Coleman, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes hit the road for their final two pre-season games and it started with the Kootenay Ice Friday night. The (2-2) Canes and (0-3) Kootenay Ice kicked off the annual Thunder Challenge Tournament  in the Crowsnest Pass that also featured the Calgary Hitmen.

Before the tournament, the Canes re-assigned 16-year old Kolten Olynek to the Saskatoon Contacts of the SMAAAHL which reduced their pre-season roster to 25. Scratched from tonight’s game: Graham Hood, Craig Leverton, Albin Blomqvist, Daniel Johnston and Ty Rimmer, while the starters for tonight were: Christopher Tai, Spencer Galbraith, Joel Topping, Jay Merkley, Russ Maxwell and Axel Blomqvist.

It didn’t take long for Kootenay to open the scoring as Douglas Morris gave the Ice the lead less than 4 minutes into the game, but the Canes would draw even on a powerplay in the late stages of the opening period. Brady Ramsay (Spencer Galbraith, Joel Topping) scored his first of the preseason, but he wasn’t done there. Ramsay added his second goal of the game 3 minutes later and that 2-1 Hurricanes lead looked to stand until the final 20 seconds. Eric Benoit got the equalizer on an Ice powerplay making it a 2-2 game through 20 minutes. Lethbridge narrowly outshot the Ice 11-9 in the period.

Lethbridge would retake the lead at the 3 minute mark of the 2^nd when Tyler Wong (Jamal Watson, Connor Sutton) scored his first goal making it 3-2 for the Canes. The Canes would have a chance to go up a pair thanks to a 4 minute powerplay just over a minute later, but they couldn’t find a way to bury their chances. The game would be a see-saw affair the rest of the way staring with the tying goal from Sam Reinhart midway through the period. Christopher Tai would leave the game after the 3^rd goal (giving up 3 goals on 12 shots) and then Tanner Kovacs would give up the go ahead goal when Collin Shirley scored at 17:39 making it 4-3. Lethbridge not giving up would pull even once again with 11 seconds left in the middle frame as Reid Duke (Tyler Wong) notched his 2^nd of the pre-season. Lethbridge would also continue to lead on the shot clock 27 – 18.

A delay of game penalty early in the third would send the Ice back on the powerplay and less than a minute into the man advantage, Reinhart added his 2^nd of the game making it 5-4 for the Ice. Kovacs came out of the game with 1:16 left as the Canes pressed for the equalizer, but their comeback would fall short in a 5-4 loss to the Ice. Final shots on goal were 37 – 32 for Lethbridge.

The Hurricanes will close out the tournament Saturday night when they play the Calgary Hitmen at 7:00. The two division rivals played back on September 5^th with the Hitmen coming out on top 6-1 in that game.