The U.S. Division teams in the Western Hockey League don’t make a habit of being very welcoming to any visiting clubs.

There will be an exception Friday night when the Saskatoon Blades visit the Everett Silvertips!

The Bridge City Bunch will be led into the Angel of the Winds Arena by head coach Mitch Love…a beloved former player and assistant coach with the ‘Tips. This will be the 35-year-old’s first return to the city and building where he was an original playing member of the Silvertips in 2003, then an assistant coach for seven seasons before joining the Blue and Gold as head coach in the summer of 2018.

Love will be the focal point of a pre-game ceremony Friday…his number 2 will be retired by the Silvertips and Everett fans will receive a Mitch Love bobblehead doll upon entry into the rink. The Blades bench boss will have family on the ice with him for the ceremony and his intense game-day demeanour should be softened some when he is asked to speak to a crowd that provided him with a “cult-like” following. Love was a hard-nosed, rough and tough defenceman in his playing days on a Silvertips’ team that advanced to the W-H-L final in their first season in 2003-04. Fans shout out “Love” during games in which the Canadian anthem is played…similar to Jets’ fans in Winnipeg belting out “True North” when those lyrics happen during the anthem!

There will be a game played as well. Love’s Saskatoon side will attempt to bounce back from a 5-1 setback in Spokane Wednesday to start their season-longest seven-game road trip. It won’t be easy against an Everett team that sports a 14-4-1 record…tied for the U.S. Division lead with Portland and one point back of Kamloops atop the Western Conference standings. Game time is 9:35 p.m., Saskatchewan Time. The Sardinia Family Restaurant pre-game show starts at 8:30 on 98-COOL.