The Regina Riot get back on the field Saturday night. They meet the Saskatoon Valkyries at Leibel Field.

Even though he has been in the position for a while, this will be the first game for head coach Kris Hadesbeck so needless to say, he can’t wait for kickoff.

“I got the job in September of 2019, and then we were practing last year, but no games of course,” Hadesbeck said. “This is the first chance I actually step on the field as a head coach with the team.”

It’s the first game for the Riot since the the WWCFL league final in May of 2019, losing to the Valkyries 25-3.

Hadesbeck says in a way the long layoff has meant starting from square one.

“In some ways, it will be a lot different, for sure. We probably have about 15-16 veterans on the team this year I believe,” Hadesbeck said. “In total, our roster size is small compared to a normal year. We usually have over 40, and this year, we’re going in with about 29 for the season, so it’s a big change.”

Game time is 8:00 PM.