Latest Sports

Josh Tripp is no stranger to the Parkland U18 Rangers program. 

He first made the team in the 2013-14 season, playing in 43 games and scoring five goals while adding seven assists. After a great off-season, Tripp returned to the Rangers the following season and took his game to the next level. Playing in 44 games, Tripp scored 30 goals and added 23 assists in the regular season. 

The Swan River star finished 10th in league scoring and his 30 goals were the second-most in the league, only trailing behind Bradly Goethals, who Tripp went on to play with in Swan Valley. Across four playoff games, Josh scored two more goals and had five points. It was a coming-out season for Tripp and a sign of things to come.

"Playing for the Rangers helped me develop as a player and get ready for the next level," said Tripp. "I moved away for the first time and lived in Dauphin. I not only grew on the ice but as a young man as well."

Josh moved onto junior hockey the following year as he joined his hometown Stampeders in the 2015-16 season. Finding his stride immediately, Tripp had 23 goals and 24 assists in 55 games before a three-point showing across three playoff games.

This all while Josh played in front of his family and friends at the Centennial Arena. It was a year that Tripp will never forget after growing up watching the Stampeders. Tripp then decided to move to Texas as he joined the Corpus Christi Ice Rays team of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). In his first season south of the border, Tripp was not out of place at all producing 40 points in the regular season in 57 games before notching a pair of assists in eight playoff games. Tripp then returned to Corpus Christi for the start of the 2017-18 season; however, his time with the Ice Rays that season did not last long.

Suiting up in 13 games that year in the NAHL, Tripp moved back home and instantly fit right back in with 42 points in 38 games before a four-point showing in four playoff games. Another one game stint in the NAHL the following year with the Jamestown Rebels once again led Tripp back home as Barry Wolff was stacking up the Stampeders roster to make a run.

The 2018-19 season ended up being Swan Valley's most successful season in franchise history as they advanced to the league final against the Portage Terriers. Tripp dominated the league that year with 84 points in 57 playoff games and in Swan Valley's run to the championship series, Josh averaged more than a point per game with 21 in 17 games. 

It wasn't the ending the team was looking for as Reece Henry scored in overtime to give the Terriers the Turnbull Cup, but it was a year that put the Stampeders on the map and Tripp was a massive reason why.

"Playing for Swan Valley was awesome, it was always something that I dreamt about as a kid," said Tripp. "Playing in Corpus Christi was also something I enjoyed, it helped me grow a ton. Coming back home to finish my junior career was great for me. It's always nice to play in front of your family and friends and going through the experience of contending for a championship was special. We had such a great group and I am proud of how much we accomplished."

Josh then went on to play one year of university hockey with the Manitoba Bisons and for the past three years, the Swan River native has been playing senior hockey. One year with the Wawanesa Jets and the past two with the Swan Valley Axemen. 

Last year Tripp was also back behind the bench as an assistant coach for his hometown Stampeders. Under the guidance of Barry Wolff, Tripp was right at home and right where he wanted to be.

"I'm glad I had that opportunity, it was awesome working with Barry, and I was humbled by the opportunity," offered Tripp. "It was a great learning experience for me."

As the 2024-25 season now nears, Josh will continue being behind the bench, he'll just now be the main man. The U18 Rangers announced that Josh Tripp will be the team's head coach moving forward. He will be joined by assistants Matt Kustra and Tom White. 

"It's very exciting, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity," offered Tripp. "It's a huge step and I'm looking forward to getting the season going, it should be fantastic."

Tripp believes he is ready for this opportunity because he has always loved helping younger players develop.

"Hockey is something that I have always studied, I love seeing other guys improve and seeing them succeed," ended Tripp. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 27, 2024 - 11:04 am

The Canadian Hockey League believes it has found the right recipe and partner for showcasing top-ranked prospects.

Sprinkle in the intense Canadian-United States rivalry, mix it with NHL scouts, draft motivation and the U.S. National Team Development Program, stir with best-on-best competition, and serve it on an international stage.

This concoction is called the CHL USA Prospects Challenge and will be added to the hockey calendar over the next three years.

The CHL and the U.S. NTDP rolled out the Prospects Challenge project on Wednesday, with the first edition scheduled to face off in November of this year. Specific details on the date, location, and event format will be revealed at a later date.

The Prospects Challenge will see the top first-year NHL draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s three-member leagues — Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League — square off against those from USA Hockey’s NTDP in a two-game series.

Players for the CHL team will be provided by NHL Central Scouting as selected by the NHL’s 32 clubs, and much like other national events in the CHL, the hosting duties of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will rotate between the CHL’s three-member league markets each year.

"Serving as a best-on-best showcase, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will provide our top draft-eligible players from across the CHL with a great opportunity to demonstrate their elite talent and world-class skill set as they work toward hearing their name called at the NHL draft," said CHL president Dan MacKenzie.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 26, 2024 - 11:55 am

The Manitoba Summer Games (MSG) will leave a forever-lasting legacy in our community.

From August 11 to 17, the best athletes from the Parkland and around the province will compete in various sports. This week-long event will be one to remember and for some, it will be the biggest event that they ever take part in.

The Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School (DRCSS) will play host to the track and field event. The track is currently renovating the games, which will soon include lines being painted. Just off the track is where you will find a 100' x 60' multi-sport court. That court will also undergo painting.

Designed by local students from Whitmore Elementary School in Dauphin and the DRCSS, Buckets & Borders will be in town next month to paint the court. The design represents our region's natural beauty and deep connection to nature with its sun motif and rippling water effect. It also honours the rich history of our area, featuring the Indigenous Medicine Wheel at the centre court, and Metis infinity symbols, and gives a nod to the Ukrainian heritage with the colours yellow and blue.

Clayton Swanton is co-chair of the MSG and is thrilled about the project.

"It's pretty amazing that a community this size can create legacy projects of this magnitude," said Swanton. "We're thrilled to see the track get re-done from the 2004 Games and this is the icing on top of the cake. Not just students from the DRCSS, but the entire community will have access."

Swanton was also very impressed at how the kids from Whitmore School stepped up.

"The inspiration was all student led which is fantastic," said Swanton. "There were also kids from the high school that stepped up. We brought everyone together, they got a blank canvas and came up with some beautiful designs."

Representatives from Buckets and Borders will be in town around the 11th of July to begin painting. The court will be fully painted and there will then be a Grand Opening to follow. 

As of right now, there is no fence around the court. However, there is a plan in place.

"We're hoping, that's a budget thing, it depends how we do when it comes to our final push of sponsors ahead of the games," offered Swanton. "We're hoping to be able to fence the back of it and 10 feet up the sides so that it is a cohesive space with the track."

Swanton adds that the fencing likely will not happen before the Games take place.

"We're hoping as a post Games legacy in the fall that we can make it happen," ended Swanton.

Swanton added that any business that is a $50,000 or more sponsor of the Manitoba Summer Games will be affiliated with the Buckets and Borders project. There will also be a documentary video of the finished product, which will be available in the future.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 26, 2024 - 10:00 am

It's a big weekend in Dauphin as Countryfest and the Dauphin Fair are set to take centre stage.

Ahead of that, the Dauphin Kings got in the action with a pair of transactions, one of which saw the team add some offensive power. Two months ahead of training camp at Credit Union Place, the club announced that they have acquired Joel Purdom from the Selkirk Steelers, in exchance for a Player Development Fee.

From Winnipeg, Joel is coming off a solid season playing for a Selkirk team that just missed the playoffs. Across 51 games, the 20-year-old scored 16 times while adding 23 assists for 39 points. He increased his point total by nine points compared to the prior season. Purdom also had 75 penalty minutes and brings a physical presence to the club as well.

"He plays a heavy game, we actually had him listed after the draft when he was 15," said Doug Hedley. "He has turned into a real good player. He has been on our radar before. He is definitely a guy that can add some offence to our lineup, we're excited to welcome Joel to Dauphin."

In another trade, Dauphin sent Dawson Karol to the Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). For those wondering who Karol is, he never played a game with Dauphin. He played this past season with the Flin Flon Bombers and was a part of the deal that saw Dauphin send Anthony Bax to the Bombers. 

Karol decided he wanted to stay in Saskatchewan.

"His dad works in Kindersley, so he wanted to stay there, so we worked towards finding a match," ended Hedley. 

Dauphin will continue to focus now on training camp with the team's home opener just 12 weeks away. You can check out the team's full schedule here and 730CKDM will be releasing a broadcast schedule in the coming weeks. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 25, 2024 - 10:22 am

Dauphin is home to a Stanley Cup champion for the second time in less than a decade. 

As the Florida Panthers held on for a 2-1 win on Monday to win the final in seven games against Edmonton, Myles Fee of Dauphin won his first-ever Stanley Cup.

Fee, who padded his impressive coaching resume with the win, previously won a Calder Cup with Charlotte.

Being from Dauphin, Myles' friends and family were glued to the TV to watch history being made.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 24, 2024 - 10:34 pm

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) has announced that its Draft is no longer.

What does this mean?

This will allow Manitoba prospects (beginning with the 2009 age group) to have control over which team they would like to play for in the league. This means that each player will have 13 options to consider when deciding which organization they would like to become a part of.

• Beginning with 2009-born Manitoba Prospects: Eligible to sign with any member MJHL team beginning for the 2025-26 season;
• 2023 MJHL Draft (2007): Any auto-protect / draft pick who remains unsigned by the team they were drafted by will be eligible to sign with any other MJHL team as of August 1st, 2024; and
• 2024 MJHL Draft (2008’s): Any auto-protect / draft pick who remains unsigned by the team they were drafted by will be eligible to sign with any other MJHL team as of August 1st, 2025.

More:

In partnership with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), the MJHL has announced that the two leagues will come together for two joint showcase events during the upcoming 2024-25 season.

The first will take place in early November in Warman, Saskatchewan. It will act as an identification camp for the upcoming World Junior A Challenge. More details will be released in the coming weeks.

Then a few months later in January, the Seven Oaks Sportsplex will once again play host to the annual MJHL-SJHL Showcase. The event which features 60 players from both leagues is set to return. Each league will ice a team full of players 18 and under while each league will ice two teams consisting of players aged 19 and 20. It's the best players from the MJHL going up against the best players from the SJHL.

Kevin Saurette is the Comissioner of the MJHL and he's thrilled about coming together with the SJHL.

“The MJHL is excited to continue to grow our partnership with the SJHL for the benefit of all involved," said Saurette. "These events will give elite athletes from each league an incredible opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities in a high-performance environment in front of scouts from all higher levels of hockey.”

Both events will be attended by scouts from the National Hockey League, NCAA, Major Junior, and university programs from across North America.

"We look forward to continuing to build on the success of joint events with the MJHL," said Kyle McIntyre, SJHL Commissioner. "We are very pleased to be able to provide these collaborative opportunities for our elite players."

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 24, 2024 - 1:37 pm

For the second time in as many years, Crystal Zamzow is a champion at the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club. 

After a dramatic victory at last year's Elmhurst Invitational, the Swan River star was back this year looking to defend her title and she cruised to a championship. In the junior girls division, Zamzow finished 11 strokes ahead of Keira Krahn.

Some very tough conditions required players to be at their best on Saturday and Zamzow carded a very respectable 82. Then on Sunday with a championship in sight, Zamzow carded two birdies and a 75. 

Just like it was a runaway in the junior girls division, that was the case in the men's division as well. Marco Trstenjak fired back-to-back 67s for an eight-stroke victory over Braxton Kuntz. Eric Prokopowich of the Dauphin Lake Golf Club competed in the event and fired rounds of 77 and 75 to finish in a tie for 14th place.

Jackson Delaurier; meanwhile, also of the Dauphin Lake Golf Club, fired rounds of 88 and 80 to finish in a tie for 51st. Thomas Scott, whose hometown is Dauphin, but golfs out of the Glendale Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg, shot rounds of 79 and 78 to finish in 31st. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 24, 2024 - 11:11 am

We are only a couple of months away from training camp and the Parkland U18 Rangers have announced who will lead them onto the ice this season.

HEAD COACH:

From Swan River, Josh Tripp will serve as the team's new head coach. A former Ranger himself, Josh played two seasons with Parkland, suiting up in 91 games. He scored 37 goals during this time, including 30 of which in the 2014-15 season when he had 53 points in 44 regular season games and another five points in four playoff games. Josh then advanced to the junior game when he played with his hometown Stampeders in the 2015-16 season.

Deciding to make his way across the border to play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays, Josh then found his way back to his hometown and ultimately helped Swan Valley advance to the MJHL Final against the Portage Terriers in 2019.

He then went on to play one year of university hockey with the University of Manitoba Bisons before playing one season of senior hockey with the Wawanesa Jets and most recently, he's been a member of the Swan Valley Axemen. Josh served as an assistant coach this past season with Swan Valley under the leadership of Barry Wolff. 

ASSISANT COACH #1:

Leading the Parkland U15 Rangers last season, Matt Kustra will now move up an age group. He will also serve as the team's goalie coach in the 2024-25 season. A one-time former Dauphin King, Matt was a championship goalie when he helped the Notre Dame Hounds win the AAA league in Saskatchewan in the 2013-14 season. He was also drafted by the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and later signed. 

Kustra also represented Team Saskatchewan U16 at the Western Canada Challenge in 2013.

At the junior level, Matt played with the Kings, Yorkton Terriers, Blizzard Junior A Hockey Club, and Hearst Lumberjacks. 

ASSISANT COACH #2:

With plenty of experience under his belt and a love for helping players develop and move to the next level, Tom White is back with the Rangers program. Tom led the U15 program from 2018 to 2022 and served as a tryout evaluator for the U18 Rangers in the 2019-20 season.

He was also an assistant coach of the U18 team in the 2017-18 season and head coach at the 2014-15 Director's Cup for Team Parkland. 

Stay tuned in the coming days as we will be joined by the team's president Shawn Sarkonak as well as Tripp, Kustra, and White.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 24, 2024 - 10:58 am

Times are very good right now for the Mavericks senior men's rugby club out of the Parkland. 

Playing in Division 2 of Rugby Manitoba's league, the Mavericks put up 77 points in their first win of the season and over the weekend, they put together an outstanding effort at KIN Field in Dauphin in an important 22-20 win over the Wombats.

While things are good at the senior level, things are also excellent at the youth level. The Parkland Pirates rugby program spent their final weekend of the season at a jamboree in Winnipeg. Three age groups (U14 - contact), (U12 - intro to contact), and (U10 - flag rugby) competed.

Codi Harrigan has stepped up his presence with the program this season and he's thrilled with how things are going.

"You notice the increase in talent over the spring," said Harrigan. "It's a quick season, just two months. You can't help but stand back and just be amazed. Watching them and seeing how much they have learned is incredible."

Codi's two daughters are also now a part of the Pirates program, both playing in the U10 age group. Just like their dad who loves the game, Ryleigh and Rowyn have also now fallen in love with it. It's truly a family affair on the field for the Harrigan family and Codi wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's really special to see them on the field, it's tough at times to be a coach and a dad," said Harrigan. "My girls love playing the game, they invest a lot of time outside of practice working on their skills. It's nice to be able to help them and I love watching them enjoying themselves on the field."

The youth season has now come to a close in the Parkland. Come the fall, the season will open with a Haka Rugby Camp in Dauphin. Led by professionals, the camp will feature one for those aged 8 to 16 and a high-performance camp for those aged 16 to 18.

"They have chosen Dauphin based on the talent here and the numbers," said Harrigan. "They know what rugby means to this community and they ask to come back here every year. It is a great opportunity for our kids to grow their skills, it will be a great camp, as it has been in the past."

Just as it is at the senior level with players advancing from high school to senior play, rugby in the Parkland is in good hands. Soon the younger generation will become senior Mavericks and Codi knows everything is in good hands.

"Things look phenomenal. We had 35 kids during the spring program this year, our numbers have tripled over the past few years, it's amazing to see," ended Harrigan. "To see 30-plus kids in the spring when other sports are offered, it's just amazing."

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 24, 2024 - 10:35 am

The Mavericks put on a show for their fans at KIN Field on Saturday.

The team made some huge stops on their own goal line and got the job done offensively as well in a 22-20 win over the Winnipeg Wombats.

Nick Searl continued with his incredible season by recording another try while Jeff Zieller and Nate Yuri also had a try.

Ryan Dreger was steady with two converts and Wilkie Budzinski had a penalty kick in the win. 

The Mavericks are hitting their stride and with great numbers, rugby in the Parkland continues to grow. This week, we will take a look at youth rugby in the region. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 22, 2024 - 5:54 pm