Game 6: Tri-City vs. Lethbridge

Ty Rimmer is back at Toyota Center. Don’t get too excited though, he’s now stopping pucks for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Ams fans have given him a warm welcome. There are 4 signs behind the goal where Lethbridge is warming up. There is "We miss you Rimmer," "Welcome home Rimmer," and "We love you Rimms." Can't see the fourth one in the corner, but I'm sure it's along the same lines.

It will be interesting to see how this game shakes out. Each team desperately needs the win. As Americans goalie Eric Comrie said, “There are no friends on the ice.”

But off the ice, Rimmer was reunited with his former teammates Thursday afternoon. There were plenty of hugs to go around. You could tell, Rimmer missed the guys, and they missed him.

When Rimmer took a stroll down the hallway Thursday, he noted his name on the wall of fame. He took pictures of his accomplishments. I could tell he was touched to be a part of the history of the Americans.

I could tell he wished he was still in Tri-City.

On to tonight.

Last year, the Americans beat the Hurricanes 7-3 in Lethbridge. By the end of the season, the Hurricanes had just 29 wins and missed the playoffs.

Malte Strömwall leads Tri-City with four goals and has points in all five games this season.

The Americans will not have forward Jesse Mychan in the lineup this weekend. Mychan took a rough ride intothe boards last weekend in Spokane. Mychan said he’s fine, but he wants to be 100 percent before he steps back on the ice. He will be in the lineup when the Americans play in Brandon on Oct. 13.

In Spokane, the Chiefs traded 20-year-old D-man Davis Vandane to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for a conditional bantam draft pick in 2013. Spokane’s overage players are D-man Brenden Kichton and forwards Blake Gal and Dylan Walchuk.

You can follow me during the game on Twitter: @tchicequeen

This story was originally published October 5, 2012 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Game 6: Tri-City vs. Lethbridge."