The Blenheim Blades kicked off their four-game Provincial Junior Hockey League exhibition series Thursday night when Stobbs Division rival Wheatley Sharks came to town and went home with a 4-3 victory before 179 fans at the Blenheim arena.

   Next exhibition action for the Blades will be Friday, Sept. 6 when they travel to Mt. Brydges to play the Bulldogs of the Yeck Division at 7:30, followed Mt. Brydges coming to Blenheim Sunday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.

   The Blades will then wrap up exhibition play Wednesday, Sept. 11 when they travel to Wheatley for a return match with the Sharks at 7:30.

    The 40-game regular Stobbs Division play for the Blades begins Sunday, Sept. 15 with the Wallaceburg Thunderhawks coming to town.

    Thursday night both teams dressed rosters almost completely made of players trying to make either team. Defenceman Derek Hueni and forward Malcolm Campbell were the only Blades veterans in the lineup.

   Blenheim opened the scoring with a pair of quick opening period goals.

   The first was netted by Brett Wegrzn of Ridgetown at 7:26, with an assist going to Blenheim’s Wade McNear.

   Just a minute and a half later it was 2-0 Blenheim thanks to Sam McKinlay’s goal assisted by Tyler Davis and Campbell.

   Wheatley came back at 10:06 to cut the lead in half when Ethan Litster put the puck behind Blenheim netminder Kaleb Moore.

    Neither team scored in the middle 20 minutes setting the stage for the Sharks three-goal third frame that led to their victory.

    Devin St. Pierre tied things at 2-2 just 37 seconds into the period, and a powerplay goal by Shannon Olson at 2:29 put the Sharks up 3-2.

    Ridgetown’s Griffen Peltier got the Blades even at 3-3 at 5:31 with assists going to Ben Barnard and Riley Drummond. Both players are from Chatham.

    With four and a half minutes left to play, and overtime looming, Wheatley’s Olson scored his second of the game and it proved to be the eventual winner.

    BLADES BITS: On the night the Blades were outshot 39-35, including 15-6 in the third period when they ran into all kinds of penalty problems…Until 14:38 of the second period new referee Cheyenne Batten a had called five minor penalties on the Sharks and none on the Blades…From then all he called five minors and a misconduct on the Blades and none on the Sharks…Former Dresden Kings goalie Hunter Cowley was in net for Blenheim for the second half of the game.