Home-grown players will be keen to make a point when the third annual Kiwis v Imports match is played at the Dunedin Ice Stadium tomorrow night.
The New Zealand-based players won the first game in 2011 and the Imports got one back last year.
Five foreign players will be in the Dunedin Thunder squad for the National Hockey League this year and they will demonstrate their skills tomorrow.
Two of the foreign players in action tomorrow night will be Matt Canaday (Canada) and Martin Pokorny (Czech Republic).
Facing them will be Ice Blacks Regan Wilson and Paris Heyd, who were in the New Zealand team that won the silver medal at a world championship event in Turkey last month.
The game will act as a trial and will give the Thunder coaches a good idea of the strength of the team before the national league starts next weekend.
There is a strong support base for ice hockey in Dunedin and this was demonstrated when 1000 spectators watched the Thunder in a pre-season game against the Red Devils.
The Christchurch team beat the Southern Stampede in overtime in last year's national league final in Queenstown.
The Dunedin Thunder plays the Red Devils in the first game of the national league in Christchurch next weekend.
Tomorrow night's game starts at the Dunedin Ice Stadium at 7.30pm.