The minor hockey season will heat up in a major way this weekend.

The Whitehorse International Showdown will take place at the Canada Games Centre and Takhini Arena this weekend, including 14 teams in three divisions.

Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan teams will all hit the ice for the three-day full-contact event, which began this morning and wraps up Sunday.

The largest division is midget, with seven teams – including the Notre Dame Argos out of Wilcox, Sask.

Other teams in town to face the U18 and U16 Mustangs are the Grand Prairie Knights, Yellowknife Wolfpack and two Fort St. John Flyers teams.

Alaska’s Palmer Pioneers join the Wolfpack, Mat-Sue Eagles and host Mustangs in the bantam division, while the Peewee Mustangs will play a double round robin against their Eagle and Wolfpack counterparts.

This weekend’s action kicks off a busy month for hockey in the city.

Next weekend, the Nuway Crushing Whitehorse Huskies senior hockey club is hosting the Whitecourt Wild of the Alberta Central Interior Senior AA Hockey League for a two-game series at Takhini Arena.

“We are look forward to a game and appreciate the community’s support for its hometown Huskies hockey club,” team GM Matt King said in a press release. “Local businesses and fans have helped to make this season possible and bring senior hockey back to Whitehorse.”

Tickets are now on sale for $10 each. Kids under six are free with an adult.

Advance tickets are available at Sport Yukon, Goody’s Gas, Casa Loma, Kopper King, The Ridge Pub, Sandor’s, and the Takhini Arena concession.

Tickets will be also be available at the door for both games. The Huskies will battle the Wild Dec. 12 at 6:45 p.m. and Dec. 13 at 4:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, in local hockey action this week, the Rapid Fire Roofing Raiders staged an epic comeback en route to a 5-5 tie versus Bailey’s Pub and Grill Wednesday night.

The tie propelled the Raiders into a deadlock with the Sun Life Sundogs for first place in the Canyon City Hockey League with identical records of 7-4-3.

The two clubs will square off on Monday with first place on the line.

With Bailey’s up 4-2 and just four minutes to play, Raiders forward Drew Osborne struck quickly off a faceoff.

The Raiders then pumped two more quick goals past Bailey’s goalie Sam Oettli to take a 5-4 lead, before Craig van Lankveld salvaged the tie with his second goal of the game with Oettli on the bench for an extra attacker.

Colin Nickerson (2) and Pat Hill also scored for Bailey’s, while Chris Cann (2), Marc-Andre Chartrand and Trevor Smith struck for the Raiders.

On the old-timer hockey circuit last night, first-place EDI hammered Yukon Inn 7-3 on the strength of a four-point night from Charles Brodhagen.

EDI jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first thanks to two goals each from Brodhagen and Marty O’Hagan.

Rick Gingell had two goals for Yukon Inn in the loss.