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Five players from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) have been selected to represent Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge which begins next week in Camrose, Alberta.

The five include Dru Mushumanski of Rossburn. Dru, who is in his first full season with the Wolverines after starting his junior career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Regina Pats, has five goals and 13 points in 19 games this season in Waywayseecappo.

Dru was identified as a player of interest after scoring twice in one game at the Western All-Star Showcase against Team Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) on November 5. Mushumanski has an outstanding shot and a knack for finding open ice and creating offence. 

Marlen Edwards (Northern Manitoba), Jackson Kostiuk (Steinbach), Reece Gault (Steinbach), and Avery Laliberte (Niverville) were also named to the 22-man roster. Four teams will compete in the tournament, Canada West, Canada East, Sweden, and the United States.

Each team plays a three-game preliminary round over the first four days of the tournament to decide seeding for the semifinals on December 14 while the bronze and gold medal games are set for December 15.

Eric Labrosse of the Blizzard will serve as an Assistant Coach for Team West while Justin Giesbrecht of the Niverville Nighthawks will serve as the team's physiotherapist. Dru and his team play their first game on Monday against Sweden at the Encana Arena in Camrose. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 6, 2024 - 9:19 am

The Dauphin Kings completed a blockbuster trade on Wednesday.

They sent 20-year-old Ashton Paul to the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in exchange for Rylan Ringor and a player development fee. Paul had a slow start to the season this year with seven goals and six assists. He was unable to find the form that he had last year when he joined Dauphin. He had 32 points in 25 games with the Kings in the regular season last year.

Paul will join a Mustangs team that is on top of the SJHL. The defending SJHL champions have an eight-point gap over Battlefords for first place in the league. They also possess Will Munro and Bo Eisner of Swan River.

Doug Hedley commented on the departure.

"When a player loses confidence like Ashton did, it's a struggle mentally," said Hedley. "He wanted to get closer to home. The original request was for him to join the Blizzard and that's what we were attempting to do. They weren't interested in giving up an adequate replacement in the top six. He said he wanted to try Melfort and that was done."

In nine games with the Mustangs this year, Rylan scored twice and added six assists. He started this year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with the Devon Xtreme. In each of the past three seasons, Ringor recorded at least 30 points with the Winnipeg Freeze, Lloydminster Bobcats, and Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

Rylan is from Winnipeg and is expected to join the Kings in the coming days.

"We believe he will help us. He has a high hockey IQ, moves the puck well and could fit in our top six here," ended Hedley. "He's a good player for us and I wish Ashton Paul all the best, hopefully, things work out in Melfort for him."

The Kings return to the ice on Saturday when the Steinbach Pistons come to town. It will be a battle between the top two teams in the league. Steinbach is on top with a record of 20-4-1 while Dauphin is in second with 19 wins in 26 games. 

It's also Hockey Card night and the puck drops at 7:30. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 5, 2024 - 11:32 am

Naaman Hofer took a shot from the left point and Josh Schmidt was the hero.

The 19-year-old from Ontario got a stick on Hofer’s shot and re-directed it past Alex Reedy with just more than three minutes left in the third period and Rylan Gage scored into an empty net as Dauphin earned a 4-2 victory and two big points against their West Division rival Northern Manitoba Blizzard.

It was Josh’s team-leading third game-winning goal of the season.

“It felt great getting some revenge on the team that eliminated us last year,” said Schmidt. “We found a way to get the job done in a hostile arena; it was a big win for our group.”

These two teams met in one of the longest playoff series in Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) history last spring. The series went the distance with several dramatic finishes. Josh was the hero in game two as Dauphin outlasted the Blizzard in a 5-4 overtime victory. Game four needed double overtime; Cayden Glover was the hero in game six in one of the longest games in CJHL history as five overtimes were needed and in game seven, three overtimes were needed to decide the winner.

Riley See of the Blizzard scored the winner in game seven as the Kings season came to a heartbreaking end at the Roy H Johnston Arena.

Despite the series' defeat, it will always go down as something to remember for Josh.

“That was just a crazy series, it was so fun to be a part of,” said Schmidt. “It was unfortunate that we lost, but we left everything on the ice. I was proud of how the group battled, I will never forget that series.”

So it’s safe to say that Tuesday’s victory meant a lot personally to Josh.

“We came up short last year and now that we got over them, even though it was just a regular season game, it still feels great,” offered Schmidt.

Schmidt and the Kings will play the Blizzard two more times before Christmas, the first of which comes next Wednesday, December 11 and their final game before the Christmas break is on December 17 in The Pas.

Schmidt’s junior career opened in his home province with the Stouffville Spirit of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) where he played 46 games before playing 10 playoff games with the Uxbridge Bruins of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Josh landed in Dauphin last year, played 45 games and is now 23 games into his second season with the Kings and he loves every moment.

“It feels great to be back in Dauphin. I love the team, our coaches and the entire staff,” said Schmidt. “It’s a very easy place to play hockey, we are treated great. I love my linemates; we’re sort of on the same wavelength.”

Schmidt has been playing alongside Sheldon Shyiak and Rylan Gage since last November. The tremendous trio have formed not only on the ice but as Schmidt says, off the ice as well.

“It’s a lifetime bond, we spend every moment at practice together and more time off the ice as well,” said Schmidt. “We have a dynamic bond, I love those guys, they’re incredible people and great hockey players.”

The Kings sit on top of the West Division with wins in 19 of their first 26 games. Paired with their win against the Blizzard on Tuesday, the Kings are now eight points ahead of them for first place in the West. They’re also in second place overall, just two points back of Steinbach. The Kings have scored 97 goals while giving up 60 and the team’s power play of 24.8% is second-best in the league while their 85.4% on the penalty kill is also second.

“All the guys know that we have a special group, we believe we can go all the way,” continued Schmidt. “Everyone is locked in and ready to compete. All the intensity makes the game more enjoyable for everyone.”

Josh is already enjoying a career year. After posting nine points last year in 38 games, Schmidt has four goals and 10 points this year. As mentioned above, he leads the team in game-winning goals with three and was the hero on Tuesday night.

Schmidt has caught fire as of late with six points in his last eight games. He also had one assist on Tuesday and he sits in a tie for 12^th in team scoring alongside Captain Ethan Williment.

“I started the season very slow, I wasn’t making many players entering the offensive zone,” commented Schmidt. “If I continue playing how I have over the last six games, I think I could have a very good year.”

Josh also had some great things to say about the coaching staff.

Doug Hedley – “he’s very intense and he knows a lot. I trust everything he says. Everything that he tells me seems to work. He knows how to work systems, I love playing for Doug,” said Schmidt.

Rick Freese – “he brings a crazy bond to the team, he’s so passionate about us on and off the ice,” said Schmidt.

Chad Facey – ‘he always gives great advice and he is great at bringing the boys together, he’s a great guy and coach,” offered Schmidt.

Brad Dupasquier – ‘he analyzes all of our games amazingly, gives us great pre-scout and gets us ready for our games,” said Schmidt.

You can catch Josh and the rest of the Kings in action on Saturday at Credit Union Place when the top two teams in the MJHL go to battle as the Steinbach Pistons come to town. The two teams met earlier this season with the Pistons coming out on top in overtime. It’s also a rematch of the 2022 Turnbull Cup Final which the Kings won in seven games and finished in the top four at the Centennial Cup.

“That’s going to be a great matchup, we’ve been looking forward to getting a second chance at them after they beat us earlier this year,” said Schmidt. “They’re a great team and we are as well. It’s going to be a great game and we hope that our amazing fans pack the stands to cheer us on.”

You can also hear Josh’s full chat with Darnell Duff during the Dauphin Kings Power Play Show on Friday afternoon just after 4:00.

Get to know Schmidt:

Q: What’s your go-to meal for breakfast, dinner and lunch?
A: On a game day for dinner I would say some sort of pasta, like chicken fettuccine Alfredo and if we don't have a game, my favourite is chicken parmesan. I enjoy a soup and sandwich for lunch and a couple of pouches of oatmeal with blueberries to get my day going.

Q: What are some of your other hobbies?
A: I used to play a lot of baseball, so I enjoy throwing a baseball around when I can. I enjoy football as well as playing golf.

Q: Did you ever have to choose between baseball and golf?
A: It was hockey since about grade five. I quit baseball for a bit because I didn’t enjoy it as much as hockey. I started playing it again at the AA and AAA level, but I was never a great player, just played it because my friends were. Hockey has always been my passion.

Q: Have you thought about what your future could look like?
A: I would love to play hockey at the Division 3 level or USports, that’s been a big goal of mine. I plan on studying accounting, finance or kinesiology.

Josh had plans of going to school prior to coming to Dauphin last season but decided he wanted to continue playing the game he loves.

“I certainly made the right decision, being in Dauphin is incredible,” said Schmidt. “After I finish hockey, that’s what I plan on doing.”

Q: Do you have any siblings and what is your relationship with your parents?
A: I have an older brother that’s two years older than me and a younger sister that is four years younger than me. I have a tighter relationship with my dad when it comes to hockey and a tighter relationship in other aspects with my mom, it’s a great balance.

In a heartbreaking story, Josh’s brother used to play hockey but was forced to quit just as he was set to begin his junior career after breaking his leg and tearing his meniscus. In a feel-good story, his sister is a provincial-level soccer player.

“She’s outstanding at soccer and she works very hard at it,” said Schmidt. “My family means everything to me; they’re incredible and very special.”

Q: What is one of your favourite hockey memories?
A: I have to go with that five-overtime game last year in the playoffs against the Blizzard. You had to be at the rink to truly realize how crazy it was. I had never experienced anything even close to that before so it was wild to be a part of.

Q: If you could go on a 2-on-0 breakaway with any teammate, who would it be and why?
A: Sheldon Shyiak, for sure. If that puck goes in the net and he’s the one that scores, it would be the most exciting goal, it would be electric.

Josh Schmidt, a great man off the ice and a King on the ice.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 5, 2024 - 10:00 am

It was a heartbreak that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have become used to over the past three years.

For the fifth straight year, the Blue & Gold made the Grey Cup. They won their first two trips to the Canadian Football League's (CFL) championship game but have now lost the last three years. This time it was the Toronto Argonauts that got the best of Winnipeg in a 41-24 victory.

Stanley Bryant has had some time to think about the loss.

"It was disappointing of course, we always wish that we could have done better," said Bryant. "Things just didn't go the way that we planned. It's always a tough way to end the season, we worked so hard to get there."

For Bryant, there was speculation that this past season would be his last. Set to turn 39 in May, that is not the case as the all-star has signed a one-year contract extension to remain in Winnipeg for the 2025 season.

A future Hall of Fame left tackle, Bryant is a four-time winner of the league's Most Outstanding Lineman Award (2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022). This past season, he was named to the All-CFL team for an eighth time while manning the left side of an offensive line that helped running back Brady Oliveira capture his second consecutive rushing title with 1,353 yards, and quarterback Zach Collaros throw for a career-best 4,336 yards.

Stanley began his CFL career with Calgary in 2010 and signed with the Bombers as a free agent in 2015. He has played 219 career games, 186 of which have come with Winnipeg. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion. He won with Winnipeg in 2019, 2021 and in 2014 with Calgary.

While Bryant will turn 39 before next season begins, he knows what he is still capable of.

"I feel that I am still 100 percent, I won't discredit myself and think that I can't play to a high standard," said Bryant. "I still believe I am the best at my position in the league."

Bryant says he still has a passion for the game and a fire burning in his belly. He also says he couldn't go out after losing the league's championship game for the third straight season. Preparations for the 2025 season are well underway and Bryant believes general manager Kyle Walter will field another very competitive team.

"I believe we will be a great squad. We had some young guys step in last year and had great years," offered Bryant. "We had some older guys that battled injuries and they will come back ready to go next season. With what we have now and what could be added in free agency, I'm very confident that it will be a solid year for our group."

What the Bombers do know is that they will be without two key personnel next year. Buck Pierce has been hired as head coach of the BC Lions and Ted Goveia has been hired as general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Bombers also know that the Grey Cup will be played at Princess Auto Stadium next season. Winnipeg will play host to the championship game. That means if Winnipeg can make their sixth straight Grey Cup, they'll do so on their home field. 

Bryant knows that will be a driving factor for the team to go all in.

"That would be a match made in heaven, the city would love it, the fans would love it, and the organization would love it," ended Bryant. "It would be a beautiful thing. That's what we're pushing for, it would be very special."  

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 4, 2024 - 11:48 am

Frustration boiled over for the Parkland U-18 Rangers late in the third period on Tuesday night. 

They picked up 70 penalty minutes, many of which came with just more than five minutes left as the Rangers lost their third straight game. At this point, it was already 6-0 for the Southwest Cougars and that was the final score at Credit Union Place.

Piet Mierau made 30 saves in the defeat while Kyle Pelletier, who came in relief, made five saves for Parkland. The Rangers remain in fifth place, however, they're just a point up on eighth place and only three over ninth place. 

The Rangers head to Winnipeg to play the Bruins on Saturday night. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 3, 2024 - 10:35 pm

The roll that the Dauphin Kings are on continued on Tuesday. 

Rylan Gage scored twice as the Kings doubled up the Blizzard in a 4-2 win. 

The win saw Dauphin take an eight-point lead over the Blizzard for first place in the West. 

Joshua Schmidt was credited with the winner on a shot from Naaman Hofer late in the third and Gage sealed the game into an empty net. Declan Hoad also scored for Dauphin. 

Cole Sheffield was outstanding as he made 33 saves in the game. Dauphin is now 19-6-1 on the season. 

They welcome Steinbach to town on Saturday.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 3, 2024 - 9:42 pm

13 members of the Parkland Gators Swim Club were in Brandon over the weekend for the BBSC Rural Roundup.

Harper Rudkavich
5^th – 25m freestyle
6^th – 50m freestyle
7^th – 100m freestyle relay
6^th – 50m backstroke
3^rd – 25m backstroke
2^nd – 25m breaststroke

Dylan Phillips
9^th – 100m individual medley
4^th – 50m freestyle
5^th – 200m freestyle relay
12^th – 50m backstroke
12^th – 50m breaststroke
5^th – 100m freestyle

Ena Morrisseau
5^th – 100m backstroke
3^rd – 100m individual medley
5^th – 50m freestyle
3^rd – 100m freestyle relay (mixed)
5^th – 50m backstroke
5^th – 50m breaststroke
4^th – 100m freestyle

Madisyn Morden
5^th – 100m backstroke
2^nd – 25m freestyle
4^th – 50m freestyle
7^th – 100m freestyle relay (mixed)
9^th – 50m backstroke
2^nd – 25m backstroke
5^th – 25m breaststroke

Holly Marcynuk
7^th – 100m backstroke
12^th – 100m individual medley
13^th – 50m freestyle
5^th – 200m freestyle relay
17^th – 50m backstroke
15^th – 50m breaststroke
14^th – 100m freestyle

Lauren Lesiuk
3^rd – 100m backstroke
3^rd – 100m individual medley
4^th – 50m freestyle
3^rd – 200m freestyle relay (mixed)
3^rd – 50m backstroke
6^th – 50m breaststroke
3^rd – 100m freestyle

Lucy Lee
1^st – 25m freestyle
8^th – 50m freestyle
4^th – 100m freestyle relay
10^th – 50m backstroke
4^th – 25m backstroke
3^rd – 25m breaststroke

James Forsyth
3^rd – 100m backstroke
6^th – 100m individual medley
6^th – 50m freestyle
6^th – 200m freestyle relay (mixed)

Isla Forsyth
8^th – 100m backstroke
6^th – 25m freestyle
11^th – 50m freestyle
7^th – 200m freestyle relay (mixed)

Polly Fjeldsted
3^rd – 100m backstroke
3^rd – 100m individual medley
8^th – 50m freestyle
4^th – 50m backstroke
8^th – 50m breaststroke
7^th – 100m freestyle
5^th – 200m medley relay (mixed)

Frankie Fjeldsted
1^st – 100m backstroke
1^st – 25m fly stroke
3^rd – 50m freestyle
2^nd – 50m backstroke
1^st – 25m breaststroke
4^th – 100m freestyle
5^th – 100m medley relay (mixed)

Evan Favel
8^th – 100m individual medley
14^th – 50m freestyle
3^rd – 100m freestyle relay (mixed)
16^th – 50m backstroke
14^th – 50m breaststroke
15^th – 100m freestyle

Meredith Cottrell
6^th – 100m backstroke
7^th – 100m individual medley
7^th – 50m freestyle
8^th – 100m freestyle relay (mixed)
8^th – 50m backstroke
4^th – 50m breaststroke
8^th – 100m freestyle

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 2, 2024 - 3:24 pm

Breken Brezden will have the chance to win a Canadian title early next year after a wonderful performance over the weekend in her home province.

Competing in the 2024 Skate Canada Challenge at Winnipeg's Seven Oaks Sportsplex, the Dauphin star was one of 14 skaters from coast to coast who booked their berth to the national championships.

25 skaters hit the ice looking to qualify. Only 18 earned national spots and four had already qualified and did not need to compete over the weekend. That meant just 14 of the 25 skating would advance. 

Breken sat in 11th place after scoring 50.73 points in her short program. Knowing a good free program was needed to lock up her spot, Breken rose to the occasion scoring 104.06 points. Her 154.79 points put her in seventh place, well inside the Top 14 needed to qualify. The cutoff to qualify was 134.53 points, more than 20 less than Breken finished with.

Brezden will compete in the 2025 Canadian National Skating Championships at Place Bell in Laval, QC, from January 14-19. The Dauphin skater is widely regarded as one of the top senior women's skaters in the country and she will put her skills up against the best of the best next month with a national title on the line.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 2, 2024 - 10:59 am

The Dauphin Kings stayed right where they were to start the week in the Canadian Junior Hockey League's (CJHL) Top 20 rankings.

Two more wins kept the Kings atop the West Division and they now have more room than ever over the Northern Manitoba Blizzard. Sitting 18-6-1, Dauphin has a six-point edge over the Blizzard for first in the division and Dauphin is just two points back of Steinbach for first overall.

Dauphin has won three straight games and four of their last five. They also have points in 12 of their last 14 games. Dauphin will play six games before the Christmas break, five of which come against teams near the league's top or battling for the playoffs.

Their next game is a big one as they head to The Pas on Tuesday to play the Blizzard. It's the first of three meetings between the two teams before the break. Dauphin hosts Steinbach on Saturday. That's followed by two more games against Norman, one against Waywayseecappo and one against Swan Valley. 

Dauphin's first game after the break is on January 4 when the Winnipeg Blues come to town.

Steinbach jumped three spots in the ranking to sixth while Selkirk and Winkler are honourable mentions this week. 

Glover El Fuego:

Cayden Glover is chasing down Cameron Bullinger for the MJHL scoring race and November was a big reason why.

The 20-year-old from Brandon had 10 goals and 16 points in 11 games for Dauphin last month. He had four multi-goal outings and recorded three points in a game on three occasions. Glover leads the league with 22 goals and his 32 points are tied for second, only behind Bullinger of Portage who leads the league with 34 points. Glover's 22 goals are five more than Adam Vigfusson who is second with 17 and Cayden's eight power-play goals are also the most in the league. 

Possessing one of the best shots in the league, Cayden has goals in three straight and four of his last five games. He has four in his last three. Thanks to his hot play, Cayden has been named the league's Player of the Month. 

Glover is on pace for 74 points which would smash his total from last year when he posted 48 points in 50 games with Dauphin. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 2, 2024 - 10:40 am

For those who will graduate in June, they went out on top. Those who will move from the junior varsity ranks to the varsity game next year will have big shoes to fill.

It was a season to remember for the Gilbert Plains Trojans varsity girls' volleyball team as they once again won a provincial championship. Leading up to the provincial tournament, the Trojans won three tournaments, their own, one in Hamiota, and another in Dauphin at the DRCSS.

While they did not win the Neelin DIG tournament, it was one of the team's most impressive tournaments of the season. They went up against some of the best teams in the province and even took a set off the number-one ranked AAAA team in Manitoba. That's a feat that rarely happens, and the Trojans did it. They ended up in that tournament as the consolation champions and cruised at a provincial qualifier to earn their spot in the big dance with three straight-set victories. 

"This group has a core group of grade 12 girls that have been playing together since grade 9 and they play so well together," said Jody Smelski-Jubenvill. "Our younger players have come in and stepped up and everyone came together so well. Everyone on this team played a role, regardless if they were starters or coming off the bench."

As Gilbert Plains moved into the provincials over the weekend at Baldur and Cartwright School, it was smooth sailing to start. They finished first in their round-robin pool with straight-set wins over Hamiota, Baldur/Cartwright, Miami, and Rivers. 

The playoffs got a little rocky for Gilbert Plains, however, they were undeterred. After a three-set win against Morweena, it was an all-Parkland battle as Gilbert Plains went up against their region rival Ste. Rose Celtics. 

The Celtics had been one of the top teams in the province all season and it was an epic clash between the two teams. After losing the first set 19-25, the Trojans responded winning two straight 25-12 and 15-8. 

"I think our whole team was more emotional than they were after the final, it was a relief knowing we were one step closer," said Smelski-Jubenvill. "It was an extremely emotional game for our group to be a part of. Great that we came out on top."

Just like they had lost the opening set against Ste. Rose, Gilbert Plains lost the first set against Reston. They took over from there winning two straight sets 25-11 and 15-10. The Trojans were once again crowned provincial champions.

Dating back to junior varsity, this team has won four straight provincial championships. The team's roster includes Aynslee Beckley, Kathryn Gulak, Anika Gulenchin, Brooke Hanke, Montana Jubenvill, Baylee McNabb, Layne Minshull, Nevaeh Payne, Karlee Paziuk, Trinity Puchailo, Kali Solski, and Taylor Yaciuk.

Gulenchin, Hanke, Jubenvill, Payne, Paziuk, Puchailo, and Solski all played their final games while the remainder of the team will return next season looking to make it five straight. 

As another volleyball season came to a close, Jody was so proud of the group and how they dug in deep to get the job done.

"These girls deserve it, they have put in so much time," ended Smelski-Jubenvill. "They are very passionate and this was our main goal, it's amazing to see them get it done again. Everyone stepped up and should be so proud of themselves."

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 2, 2024 - 10:19 am