Cannabis firm sues shipper
Check your travel medical
New orca rescue attempt
No bail in Ottawa killings 
Banks must say rebate 
Regulating power prices
Iran fires at attack drones 
World's largest election 
2 detained in Volkov attack 
Apple pulls apps from China
Oil and gas leases restricted
Indigo needs turnaround 
Warriors ready for Round 2
Kalamalka Bowl cancelled
Rockets live to fight on
Hilton teams up with Sia
Swift still 'can't forgive' Kim
Grimes to ‘cap the disarray’
The West Kelowna Warriors begin arguably their most important six week stretch of the season Friday when they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
After stickhandling their way through the month of October where they played seven of 10 on the road (5-1-0-4), the Warriors now begin a long stretch of home games.
Now through the middle of December the Warriors will play 12 of 14 at Royal LePage Place.
Their only road trips are single game forays into Coquitlam and Vernon.
Through the opening two months of the season the Warriors have played well enough on home ice to post a 3-1-0-2 mark, a record they will try and improve on over the next 45 days.
"This is a pretty big month for us. We have a ton of home games here so we need to have a good showing this month and climb the standings," says assistant coach Brent Gough.
Gough has been running practice this week while head coach Rylan Ferster is away on a recruiting trip.
Ferster will be back in time to assume his familiar place behind the Warriors bench Friday.
The Warriors come into the month third in the interior (8-3-0-5), a point behind second place Merritt and seven in back of Penticton.
Captain Max French will miss his eighth straight game with a lower body injury. He's expected to be out another two to four weeks.
Forward Seb Lloyd is also gone for four games while he participates in the World Jr. A Challenge while 20-year-old forward Brett McKinnon will be a game time decision Friday.
"It's a sad thing when you have guys out of the lineup but it also lets players step up," says Gough.
"Guys like (Brent) Lashuk and (Brennan) Clarkie have both stepped up in their absence and scored some big goals to keep us in games. Hopefully that keeps up this weekend."
The Warriors have yet to lose to the Silverbacks this season winning 6-0 at the Showcase event in Chilliwack to open the season before recording a 5-2 win in Salmon Arm two weeks ago.
They will close out the weekend Sunday afternoon against the Nanaimo Clippers. Face-off Sunday is 2:30.
