When the Chatham Maroons open their second-round playoff series in London tonight, they'll have history on their minds -- and their helmets.
Team owners Bill and Karen Szekesy announced this week that for the rest of the Maroons' playoff run, the players will be wearing a special #4 sticker on their helmets in memory of former Jr. Maroon legend Ken Houston who died on Saturday, March 10. Visitation will take place Thursday afternoon and evening with a funeral set to take place on Friday.
"Ken's presence is definitely felt in Memorial Arena through the Chatham Maroon Alumni's 'Legends on Ice' display cabinets," said the Szekesy's in a release. "We felt it only fitting that the current Maroons and today's Fans understand the contribution that Ken made to the Maroons."
After a short time with the Maroons in 1972-73, Houston went on to play in the NHL from 1975-1984. In 570 career games, he scored 161 goals and added 167 assists.
As for the Maroons' series against the London Nationals, as of Wednesday morning, only the details of Game 1 have been released.
The series kicks off at the Western Fairgrounds in London on Wednesday, March 14 at 7:30pm.
The sixth-seeded Maroons will be riding high after a Game 7 win against LaSalle, which boosted them to a first-round upset against the third-ranked Vipers.
Chatham has an even tougher test ahead of them in the second round, though, as they face the top-ranked Nationals. London went 6-0 against the Maroons in the regular season, outscoring them by a total of 41-19 in those games. The Nationals are also well-rested after a four-game sweep against the Strathroy Rockets in the first round.
You can hear Game 1 -- and all of the Maroons' playoff games -- by tuning in to CFCO Country 92.9FM / AM 630 or listening online by clicking here.