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The New York Islanders are back in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Backed by one assist from Ryan Pulock, the Islanders picked up a 5-3 win.

New York now trails the series 2-1. 

Game four goes on Sunday.

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The Western Hockey League has announced that the 2020-2021 season will begin on Friday, December 4. The novel coronavirus has caused the delay of more than two full months.

In Manitoba, the Brandon Wheat Kings have yet to set a day when training camp will begin. When they do; however, a young man from Russell has his eyes set on making the team as a 16-year-old. All summer long, Tyson Zimmer has been putting in the work in the gym as he aims to make the WHL Club that drafted him sixth overall. 

The delay is bound to change things around the league, but it hasn't changed the way Zimmer is preparing. If anything, having the ability to put in some more work is a driving force as he attempts to make the Wheat Kings, a team that he grew up watching. Zimmer grew up and still lives just two hours away from Westoba Place, the home of one of the most storied franchises in Canadian Hockey League history.

"This delay just gives me a lot more time to get bigger and stronger," said Zimmer. "I've been in my backyard shooting like at least five pails of pucks a day on top of going to the gym. I'm doing everything I can now so that I'll have my best chance possible to make the team when camp opens."

Zimmer says mentally that he's feeling at the top of his game. 

"I'm working towards something here and I feel pretty great about what I'm doing," he added.

The offensive side of the game has never been a problem for the young man from Russell. Playing with his home region AAA team, the Parkland U15 Rangers in the 2017-2018 season, Zimmer scored 36 goals and added 33 assists for a 69 point total in just 34 games. Zimmer finished fifth in league scoring that season with Conner Roulette leading the way with his 101 points. Roulette now plays with the Seattle Thunderbirds and he had a great rookie season.

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Tyson would then relocate in time for the next season as he joined the Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep team. In his first season with them, he added 54 points. So add up two competitive U15 seasons and the 16-year-old draft pick had 123 points. That season was his final in the U15 ranks as he moved up to the U18 level where he joined the Academy Red Prep team and once again, the small-town Russell native produced offensively with 41 points, 17 of which were goals.

He knows and has confidence that he can score, but to be a successful player at the next level, play in your own defensive zone is just as if not more important than the work in the offensive zone. Zimmer says the play of Sidney Crosby and Nathan McKinnon is fuelling him offensively and of course, defensively as well.

"I've been watching a ton of their videos to learn where I should be in certain situations," offered Zimmer. "I know I'm not going to be excellent in the defensive zone right away, but it's something that I'm really focusing on."

Zimmer had the opportunity last fall to take part in his first main camp with the Wheat Kings and that included a preseason game against the Winnipeg ICE. He spent a ton of time with Luka Burzan, Ridly Greig, and Caiden Daley, just to name a few. The three mentioned are all WHL veterans and have done special things in the past. Now that Zimmer has been through a Wheat Kings camp in the past, he's looking forward to taking what he learned into this year.

"Those guys were really good to me, they welcomed me as if I was on the team. It really was an incredible experience and was super beneficial," ended Zimmer. "I'm looking forward to giving it my all at camp and we'll see where the chips fall."

Wheat Tips:

In other Wheat Kings news, Jared Jacobson will officially take over as Owner and Governor of the Club on September 15. He takes over from Kelly McCrimmon who was in the position for more than two decades. Jared will join Darnell Duff early next week. 

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In less than a month, the Swan Valley Stampeders will hit the ice in game action for the first time. Just like every other team in the league, the Stampeders begin the 2020-2021 season on Friday, October 9 as they'll be up against the OCN Blizzard. 

That evening's game will be the first of four straight against the Blizzard with two coming at the Swan River Centennial Arena while two will be played at the Gordon Lathlin. 40 games in all is what the league has come up with for the upcoming season with games almost exclusively on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's. Swan Valley plays just two games that aren't on weekends. 

40 games is 20 down from the normal total of 60 in a full season, but the number of games being played isn't an issue in the valley.

"Whether we play 40, 60, or 30, we're just excited that we're getting the opportunity to get going," said Barry Wolff, head coach, and general manager. "We certainly can't wait to get started, there will be a bit of a different feel, but we'll be ready."

Another change this year is teams have been split into three divisions of four. The Interior Division includes Neepawa, Portage, Virden, and Winkler. Playing in the Southeast Division is Selkirk, Steinbach, the Blues, and the MJHL's newest team, the Winnipeg Freeze. 

The Stampeders will play in the Northwest Division alongside the Dauphin Kings, OCN Blizzard, and Waywayseecappo Wolverines. The Stamps' will play their divisional opponents eight times throughout the season while they will tangle with non-divisional opponents two times each. In a normal year, each team plays each team six times apiece.

"I mean it's only expanded two games against those three teams, it's not really a big deal I don't think," continued Wolff. "I think the biggest thing is you're playing one divisional opponent four times in a row, it's almost like a playoff series. The games are going to be exciting, everyone will be playing with grit and determination and that's what hockey is about."

The Club held its prospects camp a couple of weeks ago and preparation continues for main camp which is slated to begin next Friday with 34 players looking to crack the roster ahead of October 9. Three of the Stampeders top five scorers from last season aren't eligible to return as they've graduated while they traded away their fifth top scorer.

However, Luke Beerman who led the team with 18 goals and 39 assists last season is eligible to return this season. Mikael Foucher who was an all-star goaltender last year will also return for his final junior season. 

Wolff has also added some strong talent this off-season which includes the acquisition of Haydn Delorme as the team looks to stay near the top of the standings, something they've been used to over the past couple of years.

"We had a really good prospects camp, it was an opportunity to get our young kids in," ended Wolff. "We're now really excited to get main camp going. We'll keep some of the young guys from prospects camp; we'll get the older guys here and get down to business."

Swan Valley's complete schedule for the season can be seen here.

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The 2020-2021 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season will officially begin on Friday, October 9 and the Dauphin Kings will be in action that evening as they kick-off a 40 game schedule against the Waywaseecappo Wolverines and the game will be the first of four straight against the Wolverines.

One of the biggest changes from previous years as noted above is each team will only play 40 games beginning on October 9 with the regular season running through mid-March.

"I think it's going to be interesting. We've been discussing as a league maybe going down to 54 or 56 games in the past to make it more conducive to player development," said Doug Hedley, head coach, and general manager of the Kings. "All of our games are played on weekends so it's almost like a college schedule. Players will have a chance to spend some more time in the gym and get in development time."

The Kings will be aligned in a division with Waywayseecappo, Swan Valley, and the OCN Blizzard. Dauphin will play each of those teams eight times in the regular season. Dauphin plays OCN eight times prior to the Christmas break which begins on December 19 after the Kings welcome the Winkler Flyers to town.

Four of the team's games against Waywayseecappo come between opening day and October 17. Dauphin will also play Swan Valley four times prior to Christmas.

"Waywayseecappo has done a great job with their program, Taylor Harnett is doing great things and their team will certainly be competitive," added Hedley. "We're just excited to get going here. We normally play each team six times per season. I wouldn't say playing one team eight teams is ideal, but we're not living in a perfect world right now, this is the only way that we're playing right now."

Last week the league announced that a 12th team will be in play this season and they will be called the Winnipeg Freeze. However, fans in Dauphin won't get the chance to see them as the Kings will play them twice, both of which being in Winnipeg.

 

Dauphin's push to the regular season began this past weekend when Aidan Brook scored the game-winner in the intrasquad game at prospects camp. Dauphin will hold their main camp from September 18-20 at Credit Union Place. Many of Dauphin's all-stars from last season are set to return including Grady Hobbs, Austin Lamotte, and Cole DeKoninck, just to name a few. With just more than a week until camp, the excitement continues to build for the organization.

"We had a really strong prospects camp and we know that we can only bring a certain amount of those to main camp because of the restrictions," offered Hedley on only having the ability to have 34 players at camp. "Every player on the ice should have an opportunity to play and you really don't see that often. It should be a very competitive camp."

Here is the Kings complete 2020-2021 schedule, both home and away games. Of course, stay tuned for a broadcast schedule which will be released in the coming days.

Friday, October 9 vs Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Saturday, October 10 @ Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Friday, October 16 @ Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Saturday, October 17 vs Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Friday, October 23 @ OCN Blizzard

Saturday, October 24 vs OCN Blizzard

Friday, October 30 @ OCN Blizzard

Saturday, October 31 vs OCN Blizzard

Friday, November 6 @ Portage Terriers

Saturday, November 7 vs Portage Terriers

Friday, November 20 @ Swan Valley Stampeders

Saturday, November 21 vs Swan Valley Stampeders

Friday, November 27 @ Swan Valley Stampeders

Saturday, November 28 vs Swan Valley Stampeders

Friday, December 4 @ OCN Blizzard

Saturday, December 5 vs OCN Blizzard

Friday, December 11 @ OCN Blizzard

Sunday, December 13 vs OCN Blizzard (Tractor Lotto Sunday) 4:00 p.m.

Friday, December 18 @ Winkler Flyers

Saturday, December 19 vs Winkler Flyers

Friday, January 1 @ Winnipeg Freeze (New Team)

Saturday, January 2 @ Winnipeg Freeze (New Team)

Friday, January 8 vs Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Saturday, January 9 @ Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Friday, January 15 @ Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Saturday, January 16 vs Waywayseecappo Wolverines

Friday, January 22 vs Swan Valley Stampeders

Saturday, January 23 @ Swan Valley Stampeders

Saturday, January 30 @ Virden Oil Capitals

Sunday, January 31 vs Virden Oil Capitals

Friday, February 12 vs Swan Valley Stampeders

Saturday, February 13 @ Swan Valley Stampeders

Friday, February 19 vs Neepawa Natives

Saturday, February 20 @ Neepawa Natives

Friday, February 26 vs Steinbach Pistons

Sunday, February 28 @ Steinbach Pistons

Friday, March 5 @ Winnipeg Blues

Saturday, March 6 vs Winnipeg Blues

Friday, March 12 vs Selkirk Steelers

Saturday, March 13 vs Selkirk Steelers

Exhibition schedule:

Monday, September 21 vs Swan Valley Stampeders - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 3 vs Neepawa Natives - 7:30 p.m. 

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The Manitoba Junior Hockey League's newest team has officially announced its name.

The Kings will play them in Winnipeg on January 2 and 3.

 

Josh Green has been named head coach and general manager. He was with the WHL's Winnipeg ICE last season.

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It's going to take place later than normal, but the Home Hardware Classic in support of the Gary Brandon Bursary Fund is a go at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club.

The event will be played from September 25-27 and this year is the 12th annual event. Last year, $4000 was donated to the Dauphin & District Community Foundation.

It costs just $250 per team which gives each twosome four games guaranteed beginning on Friday with a stroke-play qualifying round. Matches will take centre stage beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday with another shotgun start followed by another shotgun start at 2:00 p.m.

All teams will advance to Sunday regardless of your record and it'll be a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start.

Including in your entry fee will be appetizers, steak night, and lunch. 

"One of the best things about this tournament is the value, it's such a wonderful value with everything you're getting at a cheap price," said Ray Karlson. "It's also always great to play with a friend and our Calcutta on Friday night is always really big, it's an enjoyable time."

40 teams are being accepted and there are already more than 20 and all matches will be 18 holes.

If you're only interested in playing 9 holes but you still want to take part, this could be an option this year. Tournament organizers are looking for eight teams that are just interested in playing 9 holes and each team would still be guaranteed four rounds. 

"We understand that playing four 18 hole rounds over the course of a few days is too much for some people, so we're opening this up for those who still want to take part," ended Karlson. 

All cash prizes will be handed out on Sunday afternoon. You can register your team now by calling 204-638-9400. 

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For as long as he can remember, Steven Stashko has always wanted to become a professional wrestler. Anyone that knows the 26-year-old knows that it's a passion for him and has been for many years, even though he hadn't had the opportunity to get in a ring... until this past weekend when he did just that.

Now living in Winnipeg, Stashko calls his true home Mossey River and the last year for him really has been a dream come true. Last May, he got in touch with Canadian Wrestling Elite, a company that travels across the country giving fans what they want; live wrestling action, and the list of stops has included Dauphin on many different occasions.

The "Canadian Crusher" AJ Sanchez got back in touch with Steven and let him know when training would begin. Then for the next more than a year, Stashko would train alongside other rookies, all who were learning from Sanchez who has won every prestigious title there is in the CWE ranks.

To start, the training would take place in a promoter's backyard before CWE opened up its own training facility. The group would train for about three or four hours, four to five times a week.

"If it was super-hot outside, we were doing our thing, there was a lot of hard work that went into this for everyone involved," said Stashko. "Learning from Sanchez was incredible. He's one of the best wrestlers on the independent scene not only in Canada but around the world and so many of his peers say that. He's such an incredible mind and he shared so much."

About three weeks ago, more than 16 months after Steven began his training with the "Canadian Crusher", he found out that he was going to make his CWE debut. 

"I put my everything into this and to find out I was going to get this chance, that meant everything to me," added Stashko. 

119038135 2490404221261374 2792608675056612823 nStashko who goes by Bryce Bentley in the ring, hit the ring in the ninth match of the evening as he was put up against the "Fabulous Creebird" Kevy Chevy. Chevy who has won titles in the past demanded the match was contested under No Disqualifications as a means to test the will of the youngster.

"The feeling of coming through the curtain, seeing my friends and family in the crowd, I knew this is where I belong," offered Stashko. "I felt comfortable even though it was my debut. I felt like this was what I am meant to do."

In a match that Bentley will never forget, he learned first-hand what can happen in a No Disqualification match as Chevy slammed Bryce through a table. Chevy would end getting the victory but even though he came up short, Bryce was happy with how things went and he feels that he learned a ton from this first match, one that was years in the making.

"It was a wild match, there were a ton of different spots that you don't really expect to be in, especially in your first match. It was an unreal experience and my friends and family really enjoyed themselves," said Stashko. "I was pretty beat up after the match, but that's okay, it truly was amazing and that experience will help me moving forward."

Canadian Wrestling Elite now has an upcoming tour that gets underway next month and a stop in Dauphin is scheduled for Sunday, October 18. It hasn't been confirmed as to whether or not that event will take place; however, if it does, Bentley could get the opportunity to wrestle right close to home for the first time.

"That would be pretty incredible if it worked out like that. I would love to show people what I can do, I've worked so hard towards this," ended Stashko. 

Whether he wrestles on October 18 or not in Dauphin, the native of Mossey River will continue to train every day as he looks to make some noise on the independent wrestling scene. 

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It's referred every year as the "mini Tamarack Tournament" and it's played at another one of Manitoba's premiere golf destinations. The Rosebowl Tournament is played at the Neepawa Golf & Country Club and the 58th annual event is officially in the books and it was the Parkland's weekend.

Taylor Fletcher has played in the event for five years now with his best performance being when he won the second-flight in his first appearance at the annual event that welcomes some of the province's best players in a match play format tournament. 

It's been a busy summer for the McCreary native as he always prepares heavily for this event which always takes place on the Labour Day Long Weekend.

"I'd say I was striking the ball pretty well, my putting was struggling but I practiced a ton heading into the tournament and I figured things out," said Fletcher. 

Playing as a scratch at his home town course in McCreary, Taylor played to a three for the Rosebowl. Opening the event in the championship bracket, Taylor hammered his first opponent, 6up, as he advanced to the semi-finals. The semi-final match was one of the best of the weekend as a playoff hole was needed and the McCreary native got it done as he won on the 19th hole and now he was just one win away from winning his first-ever Rosebowl title.

Fletcher was on his A-game in the final as he cruised to a 3&2 win as he won the championship flight with three straight victories against some very elite competition.

"It felt really good. I wasn't really thinking about winning it going in, I just wanted to play some solid steady golf," offered Fletcher. "There were some tough conditions, so it feels really good that I was able to win my first championship, it was a few years in the making."

This title was Taylor's only as a single this summer; however, he has teamed up with another McCreary native and the duo has put together quite the summer. Derek Benson joined Taylor to play in the Desert Hills Classic in Carberry. It's a two-day event with the first being a modified better-ball. The team took the best drive and played their own ball the rest of the way as they fired a 7-under to take the clubhouse lead heading into round two. On the second day, the event switched to a scramble and the duo from McCreary posted a 3-under for a 10-under total which was just enough to finish in first place.

Derek and Taylor would then play in a two-man scramble put on by the Ebb & Flow First Nation at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club. In a one-day scramble, Derek and Taylor went pin hunting and ended up shooting 9-under, which was two strokes behind the eventual champions. 

The golf season is slowly coming to a close in the Parkland and across Manitoba, but it's offered up two championships and one second-place finish for Fletcher and for Benson, one championship and one second-place finish.

"We usually partner up every year in some kind of a tournament, we've been to a lot over the years," ended Fletcher. "We've also won the Gary Brandon in the past, so we find a way to get it done together and we're both from McCreary so it's great to represent this wonderful small town."

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The Brandon Wheat Kings now have a new Owner and Governor.

Longtime Owner and Governor Kelly McCrimmon announced that the Western Hockey League Club has been sold to the J&G Group of Companies. The transfer of ownership was unanimously approved by the WHL Board of Governors last week. The storied franchise will now change hands on September 15.

McCrimmon is currently the General Manager of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. In 1992, Kelly became the minority owner of the Wheat Kings when he purchased one-third of the franchise. 2001 is when he became the sole owner of the franchise as he bought the remaining shares from Bob Cornell.

In 1995-96, he won his first championship as a WHL General Manager and his second championship with the Wheat Kings.

“This was an extremely difficult decision for our family. The Wheat Kings have been our life. From playing here for two years and then operating the team for 31 years, 28 of which were as the owner,” said McCrimmon. “There have been so many incredible moments. Our family loves Brandon and we love Manitoba.”

Ron Robison is the Commissioner of the WHL and he had this to say on what McCrimmon meant not only to the Wheat Kings but the entire league.

“Kelly has been synonymous with the Brandon Wheat Kings for as long as most WHL fans can remember,” offered Robison. “During his long tenure as General Manager and Owner, Kelly not only built the Wheat Kings into a model franchise but also played an integral role in developing the WHL into the world-class league it is today."

As a part of the sale, Jared Jacobson is the newest owner in the WHL. Jacobson is the President and CEO of the J&G Group and he was born and raised in Brandon. The J&G Group has expanded to 32 companies and the company has been a partner and supporter of the Wheat Kings and WHL for many years.

“This is a very exciting day for myself, my family, and business partners,” said Jacobson. “Our ownership group is looking forward to adding new energy and new ideas to one of the most storied franchises in the Canadian Hockey League. We are committed to providing the fans with not only a great on-ice product, but the best fan experience possible.”

Jared went on to thank Kelly for this opportunity. He says the Wheat Kings mean everything to Brandon, so many Manitobans, and of course, fans across Western Canada.

Kelly will remain with the Club as Alternate Governor.

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It's an exciting time for many as the Parkland U18 Rangers will hit the ice in game action on Friday, October 16. Late last week, the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League announced its Phase 2 of the Return-to-Play plan which highlights the changes that will be in effect for the 2020-2021 season.

A couple of changes include the number of games played. A modified 36-game schedule will be used for each team and teams will be split into divisions. The West Division will include the Rangers who will be joined by the Yellowhead Chiefs, Brandon Wheat Kings, and Southwest Cougars.

The Central Division includes the Central Plains Capitals, Pembina Valley Hawks, Interlake Lightning, and the Eastman Selects. The East Division includes the Winnipeg Bruins, Winnipeg Thrashers, Winnipeg Wild, and Kenora Thistles. The Norman Northstars aren't in a specific division. 

Rick Freese who will coach alongside Tyler Carefoot had this to say on the news.

"We're really looking forward to our main camp later this month, this is great news," said Freese. "I know a ton of players are chomping at the bit and Tyler and I are as well. We're just happy that we're going to play a season, even though the schedule is a little bit smaller than normal."  

Playing 36 games cuts off a quarter of the team's normal schedule as all member Clubs would play 48 games in a normal season. 26 games were needed to make the playoffs last season in a 48 game season. With 36 games ahead, a number lower than that could be expected but regardless of the number of wins it takes, Freese knows how important it will be to get off to a solid start.

"We know the importance of it and I know we're ready to rock and roll here," continued Freese. "Some of these kids have shown their commitment at our conditioning camps that we've been running and that's a positive moving forward."

Ahead of their training camp, the Rangers were very well represented this past weekend as the Dauphin Kings held the Prospects Camp. The first two days consisted of drills and scrimmages which were followed by an intrasquad game on Sunday which was decided when Aidan Brook scored the game-winning goal with just 48 seconds left on the clock. 

In that game, Brayden Dube, Carter Zalischuk, Kyan Grouette, and Jayden Jubenvill all scored goals and the four will all be at Rangers camp later this month. Keaton Ziprick was great in net making 20 saves while Rylan Gibbs and Madden Murray picked up the assists. It's safe to say that many Rangers made great impacts over the weekend and that's what many are expecting to happen throughout the season.

"We had some guys that looked really good and it showed that they worked extremely hard this summer and we're always taking note of that," ended Freese. 

The one final hurdle the league needs to get over for the season to begin on October 16 is approval from Hockey Manitoba. 

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Austin Dobrescu has been a force in the Manitoba amateur golf scene over the past two years. He won back-to-back match play championships with last year being at Quarry Oaks and he defended his title earlier this summer at the St. Charles Country Club.

Next year; however, there will be a new match play champion as the Brandonite has officially turned professional, a decision that was made just about a week ago.

"It feels pretty good to know that I'm a professional golfer right now, I knew the time was coming," said Dobrescu. "There isn't much to play in the winter anyway, so I just thought it was the best time to get it done so I did."

Then shortly after turning pro, Dobrescu made his debut in the Canada Life Series which is hosted by the Mackenzie Tour. The Mackenzie Tour is under the PGA Tour umbrella and it's two stages below the PGA Tour with the next step being the Korn Ferry Tour.

Due to the novel coronavirus, the Mackenzie Tour cancelled its summer season. However, a Canada Life Series was created which is a four-event stop, two of which were played in British Columbia while the final two events are played in Toronto.

The points leader at the end of the four events earns a spot in the RBC Canadian Open next summer and full status next season on the Mackenzie Tour. The third event was played at TPC Toronto: Heathlands Course and Austin is now 1-for-1 when it comes to making cuts as a professional.

After opening the tournament with a 2-under, 69, Dobrescu shot a 71 on day two as he made the cut by five strokes. A final round of 3-over, 74, finished him at 1-over for the tournament and that put him in a tie for 29th. The event was won by Albert Pistorius who ended at 8-under.

"I definitely played solid. The conditions were pretty tricky with a lot of into the wind shots and crosswinds," added Dobrescu. "I wasn't very familiar with the course. I played a lot better during the first two days, but I still played pretty well on the third day, I just didn't get any breaks."

Austin now has hopes of playing in this week's event, but he's currently on the waiting list as the first alternate. He was the 7th alternate last week and he ended up getting a spot so he's very confident that he will get the chance to tee it up this week. 

After this week, Austin will turn his sights on Q-School as he'll look to earn status on the Mackenzie Tour next summer. Dobrescu will choose a site and look to make the number that is required to earn status. With one successful cut under his belt, the Brandonite knows he has what it takes to compete at the next level.

"If I sharpen a few things up, I'll be very competitive out here," ended Dobrescu. "I just have to keep grinding and working on my game and I feel like I'll earn some type of status next summer."

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Dauphin Kings 2021-2022 Broadcast Schedule

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