Aurora Tigers home opener free of charge October 1

The Aurora Tigers have provided fans an incentive that is totally irresistible: the home opener on Friday, October 1 against the Stouffville Spirit is completely free of charge.

“We're allowed 500 people opening night, which is 50 per cent of the stadium. My wife and I are welcoming everybody back so we thought we would put a free event on for the town, for the kids and say come and enjoy a Friday night back in the hockey arena,” said Team Governor of the Aurora Tigers Jim Thomson.

“We're giving away to the first 300 people a Tigers t-shirt. Just happy to be back.”

Howard Jewellers, located right on Yonge Street in Newmarket, will be the head sponsor for opening night. They assisted the Aurora Tigers in covering costs for the evening to make this event possible.

“Thank you to Sam at Howard's Jewellers for doing that. It makes our job way easier in giving back to the community.”

Thomson says he is very excited to introduce his new team to the local community, one that is vastly different from last season.

In his seventh year as owner, he says they are blessed and happy to be back in the rink and doing what they love.

In more recent news, the Aurora Tigers announced the signing of new goaltending coach to the staff, David Goverde.

Goverde was selected 91 overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.

The former teammates came to an easy agreement when meeting.

Thomson remembers him as an excellent man with a resume that simply speaks for itself.

Goverde appeared in the OHL for the Windsor Compuware Spitfires and the Sudbury Wolves before reaching the NHL.

He went on to make appearances in the IHL, NHL, AHL, CoHL, ECHL, WCHL and WHA2 respectively.

With this latest addition to the club, he becomes the third member of staff with prior NHL experience. Head coach Greg Johnston was a former Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins forward.

“A lot of knowledge there. When I say knowledge and experience, it's to help these kids and put them in good positions.”

The Tigers and the OJHL, which had undergone a season-long hiatus, finally return to the ice in what will be a vital season for the league.

Following many attempts to get back to the ice last season, the OJHL continued to run into roadblocks due to provincial restrictions.

But now, Thomson said, for mental health purposes, this season is huge.

“These kids didn't ask to have their life taken away. None of us did. I know when I played hockey, if you took hockey away from me, I would have been devastated. To have everything come back to us is truly amazing.”

The Tigers, took on the Spirit in two exhibition games over the weekend.

On Friday, the boys defeated the Spirit 5-2 and earned a thrilling overtime victory on Saturday night 3-2.

To register for a ticket to enter the building October 1, please register you and/or your family by clicking the link in the club's Instagram biography. Please search @tigersjra.

By Robert Belardi