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Shortly after the Saskatchewan Government announced there would be more restrictions put in place in the province, the SJHL announced they would be taking a pause until after Christmas.

The restrictions include the suspension of team sports competitions which means there will be no hockey games played in Saskatchewan until at least December 17. Teams can still practice with a maximum of eight players on the ice at one time.

For the La Ronge Ice Wolves, the team was off to a 4-1 start to the season after dropping their first game. Braden Malsbury is the Voice of the Ice Wolves and he had this to say on the suspension of play.

"It's pretty unfortunate, that's the best way I can put it," said Malsbury. "I believe hockey is a convenient scapegoat and it's too bad that this happened."

There were zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the regular season so far in the SJHL which was six games underway for most teams. For the Flin Flon Bombers, they were impacted even before the SJHL took a pause.

When Manitoba went to 'Code Red', all sports facilities in the province were closed. Although Flin Flon plays in the SJHL, they are located in Manitoba which means the iconic Whitney Forum had to be closed.

Without a place to play, Flin Flon was looking into alternative options on the Saskatchewan side of the border; however, they were unable to get anything to plan. Flin Flon had only played two games when the season was put on pause.

Rob Hart is the Voice of the Bombers and he was fully expecting a stoppage in play with the rising cases in Saskatchewan.

"It was bound to happen. With that said, I'm quite frustrated with the process," said Hart. "I understand that you have to shut things down, but I don't understand how bingo halls and casinos are still allowed to remain open. I think if you're going to shut things down, you have to shut down everything, not just sports."

Over in Melville, the Millionaires were 4-2 when the season was stopped. They were just getting prepared for a home-and-home with Humboldt. Mike Rooney is the team's head coach and general manager and he had this to say.

"I really felt that we could have played up until Christmas," said Rooney. "We were off to a great start and just like all teams, this is disappointing.  We just have to move on and hope for better things in 2021."

When it comes to returning early in 2021, that is the hope, but as everyone knows, there are so many uncertainties right now due to the novel coronavirus and we can expect things to remain uncertain for the near future.

"I know everyone involved with La Ronge and everyone around the league is working hard so we can return," ended Malsbury. "I think the league put together a great return-to-play plan and everyone is doing what they can so we can return."

The 2020 baseball season in Manitoba was very different than in other years. Although different, baseball was still being played throughout the province and Baseball Manitoba has put together a campaign to recognize some of the hardworking people that helped assure there would be ball played in different communities.

Jodie Romanow is the President of Dauphin Minor Baseball and she is one of the members that worked extremely hard to get a season going in Dauphin. Jodie was nominated and Baseball Manitoba is now recognizing her for all of her efforts.

Jodie's nominator had the following to say.

"Over the past several years, Jodie has shown enthusiasm for helping her community through fundraising and financial management, and she usually takes the greatest burden of work along with her husband (a coach) and son (player and umpire). She has worked on topics such as website development, diamond improvement (including accessing grants), planning and hands-on installation of improvements, and game and umpire scheduling. Jodie is enthusiastic about everything baseball-related. She pushed through the difficulty of the 2020 season (due to COVID-19) and continues to work hard to make the improvements needed in her community."

Romanow just finished her fourth year as president and she says there have been some twists and turns, but just being able to be a part of the game is special to her.

"It means a lot to me to know that I have a hand in creating a program that gives the best opportunity for baseball in Dauphin," said Romanow. 

Jodie isn't sure who nominated her, but she appreciates the support that she has received over the years.

"It's quite an honour to be recognized like this," said Romanow. "It's always a great feeling getting recognized for anything you do."

Romanow says she works with a tremendous team and she's looking forward to the upcoming baseball season. 

Everyone seems to be talking about how you don't even need to leave your house to purchase Dauphin Kings Tractor Lotto tickets this year. That's because the easiest and safest way to get your tickets is at Tractor Lotto or by calling 1-877-585-4647. 

One of the great things about the Kings Tractor Lotto is the odds to win. On top of the $100,000 grand prize, there are ten draws for $1000, two draws for $2500, two draws for $5000, one draw for $10,000, and three additional draws for a 2021 John Deere E110 lawn tractor.

"Especially if you get a three-pack, the odds are really good to win a cash prize," said Christian Laughland, Director of Business Operations. "We're giving away more than $130,000."

As of Friday morning, the 50/50 is already more than $29,000. It's expected that it will get over $30,000 by the end of the weekend.

"Sales overall have been pretty solid with 50/50 and our regular tickets as well," offered Laughland. "The next two weeks will be very busy, and we're really excited about that."

The push to the new Western Hockey League season continues as the campaign will begin on January 8, 2021. 

Each team will play in their respective divisions. The four divisions will be the East Division, B.C. Division, U.S. Division, and the Central Division.

The Brandon Wheat Kings will compete against the Winnipeg ICE, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Swift Current Broncos, Prince Albert Raiders, and the Moose Jaw Warriors. When the season does begin, there will be a new man as the team's bench boss, but he isn't new to the organization.

It was announced earlier in the week that Don MacGillivray has been named the 24th head coach in Wheat Kings history. 

"It means a lot to me. This is a storied franchise that has a lot of history and I'm glad to be a part of it," said MacGillivray. "This is something I've been working towards for a long time. It's been a long journey to get here, but at the same time, it makes it really satisfying to accept the position."

This will be Don's fifth season on the team's coaching staff. He spent the previous four years as an assistant coach. The first three years were spent with David Anning. Brandon advanced to the playoffs in two of the first three years. 

"I enjoyed my time with David. He taught me a lot and it allowed me the opportunity to get better every day and that's key," said MacGillivray. "I firmly believe that if you're not improving all the time, you're doing something wrong."

When David's contract wasn't renewed, the search for a new bench boss began. Don was a candidate for the position. However; in the end, Dave Lowry was hired as the new head coach of Brandon. He led the team to a 35 win campaign last year. Lowry has since signed a contract to become an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets.

Don says not getting the job before last season was likely the best thing that had ever happened to him because he had the opportunity to work alongside Lowry.

"I was so grateful for the opportunity. Dave is an incredible person and an unbelievable coach. I can't thank him enough," said MacGillivray. "It was like a coaching conference every day with us. I had the chance to pick his brain and improve. At the time perhaps it was a setback, but it was probably the best thing to happen."

Mark Delago:

He played 237 games (including playoffs) with the Wheat Kings before he enjoyed professional stints in the American Hockey League, ECHL, and in Denmark, just to name a few. He joined the Wheat Kings coaching staff as an assistant coach last year.

MacGillivray said the process to finalize the coaching staff is still in the works; however, he has confirmed that Derlago will return behind the bench for the upcoming season. Don and Mark became very close last year and the new bench boss is looking forward to working alongside the former Wheat King.

"He has a great personality and it was great to have him on staff last year," offered MacGillivray. "He also learned a lot from Dave last season and I think he will even step more out of his comfort zone. 

New season, high expectations:

If they weren't the hottest team to end the season, they were right near the top. Brandon went 18-5-3 in their final 26 games and they also had a ten-game winning streak that went from late December to late January. 

With a solid group of returnees set to return to Brandon accompanied by a solid cast of prospects and players looking to break out, the feeling in Brandon is very upbeat right now. No one knows how many games will be played right now or how the upcoming season will work -- besides inter-division play being a lock -- but one thing is guaranteed, the Wheat Kings are expecting to do big things.

"We're really happy with where we're at when it comes to our roster," ended MacGillivray. "Our objective is to continue trending in the right direction based on last year's season end." 

Don has also spent time as head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders. In 2008, he was named the Canada West Coach of the Year as a member of the Manitoba Bisons.

During a very successful tenure in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Don was named coach of the year on four occasions (1995, 2005, 2012, and 2013), he won a championship with the Terriers in 2005 and with the Blues in 2014 when he was the team’s head coach and general manager.

He's won everywhere he has gone and Don will now try to win a league championship back to Brandon. 

Tarrington Wyonzek will be spending a lot of time studying the IIHF rules handbook over the next month. The Yorkton linesman knows the rules very well already, but he wants to refresh his memory ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championships that begin on Christmas day.

This year's official group will be all Canadian at the event which will be played in Edmonton without fans in the stands. We'll get to more about Tarrington's World Junior dream in just a bit.

Growing up in Yorkton, Wyonzek was a minor hockey official and he slowly moved up the ranks as does every young official. In the 2013-2014 season, Tarrington got his first big break as he was hired as a linesman in the Western Hockey League. He would line six seasons in the WHL and during his time, he also lined two league finals.

Wyonzek has also lined the past two Memorial Cups. The first of which was the 2018 event held in Regina. He was on the line for three games including the tournament's semifinal which was won by the Regina Pats, 4-2. The Yorkton-born linesman returned to the 2019 Memorial Cup in Halifax and he was on the line for another three games. 

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Fun fact:

Tarrington's first assignment at the 2018 Memorial Cup was on May 18. His first assignment at the 2019 Memorial Cup was also on May 18. 

It was Sunday, May 26, 2019, and the host Halifax Mooseheads were up against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the final of the national championship. Peter Abbandonato scored the game-winning goal for Rouyn-Noranda early in the third as the Huskies won the championship with a 4-2 win against the Mooseheads in the final.

Wyonzek who was on the lines for the semifinal one year prior was now on the ice when the lights were as bright as they could be as he was assigned to work the championship game, his first in what ended up being his final year as a linesman in the Canadian Hockey League.

"Regina was super cool with it being so close to my hometown," said Wyonzek. "Working that gold medal game in Halifax was extremely special to me. It was a sellout rink and I don't think I will ever forget that game."

Moving south:

During his final two seasons as an official in the WHL, Tarrington was also a linesman in the American Hockey League where he worked out of Winnipeg, the home city of the Manitoba Moose. Living in Canada was the only thing Tarrington knew. That until an opportunity came about that would see him move south of the border to South Carolina to continue his professional officiating days.

So he packed his bags and moved to South Carolina where he would work many Charlotte Checkers (AHL) games and he also lined games in the ECHL in the southeastern part of the United States. 

"It was extremely nerve-racking, I had never lived anywhere besides Canada prior to this," said Wyonzek. "With that said, it gave me a great opportunity to see different states that I would have never seen otherwise. It was also great to get the chance to work professional hockey full-time, just to see the guys battling for jobs and a paycheque every night, it was fun to be a part of that."

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International assignments:

His first chance to line games on the international stage came at the 2019 U-18 World Championships that were played in Sweden. Team Canada lost in the bronze medal game against the United States, 5-2. Sweden ended up winning the gold medal and Tarrington was front and centre as the host country hoisted the title. 

Tarrington joined Riley Bowles as the two linesmen for the gold medal game. He's now 1-for-1 in getting assigned to the gold medal game on the international stage.

"That was a ton of fun. Getting to travel to a different country to work hockey games, it's not something that a lot of people get to do," offered Wyonzek. "I had a really good tournament and I was really pleased with how I performed."

Wyonzek's new goal is working his second gold medal game. His journey to accomplishing that goal will begin either on Christmas Day or shortly after as he has been invited to line games at the World Junior Hockey Championships, as noted above.

Tarrington and the rest of the official group will arrive in Edmonton on December 13 and they will immediately enter the tournament's bubble where they will quarantine in their hotel rooms for a few days ahead of the pre-tournament beginning on December 20.

"I'm super excited for this opportunity to work at the World Juniors," he said. "As a young kid, you always dream of being able to take part in an event like this. It means a lot and I can't wait to get on the ice."

At events like these, all officials are judged on games they officiate. That means the pressure will be on when he laces up his skates as he aims to make it back to a gold medal game, something each official will be striving for. And at the end of the day, he's okay with any pressure he may feel.

"I'm a big believer that if you're not a bit nervous, you're not prepared for the game," ended Wyonzek. "Every little step I take during my officiating days, I believe there is more pressure on me to succeed. With that said, I'm a strong believer that I do extremely well under high-pressure situations."

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is now on a pause until after Christmas.

With Wednesday's announcement by the Saskatchewan Government and Saskatchewan Health, all team sports are suspended until at least December 17.

The SJHL went one step further and they have postponed all games until after December 25.

"Once the SJHL receives direction from Saskatchewan Government and Saskatchewan Health as to when we can commence play, an announcement will be made," said the SJHL in a release. 

Reece Newkirk is a three-year veteran in the Western Hockey League with the Portland Winterhawks. He was drafted 53rd overall by the organization back in 2016 after he put up 53 points in 37 games with the Notre Dame U15 AAA Hounds.

He was set to return to Portland for his fourth season and although he will do that, his arrival has been delayed. The WHL season isn't slated to begin until January 8 and when it does, the Winterhawks will only play their U.S. Division opponents as a part of the league's return-to-play plan.

While he waits to return to the Major Junior team, he is continuing his development with the Melville Millionaires of the SJHL. 

"I'm really enjoying it here, everyone was extremely welcoming from the day I stepped into the dressing room," said Newkirk. "We have a great coaching staff and a great group of guys. I'm happy here."

After recording 65 points in 55 games last season with Portland, Newkirk is off to a tremendous start with his new team. In just six games, he's lit the twine four times and he has 12 points. He's tied with Logan Kurki for the most points in the league while his two points-per-game is also tied with Kurki for the top spot. One of his goals is on the man advantage while he also has one game-winning tally.

"Coming in here, I had expectations to produce at a high level. Whether it's scoring goals or adding assists," said Newkirk. "I just want to help this team win games any way I can. I'm pretty pleased with how things have been going so far."

Winterhawk connection:

Jaydon Dureau has played two full years in the WHL -- both of which have come with Portland -- and he has 99 points in that time. Dureau scored 19 goals last season and he offered up 51 points for a 70 point total. 

The two Saskatchewan-born juniors combined for 135 points in Portland last season and now, they have come together to dominate the SJHL. Playing on the same line, Dureau already has 11 points in six games. The two have combined for 23 points in just six games. 

In Melville's most recent win, Dureau scored two goals and had one assist in a 5-3 win against Yorkton while Newkirk scored once.

"We talked about coming to Melville and we decided it was the best thing to do for us," said Newkirk. "We've played together for four or five years now so we have pretty good chemistry together. He's a great player and a great guy."

Battle at the top:

With a split against Yorkton this past weekend, Melville sits in second place in the Viterra Division. The team's 4-2 record has them in second place, one point behind the Estevan Bruins. Melville has scored 24 goals, Estevan has scored 26, and both teams have given up 19 goals. Yorkton leads the division with 27 goals, but they're in third place.

"I would say we're an extremely hard-working team this year. We're maybe not as deep as other teams, but we work hard, and have a solid mindset," offered Newkirk. "Everyone is feeling pretty good in the dressing room and we're looking forward to moving ahead."

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Winterhawk dominance:

Last year's team was the class of the WHL. They went 45-11-3-4 to not only win the U.S. Division but they were also crowned regular-season champions. In Reece's three years with Portland, the team has gone 129-55-7-12.

Newkirk scored eight times in his first 58 regular-season games with Portland. In his next 123 games, he added up 52 goals, 29 of which were tallied last season. Reece attributes his success to some great coaches including Mike Johnston and the elite players he has played with. The linemates include Joachim Blachim, and Cody Glass, just to name a couple. 

Glass combined for 171 regular-season points over his final two seasons with Portland and he now plays with the Vegas Golden Knights. Blichfield; meanwhile, had 114 points in just 68 games in his final season with Portland. He has played three games for San Jose in the NHL. 

"Playing with those two guys is going to help any player. They pushed me to succeed and they always challenged me to be better," said Newkirk. "I've also had the chance to build confidence over the past couple of years and that's helped as well."

Big day:

The 2019 NHL draft arrived and Reece didn't know what to expect. He was eligible to be drafted; however, he didn't know where or if he would even be selected. He was out with his friends when he heard his parents screaming from inside and it was for good reason.

Reece was drafted by the New York Islanders, 147th overall. The day goes down as one that the Millionaire and Winterhawk will never forget.

"That's a dream come true and it's honestly the best day in my life," ended Newkirk. "Getting drafted is every kid's dream. Now the work begins and I hope to represent the Islander organization in the future."

If he does in the near future, he will be coached by Barry Trotz of Dauphin, and he will play alongside Ryan Pulock of Grandview. 

Team Mike McEwen was set for a big year on the curling ice. Fresh off an appearance at the Brier last year, the foursome had a ton of confidence heading into the new season.

The team includes Reid Carruthers, Derek Samagalski, and Colin Hodgson. This is the team's third year together and in a normal year, they would have hit the ice in about eight events already; however, that is far from the case. They have only played in one event this season because of restrictions put in place because of the novel coronavirus.

So the team's schedule has without a doubt been shortened significantly, but the foursome won't have to look for their first win whenever they can resume competing. Playing in the Ashley Homestore Curling Classic earlier this month in Penticton, British Columbia, the team came together and won seven straight games to win the title.

"To just able to get the guys together and get away, that was a great feeling," said Carruthers who plays third. "We were able to get back doing what we love doing and you really can't put a price on that. I would say our mental mindset going into the event was better than ever."

After an 8-4 loss against Team Laycock, Team McEwen ran the table. Playing against a field that included some of the best teams in Canada, the foursome finished out its round-robin with four straight wins.

A 4-2 quarterfinal win against Laycock was followed up with a 6-4 win in their semifinal against Team Koe. Carruthers and the rest of the crew ultimately beat Glenn Howard, 6-3, in the finals to claim the title in their first event of the season.

"We like Penticton, we know the club well, and we know the ice well," offered Carruthers. "We even have our favourite restaurants. Everything about Penticton we love and it was a great feeling for our group that we were able to win this event."

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Now back in Winnipeg, the waiting game continues. Under 'Code Red' restrictions, all curling clubs in Manitoba are closed which means no Manitoba curling team can hit the ice right now. 

Carruthers notes that their team and every Manitoban rink is at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to some of the best teams in Canada who are still able to play in their own province.

An event this weekend played in Red Deer will feature Kevin Koe and Brendan Bottcher -- two foursomes that are top-tier calibre teams -- alongside Team Jacques who won an event earlier this year on the World Curling Tour.

"We're just hanging tight and hoping we can get going in January, that's all we can do right now," said Carruthers. 

'Code Red' in Manitoba is set to come to an end on December 11 at 11:59:59 p.m. If that does happen, Manitoba rinks will be able to open back up and event preparation will continue. Early in 2021, Team McEwen is going to compete in the Viterra Championships at the Selkirk Recreational Complex from February 2-7.

The event is still scheduled to be played at this point. When it comes to playing and having success at the men's provincial championship, Carruthers knows all about that.

Carruthers skipped his team that won the championship in 2019 and it was Reid's sixth provincial title. That winning team was the same as this year's, but Reid was calling the game. After Mike took over duties of calling the game, the name switched over to Team McEwen.

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The foursome made it to last year's provincial final where they came up just short against Team Gunnlaugson. The foursome did; however, still get to compete in the Brier as Team Wildcard. They went 6-1 in the round-robin before they ultimately came up just short of advancing to the four-team page playoff. 

"We're hoping to get an opportunity to compete in the provincials if it's deemed safe to hold a competition like that safely in Manitoba," ended Carruthers. "We always get excited about this event. I like the momentum that we've built in the last year or so. We had a solid year last year and we're off to a good start this year so we're looking forward to taking that into the provincials."

It has been reported -- that the Brier, the Canadian men's national championship -- will be played in a Calgary bubble in 2021. It was originally scheduled to be played in Kelowna. 

It didn’t take the Brandon Wheat Kings long to find a replacement for Dave Lowry who has joined the Winnipeg Jets as an assistant coach.

Don MacGillivray has been named the 24th Head Coach in the history of the team.

MacGillivray has spent the past four seasons with the Wheat Kings. He has also served behind the bench in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Neepawa Natives, St. James Canadiens, Winnipeg Blues, and Portage Terriers.

The new head coach of the Wheat Kings has also spent time as head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders. In 2008, he was named the Canada West Coach of the Year as a member of the Manitoba Bisons.

During a very successful tenure in the MJHL, Don was named coach of the year on four occasions (1995, 2005, 2012, and 2013), he won a championship with the Terriers in 2005 and with the Blues in 2014 when he was the team’s head coach and general manager.

In a release on wheatkings.com, Don had this to say.

 
“I’m very excited about this opportunity. I’d like to thank the ownership and management of the Brandon Wheat Kings for entrusting me with this position,” said MacGillivray. “I’m honoured, and I’m also grateful for the opportunity that I had working with Dave Lowry last season and David Anning the seasons previous.”

Darren Ritchie had this to say.

“This is a great opportunity for Don. He deserves it as he will do a great job leading our players,” said Ritchie. “He has a wealth of experience in junior hockey. I look forward to working with him and our coaching staff moving forward”.

The new WHL season is set to begin on January 8 with inter-division play. Brandon will be paired with the Winnipeg ICE, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Prince Albert Raiders, Moose Jaw Warriors and the Swift Current Broncos.

Dave Lowry led the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 35 win season last year when the campaign was shut down because of the novel coronavirus. He was back in Brandon, putting together all the organization's plans ahead of Wheat Kings' training camp this year which is slated to begin after Christmas.

While Brandon will still hold training camp late next month, Dave won't be there after an important phone call. It was Paul Maurice -- head coach of the Winnipeg Jets -- who wanted to know if Dave wanted to join his coaching staff. This wasn't the first call between Paul and Dave.

Four years ago when the NHL Draft was being conducted in Buffalo, Paul had asked Dave if he wanted to join the coaching staff. Ultimately, it wasn't the right time as Dave's son, Adam was just breaking into the NHL.

Now a veteran of more than 400 NHL games, all with the Jets, Adam has become an everyday player with Winnipeg and one that can make an impact. So Paul called Dave and once again asked him if he wanted to join the team's coaching staff. 

"I know Paul had asked Adam if he was okay with it and he was," said Lowry. "I told Paul that I needed to talk to Adam because he might have told you one thing and me another. It's plain and simple, if we didn't have Adam's blessing, this wouldn't be an option."

After a chat with his son, Dave has officially been named an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the new season which could begin on January 1.

"As a coach and as a player, you always want to continue to get better and I'm extremely excited for this opportunity," said Lowry. "I look at the staff in place with Paul and his staff, this gives me a chance to go and learn from some outstanding NHL coaches."

The new season will mark the start of Dave's third stint as a coach in the NHL. He was also an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames from 2009 to 2012 and most recently he was with the Los Angeles Kings from 2017 to 2019.

Lowry has always been regarded as a great players coach, one that demands respect from his players and in return, creates great bonds with every person in the dressing room. And now that he moves from the Western Hockey League to the National Hockey League, that will continue to be the case.

"It's all about building relationships with players for me. These players always have to understand that they're going to be coached with the goal of them improving," offered Lowry. "I want these players to know that I care about them."

After a playing career that included more than 1100 NHL games (including playoffs), Dave became an assistant coach with the Calgary Hitmen where he was ultimately promoted to head coach in the 2008-2009 season.

He's coached the WHL all-stars at the Junior Super Series, Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and the Victoria Royals, all of which led to joining the Brandon Wheat Kings last season.

Time as a Wheat King:

Brandon had somewhat of a slow start to last season. Dave says their record wasn't indicative of how they were playing; however, they turned it around right around Christmas. As it has been well documented in the past, the team won 10 straight games from December 30 to January 24.

The team's point streak extended to 11 games when they lost in overtime the next night against Lethbridge.

The Wheat Kings went 6-3-1 in their final 10 games and they were just six points behind the Prince Albert Raiders for the top spot in the East Division. There may have been no team that was hotter during the second half of the season. In Brandon's final 26 games of the season, they went 18-5-3. 

It was, in the end, just a short stop for Lowry in Brandon. That doesn't mean; however, he won't remember his time in the Wheat City for the rest of his days.

From his great relationship with Darren Ritchie to every other relationship he built and all the success the team enjoyed, the new Winnipeg Jet will always have a spot for the Wheat Kings in his heart. 

"Our group collectively took great strides throughout the season," ended Lowry. "I had an incredible time with Brandon and I was extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity. The entire organization is first class. From our players to our coaching staff to our support staff to all of our incredible fans, we had it all."

$100,000 cash or credit towards a John Deere Tractor and many more amazing prizes will be won by some lucky people or groups on December 13.

That's when the draw date is for the Dauphin Kings Tractor Lotto as ticket sales continue to roll in. At this point, the 50/50 is more than $20,000.

"Ticket sales have been pretty brisk," said Christian Laughland, Director of Business Operations. "We're looking forward to these next two and a half weeks as we come down to the wire."

Under 'Code Red' restrictions, the organization isn't able to sell any tickets at businesses. With that said, the easiest and safest way to purchase your tickets has always been online or by phone. So whatever you may be doing right now, all you have to do is head to Tractor Lotto or call 1-877-585-4647.

On top of the grand prize, the following will also be up for grabs.

  • 10 prizes of $1,000;
  • Two prizes up for grabs of $2,500;
  • Two draws for $5,000;
  • One draw for $10,000; and
  • Three additional draws for a 2021 John Deere E110 Lawn Tractor.

Tickets are 1 for $100 or you can get a three-pack for $250. There are also supplementary tickets available. 

If you're asking yourself why should you purchase your tickets, the answer is simple. Not only are the odds to win great, but the Kings are a first-class organization that gives back whenever it can.

"This lottery is a significant one for the organization, it raises roughly $100,000 for the club," ended Laughland. "If we could sell out this year, that would be absolutely massive."