached with Rochester's junior hockey team and the Dodge County high school team. He has also scouted for various teams. Hofmann enjoys the atmosphere of junior hockey with players from different backgrounds and experiences coming together with a common passion.

He says the team is trending in the right way as they approach the midway point of the season and are getting better every day. Hofmann works extensively with the team on its dryland training and with a new emphasis this year to using video to help instruct the players.