OPENING WEEKEND FOR HOUNDS

Soo Greyhounds have shown they can win the exhibition games, going 4-0 in the pre-season. But the games that really count begin this weekend with the start of the Ontario Hockey League regular season.

The Hounds are home to the Owen Sound Attack on Friday night in a 7:30 p.m. start. Sunday's game against the Ottawa 67s begins at 2 p.m.

Joey Biasucci is expected to get the call in goal for the Hounds in the season opener. The 18-year old local product, acquired during the off-season from the Brampton Battalion, had a strong pre-season for the Hounds.

The Hounds have two players on the injured list, goalie Brock McGillis and defenceman Jordan Kennedy.

On the pro front, centre Petr Taticek has been returned to the Hounds by the NHL Florida Panthers. But Trevor Daley is still at the Dallas Stars' training camp and Hounds' coach John Vanbiesbrouck told SooToday.com that he doesn't expect the 19-year old blueliner to be back in the Soo for this weekend's games.

ABOUT THE ATTACK: Owen Sound has a couple of rookie goalies in 19-year old Marty Magers and 16-year old Dan LaCosta. Interestingly, Magers was a 19th-round pick in 2000, while LaCosta was taken in the first round of this year's draft.

Attack forwards to watch are second-year gems Brad Richardson and Jesse Gimblett, who combined for 27 goals as rookies. Centre Patrick Jarrett, an 18-year old centre from the Soo, hopes to rebound this season from a six-goal campaign of a year ago. Also with the Attack is overage winger Matt Passfield, a 28-goal scorer last season.

Ex-Hound defenceman Patrick Sutton returns to the Soo after being obtained in a summer trade by the Attack.

ABOUT THE 67S: Ottawa has a solid 1-2 goaltending punch with highly-touted Vancouver Canucks' prospect Lukas Mensator and John Ceci, who had an 11-2-3 record and .897 save pct. last season. Mensator, an OHL rookie, played for the Czech Republic at the 2001-02 World Junior Championships.

Second-year forward Corey Locke, who scored 18 goals as a rookie, is one of several young players being developed by 67s' ageless coach Brian Kilrea.