Mitch Love’s return to the Saskatoon Blades’ bench, after a month away with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, will happen Wednesday night without the Bridge City Bunch’s Number 1 goaltender.

Nolan Maier (pictured) is sidelined by a Lower Body injury meaning 17-year-old rookie Koen MacInnes gets the call between the pipes for the Blue and Gold against Red Deer. The W-H-L website says Maier is expected to be sidelined for two weeks, but Love said Maier’s status is day-to-day. MacInnes last started for the Blades on November 30 in Medicine Hat…a 5-3 loss to the Tigers. Maier started the last nine games, pulled once in favour of MacInnes on December 10 when the Bengals bounced Saskatoon 11-3. Fifteen-year-old Ethan Chadwick has been brought in with the Saskatoon Contacts’ Midget AAA squad to back-up MacInnes.

Meanwhile, thanks to five consecutive Brandon victories, the Bridge City Bunch are fourth in the W-H-L’s East Division and hold down the Eastern Conference’s second, and final, wild-card playoff berth. With the Rebels out-scoring Prince Albert 6-5 in overtime Tuesday night, the Blue and Gold are only seven points ahead of Red Deer in the standings.

Besides Love returning, the Blades get Czech defenceman Radek Kucerik back in the line-up Wednesday from the World Juniors. Game time is 7 with the Sardinia Family Restaurant pre-game show at 6.