Next week the top two teams of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League will be in Whitehorse for a two-game series that will see the bitter rivals battle it out in unfamiliar territory.

The Fernie Ghostriders, out of Fernie, B.C. and the Creston Valley Thundercats out of Creston, B.C. will be playing two of their regular season games in Whitehorse.

The games were organized locally by Walter Brennan, a parent of the Thundercats' Lawrence Brennan, to try to bring a higher calibre of hockey to Whitehorse, and to show Whitehorse Minor Hockey players what they can strive for.

Four Whitehorse natives play for the Thundercats, including Lawrence Brennan, Kane Dawe and Robbie Stuckey. Joe Densmore was also playing for Creston up until last week when he was traded to the Peninsula Panthers in Victoria.

"I'm looking forward to being in the Yukon,” said Thundercats coach Joe Martin, who lives in Whitehorse each summer.

"It'll be cool for those players from the aspect that they'll be performing in front of a home crowd,” said Walter Brennan.

Martin has been involved with Whitehorse Minor Hockey in the past, and coached the Yukon's Canada Winter Games hockey team in 2007.

He is excited for the four Whitehorse players to get a chance to skate for a home crowd, and for the remaining players to see what the north is all about. Many of the players have never been this far north.

"Aside of the actual hockey, it is going to be a great team-building opportunity,” said Ghostriders head coach Will Verner. "In our league, road trips are usually two nights maximum. The team is going to have to get used to being with each other 24 hours a day, playing in different places as well as the big changes in climate, short daylight hours and going further north than any of them have been before.”

The Ghostriders will be on a six-day road trip including their stop in Whitehorse, while the Thundercats will be rested, aside from a bus trip from Creston to reach the Calgary airport for their flight north.

The Fernie Ghostriders, currently sitting at the top of the KIJHL's Eddie Mountain division, have won all five games they have played against the Thundercats so far this year. Verner said the games between the two teams are always heated, but because of the Ghostrider's streak, these games will be especially important for the Thundercats to come away with.

The Thundercats moved into the second place slot in the KIJHL after the weekend.

"I think the Creston team is hoping to beat the Fernie team this time around,” said Walter Brennan.

Martin said the two teams are rivals in the league, which is not helped by recent trades between them.

The Ghostriders recently acquired defenceman Cody Boekestyn from the Thundercats, while Creston received forward Joel James and defenceman Stephen Cassleman in a recent trade.

"There's a lot of animosity between these two teams,” said Martin. "There's been some fights, there's been some cheap shots.”

Martin is expecting some fairly rough games.

"It's gonna be rough, but it's going to be great hockey,” he said. "It's a pretty good rivalry.”

The KIJHL playoff picture is beginning to become clear as well, making these games all the more important for both teams.

"We've mathematically made it into the playoffs,” said Martin. "Every game at this point, every point matters.”

Martin also expects the players to be careful not to make mistakes in the important series.

"People are going to see a very closely checked game,” he said.

With the Ghostrider's domination of the Thundercats so far this season, Martin is looking to break that skid.

"We started off okay, but now our team is on a role,” Martin said.

Martin is excited to bring the two teams up to Whitehorse, he said, because the city hasn't been treated to this level of hockey for a long time, besides the recent revival of the Whitehorse Huskies.

"Whitehorse hasn't seen that in awhile,” Martin said, adding that the Huskies are a great team. But while the Huskies work on their roster, the two KIJHL teams have been playing together for months.

"The guys are in top notch shape,” he said. "The players are sharp.”

Besides the experience for the players, Martin is excited to bring the teams for the people of Whitehorse.

"I wanted to give back to Whitehorse,” he said. "They don't really get a chance to watch great hockey except for on TV.”

Martin said that many parents have to raise money to send their kids out of the territory for competitions, and this was a chance to finally bring one to them.

He also said the games will give Whitehorse Minor Hockey players a chance to see where they can go next once they reach high school.

"(They will see) that this is there for them, and once they graduate this is what they can strive for,” Martin said.

Densmore, Lawrence Brennan, Dawe and Stuckey all played in the Whitehorse Minor Hockey league.

Unfortunately, Dawe will not be playing in next week's games due to an injury sustained way back in November. Dawe lacerated his spleen and has been out of play since then to recover.

"We wish he'd be playing,” Martin said. "He's a spark plug.”

Dawe will however be in Whitehorse to watch the games and be with his team.

"He'll be there, he's going to practice with us,” Martin said.

The Fernie Ghostriders take on the Creston Valley Thundercats Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Takhini Arena. Tickets are available at Sport Yukon, Sports North and at the concession at Takhini Arena for $12.

"We want to get the word out there, and we want to get people in the seats,” said Walter Brennan. "It is on a Tuesday night but those are things that are beyond our control.”

The games happened to work into the KIJHL schedule, which usually hosts games on weekends.