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The champions of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) will play the champions of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

That is the first game of the Centennial Cup, hosted this year by the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) at the Max Bell Centre. The 10-team tournament runs from May 8-18 and will crown a national Junior A champion.

Manitoba will then play the champions from the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) on Saturday, May 10, before playing the Superior International Junior Hockey League champions on Monday, May 12.

The champions from Manitoba end their round-robin on Wednesday, May 14 against the champions from the AJHL. Following a day off on Thursday, May 15, the playoff portion of the event begins on Friday, May 16.  

The national semi-final is slated for Saturday, May 17, and the national final is on Sunday afternoon, May 18.

When the Dauphin Kings competed in the Centennial Cup in 2022 in Estevan, the Kings advanced to the semi-final where they lost to the Pickering Panthers. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 30, 2025 - 2:59 pm

Mark Kerkowich is a true sports fanatic, living and breathing every moment of action!

Seven years ago, he picked up curling and joined a men's league team with three of his best friends in his hometown of Neepawa. Little did Mark know, that decision would set off a wild ride leading to the biggest stage in Manitoba curling.

When Neepawa hosted the West qualifier for the Viterra Championships – Manitoba's premier men's curling event – Mark had an idea. He told his team they should enter. At first, they were skeptical, but before they knew it, the team was all in.

With four spots up for grabs in the provincial championships, the odds were long, and Mark never imagined they would make it to the big show. But that's why it's always important to believe in yourself. His team, led by skip Sean Boyle, third Brent Boyle, and second Scott Newton, found their rhythm and caught fire, earning one of those spots!

Now, as the Viterra Championships approach on February 5 at Stride Place, home of the Portage Terriers, Neepawa is buzzing with excitement. Mark and his team are heading to the Manitoba men’s provincial championships, ready to compete under the brightest lights of Manitoba curling. It’s a dream come true, and it’s just the beginning.

"The guys kind of laughed at me when I mentioned playing in the qualifier because we hosted it," said Kerkowich. "I thought if we lose two games, we're done, and we move ahead. But we got onto a nice roll, won a few games and pulled it out at the end. It was pretty neat to know we earned a spot."

The Viterra Championship features the top 32 men's teams in the province, except for Team Matt Dunstone as their team has already qualified for the 2025 Montana's Brier from February 28 to March 9. 

Team Jordan McDonald enters next week's event ranked second, Team Braden Calvert is third, Team Jacques Gauthier is fourth, and Team Brett Walter rounds out the top five. Kerkowich and his team will go up against the top-ranked and 25th-ranked team in the world as Team Boyle battles Team Reid Carruthers in the Round of 32.

Reid won the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier and World Championship and a gold medal at the 2017 Canadian mixed doubles championship. He's won two Grand Slam of Curling titles and has appeared in 12 Briers. He's widely regarded as a legend in the Manitoba curling scene and his team recently welcomed BJ Neufeld to the fold after he and Team Dunstone parted ways earlier this season.

For Kerkowich, going up against one of the best in the world is an opportunity of a lifetime.

"He could retire and be in the hall of fame tomorrow and they improved adding BJ," said Kerkowich. "It'll be pretty cool, a slice of humble pie. It's going to be neat watching the big boys play and hopefully, we can make them play more than six ends. It's going to be a very neat experience and we're looking forward to making the most of it, you don't get to play a team of that calibre every day."

You can get a complete schedule for the Viterra Championships here. The provincial final will be on February 9 at 3:00 p.m. The winner advances to the Montana's Brier later in the month.

Curling Rock For Riding Mower: 

In a few short months, Mark's focus will solely shift to his duties at the golf course and working on his game. Kerkowich spent five years at the Clear Lake Golf Course before getting a call from Landon Cameron.

Cameron, the general manager at the Neepawa Golf and Country Club knew that his course needed a Superintendent, and Kerkowich was the perfect fit. So Mark went in for an interview and one thing led to another. In the end, Mark was homebound after being born and raised in Neepawa.

Kerkowich accepted the position and is heading into his 10th season as superintendent at the course.

"It was pretty cool to come home and a great feeling to get headhunted by Cameron," said Kerkowich. "To be back around so many familiar faces and back home, it's very special to me. It's where I grew up and it was great to be back."

While Kerkowich came up short of saying golf means everything to him, he has had a deep passion for the sport for many years and that love continues to grow.

"Sports have always been my thing, they keep my interest," continued Kerkowich. "Whether it's working or playing a round, it doesn't get much better than that. It's what I'm interested in most. I'm lucky that I get to play and even luckier that I get to work at this course."

Kerkowich says some of his fondest memories include spending time with the many superintendents across the province.

"It's a great industry to work in. As much as golf courses compete against each other for golfers and whatnot, we're a very tight-knit group," continued Kerkowich. "I've talked to so many who are always ready to listen and answer any questions I might have. There are so many smart people in the industry that I'm trying to keep up with."

If you're a golfer and have yet to play the Neepawa Golf & Country Club, make it a must-play when the season comes around. It truly is one of the nicest courses in the province and with a great staff to boot and a top-notch superintendent, you're in for a treat. 

"I may be a bit biased because I'm from and work here, but it's a very special track," continued Kerkowich. "It's one of my favourite courses and I've played a lot of beautiful ones."

Mark also takes immense pride in assuring the course is in great shape.

"It's like every superintendent, you put your name on it, so you work hard to please everyone you can," ended Kerkowich. "You're not always going to, but it's about doing everything you can. Day in and day out, move things in the right direction."

When he's not working, which isn't often, Mark is on the course playing and making birdies. He's one of the top golfers in Neepawa and won his sixth Rose Bowl title last year. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 30, 2025 - 10:00 am

FINAL UPDATE - January 29 - 7:00 p.m.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League has defended home ice.

Taye Timmerman (Northern Manitoba) and Brett O'Halloran (Kindersley) put on a show for their respect clubs between the pipes, however, it was Team MJHL 18U that got the last shot in as Max Lavoie (Winkler) scored in the 15th round of the shootout in a thrilling 2-1 win for Manitoba.

After Lavoie scored, Timmerman made a game clinching save to give Manitoba its fourth straight win after a tough start. Gavin Nemis was on Team MJHL for this week.

This was the second straight exceptional game for these two teams as they also took part in a shootout on Tuesday, which was won by Team MJHL.

Both leagues will resume league play on Friday, the Dauphin Kings are heading to Virden to play the Oil Capitals. Darnell Duff will have the call of that game, beginning with the Parkland Source for Sports pregame show at 7:20.

What a week it was in Manitoba's capital and now it's time for the MJHL to continue its push to the Turnbull Cup playoffs. 

UPDATE #5 - January 29 - 4:00 p.m.

The first two games did not go the way Team MJHL hoped for. They gave up 14 goals and lost two straight. Since the all-stars from Manitoba have been firing on all cylinders.

After a masterful performance from Dauphin Kings goaltender Cole Sheffield on Wednesday morning, Team MJHL picked up their third straight win during the afternoon session as six different all-stars from Team MJHL 20U Red scored in a 6-4 win against Team SJHL 20U White.

Isaiah Peters (Winkler), Brody Beauchemin (Winkler), Quincy Supprien (Northern Manitoba), Adam Vigfusson (Niverville), and Sean Williams (Niverville) all scored a goal apiece. Grandview star and Winkler Flyer forward Jayce Legaarden had the other goal paired with one assist. Austin Dubinsky (Niverville) earned the win in net.

Reilley Kotai (Melfort), Jaron Desnoyers (Yorkton), Dustin Renas (Yorkton), and Jacob Strizzi (Humboldt) responded for Team SJHL and Justen Maric (Battlefords) received the loss in net.

Manitoba will look to win its fourth straight game on Wednesday evening when Gavin Nemis and the 18U all-stars from Manitoba take on the 18U all-stars from Saskatchewan. 

UPDATE #4 - January 29 - 1:00 p.m.

All hail King Sheffield.

The Dauphin Kings star goaltender dazzled on Wednesday as Team MJHL 20U Black beat Team SJHL 20U Gold, 5-1, to wrap up their two-game event. Sheffield made 43 saves in the game, 21 of which came in the third. Sheffield made a penalty shot save late in the second period, propelling his team to victory.

Sheffield was named the CCM Star of the Game.

Cayden Glover (Dauphin) also had a great performance with two assists while Cameron Bullinger (Portage) led the way for Team MJHL with two goals. Matteo Speranza (Niverville), Grady Hoffman (Steinbach), and Nolan Nenow (Portage), all scored a goal apiece for Team MJHL. Anthony Piccininno (Flin Flon) responded for Team SJHL. 

Sheffield, Glover, Naaman Hofer, and Matthew Thomas will now return to Dauphin, practice on Thursday, and board their charter bus on Friday as the team resumes regular season play at Tundra Oil & Gas Place against the Virden Oil Capitals.

Gavin Nemis of Dauphin will play in the 18U all-star game on Wednesday evening. 

UPDATE #3 - 9:00 p.m.

What a finish to day one of the MJHL/SJHL Showcase in Winnipeg.

It took seven rounds and 14 shooters combined, a stop by Mitchell Kathler of the Portage Terriers and Team MJHL 18U earned a win on Tuesday night. The final was 3-2 in a shootout. 

After dropping the first two games, Team MJHL was looking to salvage a win and that's what they did. Esteban Cinq-Mars (Northern Manitoba) and Adam Matar (Winnipeg Blues) did the scoring for Manitoba while Ethan Sautner (Kindersley) and Rylan Wieler (Kindersley) responded for Team SJHL 18U.

Mitchell Kathler made 27 saves in net for the MJHL. 

Both 20U teams from the MJHL and SJHL will battle once more on Wednesday and Wednesday night will see these same 18U teams play a rematch.

League play resumes Friday with Dauphin in Oil Country to play the Oil Capitals. 

UPDATE #2 - 5:00 p.m.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's biggest guns are on full display, at the expense of Team Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

In the second game of the Showcase in Manitoba's capital, Keenan Ingram (Yorkton), Zac Somers (Melfort), and Jacob Strizzi (Humboldt), all scored two goals apiece while Kristian Coombs (Melfort) turned away 18 shots in a commanding 9-4 win over the Team MJHL 20U Black.

Christian Green (Steinbach) had no answer to a high-powered SJHL roster. Team SJHL opened up the floodgates with six goals in the second period before scoring another three in the third.

Decker Mujcin (Portage) scored twice while Wyatt Witham (Selkirk) and Matteo Speranza (Niverville) scored one goal apiece.

Team MJHL will have one more chance to finish day one with a victory when Gavin Nemis and the 18U all-stars hit the ice at the Seven Oaks Sportsplex.

UPDATE #1 - 3:00 p.m.

Jayce Legaarden notched an assist, however, there wasn't much else going on for Team MJHL 20U Red.

Opening the Showcase at the Seven Oaks Sportsplex, Legaarden assisted on the team's goal scored by Brody Beauchemin as Team MJHL took a 1-0 lead, but they lost 5-2.

Team SJHL, led by a few stars from the Flin Flon Bombers, scored three straight. Anthony Piccininno, Keefe Gruener (both of Flin Flon) and Ethan DeKay (Weyburn)

Niklas Gudmundson (Winkler) brought Team 20U Red back within a goal for Manitoba, but that was as close as they would get. Kent Moors (Estevan) and Jerome Maharaj (Weyburn) scored to seal a 5-2 opening victory for Team SJHL. 

Jayce was named his team's Star of the Game. 

NEXT: Team MJHL 20U Black vs Team SJHL 20U White. This game features Naaman Hofer, Cole Sheffield, Cayden Glover, and Matthew Thomas. 

It's a clash between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is going up against the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) at a Showcase in Winnipeg at the Seven Oaks Arena. 60 of the top players from each league made the cut.

Five Dauphin Kings are at the event. Cole Sheffield, Naaman Hofer, Cayden Glover, Gavin Nemis, and Matthew Thomas. Jayce Legaarden of Grandview is playing on Team 20U Red. Glover, Hofer, Thomas, and Sheffield are on Team 20U Black. Gavin Nemis of the Kings is on Team 18U White.

The event features scouts at all levels including the professional ranks and collegiately. Stay tuned throughout the next two days to find out how Team MJHL did. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 29, 2025 - 7:00 pm

Tossing in an extra game that was postponed and an already very busy end-of-the-season schedule got a bit busier for the Dauphin Clippers hockey team.

Playing in the Westman League, the Clippers have 12 regular-season games remaining as the push to the championship side playoffs continue. Sitting 15-4-1, Dauphin has put themselves in a great spot as they're in sixth place.

Dauphin also has games on two of the teams they're chasing. The Killarney Raiders are five points ahead of Dauphin, however, they have played four more games than the Clippers. The Virden Golden Bears, meanwhile, are only a single point ahead of Dauphin and the Clippers have six games in hand. Dauphin is also chasing the Huskies who have also played 20 games and are two points ahead of Dauphin while Swan Valley, who has played one fewer game than Dauphin, are three points ahead of the Clippers in an intense Battle of the Parkland.

Dauphin has scored 125 goals this year, the third-most in the league, while their differential of plus-73 is the second-best, only behind the league-leading Vincent Massey Vikings #1. The Clippers have also been outstanding on the penalty kill, only allowing 13 goals, tied for the fewest with the Vikings.

"We're pretty happy with how things have gone, it's pretty hard to be upset with 15 wins already, and we think we could have won two or three more," said Jason Alf. "There are always things that we can clean up daily and that's what we're working on as we look forward to the playoffs. With all that said, it's been a very strong year for our group."

Two of Dauphin's defeats this season have come against the Vikings, who have two teams. The second team is 4-16 while the top team is 24-0, who beat the Clippers twice. Vincent Massey has scored 200 goals, 61 more than Virden and their 30 goals against are 20 fewer than the Huskies.

They've also scored 39 power-play goals, the most in the league and they've only given up 13 goals against while a man down, tied with Dauphin for the fewest. The Vikings are a fine-tuned machine and have been the class of the league so far.

They beat Dauphin in Brandon, 4-2, before returning to Dauphin for a 5-0 win over the Clippers at Credit Union Place. In the team's first meeting, Dauphin led 2-1 before the Vikings took over to earn two points.

Everyone is gunning for the league leaders, and Alf fully believes in his group.

"They're a very good team that can come at you with three or four lines and they're very good defensively," said Alf. "They're certainly beatable. I thought they had more firepower last year, to be honest. We're hoping the next time that we'll meet them will be in the playoffs, so we'll have time to prepare. I believe in our group and our abilities against them."

Dauphin is preparing to hit the road for a trio of games this weekend, starting at Tundra Oil & Gas Place against the Golden Bears on Friday. As noted above, Virden has played six more games than Dauphin and is only a single point ahead of them. After that game, you can stick around the rink to watch the Dauphin Kings play the Oil Capitals at 7:30. So it's a double dip of Dauphin vs Virden in Oil Country on Friday night.

On Saturday, Dauphin challenges the Boissevain Broncos, who are 6-16 on the season and they wrap up a busy weekend against the Renegades on Sunday afternoon, a team that has won eight of their 20 games.

This is Dauphin's final overnight trip of the season and Alf is looking forward to it. Dauphin won three games last weekend and six of their last seven.

"We've got some injuries but we have players that will step up, we know that," said Alf. "Our goal is to get all six points, so we'll see how it goes."

The tremendous trio of Ethan Carnegie, Ronin Mouck, and Julien Lopez has combined to torch opponents. Carnegie leads the way with 24 goals and 49 points, Mouck has 22 goals and 42 points, and Lopez has 10 goals with 25 assists. The three have combined for 126 points and when all in the lineup, they've been nearly unstoppable. 

"When those three guys are going, I would say they're one of the best lines in the league," ended Alf. "They can hit you with speed, they have skill, and some grit. They're also great leaders, they get the rest of the guys going."

Dauphin returns to Credit Union Place next Friday when the Huskies are in town before Killarney comes to town the following day. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 29, 2025 - 10:05 am

They came home with a pizza that was reserved for champions.

The Dauphin U-11A Kings were in Melville over the weekend for a tournament and coasted to a title. In the final, Dauphin downed the St. Boniface Seals, 5-0. Dauphin also secured wins against Yorkton (16-0), Regina (14-1), and again topped Regina in the semi-finals. 

This team has already qualified for the Tournament of Champions later this season. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 28, 2025 - 12:00 pm

After some solid events in the pool, Ena Morrisseau, Holly Marcynuk, and Lauren Lesiuk have plenty to be proud of.

The trio competed in the St. James Invitational as members of the Parkland Gators Swim Club.

Ena Morrisseau:
13th - 50m backstroke
15th - 50m breaststroke
15th - 200m freestyle
19th - 50m fly stroke
21st - 100m breaststroke
31st - 50m freestyle
63rd - 100m freestyle

Holly Marcynuk:
51st - 100m freestyle
59th - 50m freestyle
66th - 50m backstroke
74th - 50m breaststroke

Lauren Lesiuk:
6th - 200m breaststroke
10th - 100m breaststroke
11th - 100m individual medley
13th - 50m breaststroke
15th - 100m backstroke
22nd - 50m backstroke

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 28, 2025 - 11:05 am

The Parkland U-18 Rangers have been through a lot this season.

They won their first four games of the season and eight of their first 10 games to sit near the top of the standings. Then they lost their head coach as Swan River's Josh Tripp became the head coach of his hometown team when the Stampeders parted ways with Barry Wolff.

The team, now led by Tom White along with Matt Kustra, has had to stick with the grind of coming to the rink when things aren't going as planned and they've also enjoyed wins against some of the top teams in the league.

This is a group that has battled plenty of adversity and while things have not always been easy, they're a group that has stuck with the process. They also lost Trace Langan, who was off to a fantastic start to the season, recording eight points in eight games to start the campaign before he joined his hometown Stampeders.

For Cash McCallum, he has taken great pride in staying positive and coming with his work boots to every practice and game. This is his second year with the Rangers and he knows what kind of group they have.

"Losing our coach early was pretty hard for us, but we've bounced back. I think we have a great group," said McCallum. "This is one of the best Ranger teams in years, everyone is playing for one another and pushing through."

Cash is in the midst of a career year. In 37 games, the star from Dauphin has one goal and 11 points. He's also passed last year's total when he scored two goals and had seven points. McCallum is tied for 10th in team scoring with Ryzlie Nepinak.

"Skating with Doug Hedley in the morning has really helped me out," continued McCallum. "I also have that year of experience under my belt and I'm learning the game more. I get the chance to play with a great group of guys."

Overall, McCallum is pleased with what he has brought to the table.

"I think anyone would say the goal is to have more of an impact," commented McCallum. "With that said, I'm pretty happy with my performance. I continue to work hard and push myself to the limit."

Wrapping up a weekend set in Thompson on Sunday, Cash opened the scoring with his first goal of the season 15:46 into the first. He added an assist on Ryder Gardner's goal late in the second period. Cash has two multi-point games this season with his other coming on December 7 against the Winnipeg Bruins.

It was an important goal to give Parkland a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes on Sunday and he was pleased to contribute.

"That felt great to get the monkey off my back and get that confidence boost," continued McCallum. "To sweep Norman over the weekend was massive for us, four huge points for our group. It was a long ride home but it was all worth it after winning both games."

Parkland will look to make it three straight wins when they return to the friendly confines of Credit Union Place on Thursday evening. That's when the Rangers (20-18-1) welcome the last-place Yellowhead Chiefs (7-28-0-1) to town. Parkland has eight of their 20 wins on home ice this season and they'll look to build on that Tuesday.

"We're heading into that game with a lot of confidence," commented McCallum. "We didn't take Norman easily knowing they were lower than us in the standings and we can't take Yellowhead lightly, either. We have to come out prepared to grind and play the way we know we can."

Thursday's game will be Parkland's last this month before playing eight games in 19 days to wrap up the regular season next month. With Parkland only three points up on the Pembina Valley Hawks (16-15-4-2), McCallum understands how important each game is and he's looking forward to the home stretch.

"We believe that we can beat anyone, as long as we play the way that we know we can" offered McCallum. "We have to play Parkland Rangers hockey and if we do so, we can compete with anyone."

Before joining the U-18 team, Cash played with the U-15 Rangers and has now played 81 games with the U-18 program. He grew up in Dauphin watching the likes of Riese Gaber and Bradyn  Smelski and now, he's living out his childhood dream of being a Ranger.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to be a Ranger. It's cool to be in those guys' shoes," ended McCallum. "We have a great program and a great dressing room. You can't ask for much more."

Head to Credit Union Place on Thursday night to cheer on McCallum and the rest of the U-18 Rangers as they lock in for a playoff push. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 28, 2025 - 10:00 am

The Neepawa Tigers varsity boys basketball team dominated the court over the weekend.

They played in the Souris Sabres Slam tournament and in a thrilling final that saw both teams light it up from the field, the Tigers came out on top in a 100-94 victory over the host team.

Neepawa also beat Frontier, 92-79, and Prairie Mountain, 93-57. A co-op team between Gilbert Plains and Grandview finished fifth after losing their final match against Killarney, 75-72. 

Jeral Belarmino of Neepawa was named the tournament's most valuable player.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 27, 2025 - 1:13 pm

It was a winning weekend for the Grand Plains U-9 Hazlewood Hawks.

Playing in Russell, it was an undefeated weekend for the group who went coast-to-coast to win the A-side championship and bring a banner back to Gilbert Plains.

In the final, the Hawks downed the Team Jones from Russell, 6-5. It was a thrilling back-and-forth game that came down to the wire. Grand Plains also beat Birtle, Swan Valley, and Russell VanDamme. 

The U-9 McDonald Hawks also competed in the tournament and ended with a title win. They beat Russell VanDamme in an outstanding game that needed overtime to decide the winner.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 27, 2025 - 12:46 pm

Adam Bighill made an emotional announcement on his social media pages over the weekend when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced that he wouldn't be signing a new contract with the team.

His message read, in part.

Unfortunately, I won’t be coming back to the Blue and Gold this coming season. I’m not mad, I understand the way the business goes. Sure it’s disappointing when things don’t work out the way you want them to, but I knew this was a possibility and by no means was caught off guard.

First off, thank you to all of the fans who have been nothing short of AMAZING. From the day I arrived here, there was nothing but love, and it’s a major reason why we live full-time here.

Secondly, thanks to the Bombers organization bringing me in, the football experience is top-notch. I’ve been around for a while and sometimes players don’t know how good they have it. Winnipeg takes care of their players and I’m very thankful to have been part of helping this organization bring back the Grey Cup to the Province of Manitoba.

On Monday, it was announced that the team parted ways with Drew Wolitarsky.  

Wolitarsky was selected in the 2017 CFL supplementary draft out of the University of Minnesota. Over seven seasons in the CFL and 89 regular-season games with the Blue & Gold, Drew had 227 catches for 2,954 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He helped Winnipeg win the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021. He was limited to just 10 games this past season because of injury. He had 33 catches for 403 yards and a touchdown. 

On Winnipeg's team website, general manager Kyle Walters said this was a very tough decision.

"He was a solid contributor for the team, was popular in the dressing room and instrumental in two Grey Cup championships," said Walters. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 27, 2025 - 12:20 pm