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MASON CITY, Iowa – The North Iowa Bulls are excited to announce that their annual exhibition series against the Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep hockey program will return later this season. The Bulls and Sabres are scheduled to play two games against each other, with each team hosting the other during the 2021 portion of the schedule.
North Iowa will get the first chance to host, when Shattuck-St. Mary’s comes to Mason City on Wednesday, January 27, with a 7 p.m. puck drop. It will be the first visit to the Mason City Multipurpose Arena for the Sabres after six previous visits to the North Iowa Ice Arena. The Bulls make their return visit to Faribault, Minnesota on Wednesday, February 10 with a 7 p.m. puck drop at the J.P. Parise Arena on the Shattuck-St. Mary’s campus.
The annual series gives the Bulls a chance to play some of the top players in the nation under the age of 18. To date, 83 Shattuck-St. Mary’s players have been selected in the National Hockey League draft, and 10 of those players ended the past season on NHL rosters. Four Sabres were drafted this past year, including center Artem Shlaine, whose goals last year against North Iowa were shown worldwide on the NHL Network’s draft coverage earlier this month.
Shattuck-St. Mary’s has won eight of the 11 meetings between the teams since their first get-together during the 2013-14 season. The Bulls followed wins over the Sabres in 2013-14 and 2015-16 with NA3HL Silver Cup (now Fraser Cup) championships, and last year’s team was a favorite to win another title when the league-wide COVID-19 shutdown forced the cancellation of the postseason.
All tickets for the January 27 game in Mason City are just $5, and all skaters in the Mason City Youth Hockey and Mohawk High School Hockey Club programs will receive free admission. Tickets to this game are already included in season ticket packages, and any promotions in effect will be announced closer to the date of the game.
Updated news and information on the North Iowa Bulls’ 10th Anniversary season are always available at www.northiowabulls.com, and by following the team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.