Hunters’ season starting soon
The Kahnawake Junior B Hunters’ season is just around the corner, but first the defending Founder’s Cup champions will be taking part in the annual preseason tournament this Sunday in Gloucester, Ontario.
This time around, they will play against three of their Eastern Division rivals in the tournament.
Their first game of the tournament will be at 10:45 a.m. in a rematch of the East finals against the Akwesasne Thunder. Then at 12:30 p.m. they will take on the host Gloucester Griffins, before facing last year’s top team in the regular season, the Nepean Knights, at 3:30 p.m.
These games will serve as a tune-up for the Hunters in preparation for a title defense that should feature months of exciting, high-level lacrosse.
Schedules out for both Hunters teams
The Hunters’ Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League (OJBLL) schedule is now out, with 20 games through April, May, and June.
The team’s title defense will begin on the road on April 24, as they take on the Griffins at 8 p.m. in the first of four matchups between them.
The home opener at the Kahnawake Sports Complex will be on April 30 at 8 p.m. against the Knights in the first of their four games this season.
Their home game on May 9 at 7 p.m. against the Mimico Mountaineers will feature the raising of the Hunters’ Founder’s Cup banner to the rafters of the Sports Complex.
Other matches to watch on the calendar include back-to-back games against the Thunder, with the Hunters on the road on June 10 and at home on June 12; road games on May 23 and 24 against the Halton Hills Bulldogs and the Clarington Green Gaels, their only games of the season against their other two playoff opponents in 2025; and a five-game homestand that starts against Mimico on May 9 and ends on May 21 against the Knights.
Their last game of the regular season will be on June 13 at 7 p.m. against the Griffins at the Sports Complex.
The full schedule is available on the Hunters’ Facebook page.
The Junior C Hunters, for their part, will be back for their second year in 2026, with 16 games on the docket for a team hoping to improve on their 2025 results, a 6-10 regular season record and a loss in the opening round of the playoffs to the North Shore Kodiaks.
Their first game of the season will also be their home opener, on May 1 at 8 p.m. against the Akwesasne Lightning, the first of two meetings this year.
The Junior C Hunters will play twice against the Gloucester Griffins, the East Division’s new team for 2026. The first game will be May 16 at 2 p.m. at home and the second on the road on May 23 at 2 p.m.
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They will also get four opportunities to get some payback against the Kodiaks: at home on May 3 at 2 p.m. and May 24 at 2 p.m. and on the road May 9 at 7 p.m. and June 15 at 7 p.m.
Their last regular season game will be at home on June 17 against the Cornwall Celtics, against whom the Hunters had their first win in franchise history last year.
Their full schedule is available on the Junior C Hunters’ Facebook page.
