The Kitimat Ice Demons restored their lead this past weekend, with two convincing wins over the Smithers Steelheads, on a 7-0 score Saturday night and a somewhat misleading 3-2 score on Sunday afternoon.

The two wins gave the West Division-leading Ice Demons a total of 20 points from 12 games, two more than the Omenica Ice, leaders of the East Division, which has played 13 games. The Ice can expect a major challenge from the two teams behind them in the division, the Houston Luckies, tied with the Williams Lake Stampeders with 16 points. Luckies have, however, only played 11 games so far this season, and have three games remaining against the Omenica Ice. The Luckies and the Stamps met twice on the week-end, splitting the games, with the Luckies coming from behind to tie and then win in a shootout, 5-4 on Saturday. The Stampeders, glad to get one point from the tie, came back strongly to pound the Luckies 9-1 on Sunday afternoon. In another game in Terrace this weekend, the Hazelton Wolverines gained their second regular time win with a 5-3 victory over the River Kings. The two teams will meet once more in Hazelton on January 11. The playoff picture in the east won’t likely be settled until the final weekend of play. The Ice will play the Luckies in Houston on Dec. 22 and again in Vanderhoof on Dec. 29, with the two teams meeting for a final time in Houston on Jan. 12, this game scheduled for Jan.12 in Fraser Lake. The Stamps remaining three games are at 100 Mile House Bears on Dec.22, and in Smithers against the Steelheads in two vital cross division matches Jan. 5 and 6. The Ice Demons have four remaining games, one in Terrace, against the River Kings. Then they host Terrace in Kitimat, Dec 29. The remaining games are both in Hazelton Jan. 5 and 6 against the Wolverines.