The Swan Valley Stampeders officially wrapped up their season by handing out some awards.
Playoff MVP: Swan River's Carter Cockburn
Cockburn had five goals in just three games as the Stampeders had a 2-1 lead on Waywayseecappo. Foucherhad a sparkling .954 save percentage and a 1.35 G.A.A in three games.
Regular season MVP: Josh Maucieri and Mikael Foucher
Were the co-winners of this award. Foucher went 24-13-2 this season with a .917 save percentage and a 2.80 G.A.A. Maucieri, meanwhile, was second in team scoring with 55 points (16G).
Jay Sullivan Memorial: Jamie Valentino
He chalked up two goals and eight assists this season. This is what Barry Wolff had to say on Valentino.
"Being the youngest player on the team, juggling hockey and school every day, Valentino’s perseverance and dedication were second to none," said Wolff. "We cannot wait to see what the future holds."
Coaches Award: Swan River's Lane Kirk
He was 13th in team scoring with two goals and 20 assists.
Barry Wolff added that he was a leader out on the ice and dressing room. His desire to win was exactly what we needed.
Heart Trophy: Leyson Coleman
Brother Cordell played for the Dauphin Kings) Leyson was 10th in scoring with 11 goals and 13 assists.
"Coleman’s dedication to the team was unbelievable. He was a leader both on and off the ice," said Barry Wolff. "He was the first to community events. He was our leader and made an impact in whatever environment he was in."
Fan Favourite: Tommy Cardinal
Tommy added up 22 goals and 30 assists in 60 games with Swan Valley this year.
"Tommy is a hard-working player, that on many nights, lead the team in hits, some very big hits, huge goals, and has a likable personality," said Wolff. "There is no better choice for this year's Fan Favourite."
Hardest Worker: Austen McIvor
In his rookie season, McIvor from Winnipeg scored once and added three assists.
"McIvor is another young man who brings his lunch bucket and work boots every day," continued Wolff he is such a great competitor and workhorse."
Unsung Hero: Nathan Carl
Was a regular on the stat sheet as he compiled 23 goals and 23 assists.
"He came to work every night, playing up and down the lineup," continued Wolff. "He played in all situations, doing a lot of things that helped the team win, many times going unnoticed."
Top Defenceman: Lane Kirk and John Jebamani
Kirk also won the Coaches Award. He had two goals and 20 assists. John Jebamani notched five goals and 26 assists.
"Kirk and Jebamani both were steady all season, and solid at both ends of the ice," said Wolff on the duo. "Especially on the defensive part of the game where they played big minutes and were a huge part of our success."
Most Improved: Carter Cockburn and Jackson Betcher
The Swan River native also won the Playoff MVP award alongside Mikael Foucher. After a 12-point campaign last year, Cockburn had 23 this year. In the playoffs, he already had five goals in three games.
Betcher, meanwhile, had 21 points this season. Last year, he had just five.
"These two local players wear the Stampeder jersey with so much pride," said Wolff. They both had a great seasons and we know there are more good things to come from these two young men."
Top Scorer and Rookie of the Year: Luke Beerman
He led the team this season with 57 points in the regular season. In the playoffs, he added another two goals and one assist in three games.
For eight years, Kaitlin Smith took the figure skating scene by storm in her hometown of Roblin, Manitoba. Smith not only skated locally, but she travelled across the province to take part in events.
Now in school in Winnipeg, the Roblin native has changed her focus and she's now a judge and she has another accolade to add to her resume. Every year, Skate Manitoba gives away the Ian Carmichael Award to someone who is pursuing their post-secondary education while also furthering themselves in the skating world in either coaching or officiating. This year's winner of the Ian Carmichael Award is none other than Smith. It's the first time that the 22-year-old from Roblin has won the award.
"I was surprised that I won because there is a lot of deserving people in our sport," said Smith. "I was really excited that I won and I feel really honoured to have been chosen for this."
Smith now judges events across the province in the Stars age category. She's not settling on winning this one award, she plans on continuing judging moving forward while balancing her busy class load.
"The award makes me feel that my efforts are being recognized and they're appreciated," she continued. "I won't stop judging, it's what I love to do, I love watching so many excellent young skaters that are trying to become the next big figure skater."
Smith is hoping; however, to move up and she's not far from doing that. She's already completed her trial judging to officiate all the way up to novice which is the age category that Dauphin's, Breken Brezden is currently skating in. She just has to take part in a clinic that was already supposed to happen, but it was postponed because of COVID-19. Smith has been waiting to move up for years so she's very excited for her chance to do so.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time, I've been pushing for them to get a clinic going so I can make it happen," concluded Smith. "I'm looking forward to getting back in the skating community in a greater capacity."
When it comes to her studies, Kaitlin is currently studying to become a teacher one day.
The baseball season was expected to be right around the corner. However, due to the growing concern of COVID-19, the sports world is currently at a standstill and no one is really sure when the season could begin and that's certainly affecting the Dauphin Minor Baseball Association.
As a result, they have extended their registration deadline until Friday, April 10. You can register online and all late fees have been waived until April 10.
"We are really hoping that we do get some sort of season this year," said Jodie Romanow, President. "We are under the direction of Baseball Manitoba and we've been told just to hang out. This may not look like our regular season, but we do encourage people to go online and register."
The fees for this season are as follows:
Rally Cap: 2013/14/15 - $75.
U9: 2011/12 - $95.
U11: 2009/10 - $170.
U13: 2007/08 - $180.
U15: 2005-06 - $190.
U18: 2002/03/04 - $180.
"Depending on what type of a season we get, we'll definitely be pro-rating and giving refunds," continued Romanow. "If it's not a full season, we'll be deciding on giving refunds to everyone who registers."
Romanow continued to say that they're going to try their best to give ballplayers in the area as much of a season as possible; however, safety is first and that's their main priority.
After two solid seasons with the Parkland Rangers program, Tyler Jubenvill began his junior hockey career with the Winkler Flyers in the 2015-2016 season where that success continued. In 134 total games with Winkler, Tyler added up 72 points (19G).
Growing up in Gilbert Plains, Tyler always had the dream of playing college hockey with the best of the best. After a solid season with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the United States Hockey League, Jubenvill achieved that dream, one that he thought about for so many years.
He began his college career with the Bemidji State University Division 1 men's hockey team last season. Now, Tyler has completed his second full season of college hockey. He played in 27 games this year after 28 last year.
"It was a good season, we were one of the top teams in our conference and the entire nation as well," said Jubenvill. "It was a pretty good year, but it sucked how it ended with COVID-19. Of course, safety is the most important thing, but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed."
A member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the team compiled a 22-10-5 overall record, good for second in the conference. Nationwide, the team finished the season as the 11th best among Division 1 hockey teams. They finished the season with five straight weeks of being inside the top 15.
The team went 20-5-3-2 against WCHA competition. In their quarterfinal series, they beat Lake Superior State University to advance before the season was cut short because of the outbreak.
"It was a lot of fun being on such a good team, everyone was best friends in the dressing room," continued Jubenvill. "It was a ton of fun going to the rink every day and of course; it helps when you're winning consistently."
With the off-season now here, Jubenvill will prepare for next season. Next year's roster should be another contender as the team has only lost three seniors. With a solid freshmen class set to join the team, Jubenvill is excited for more of the same, winning hockey games.
"I think we're all feeling pretty good. I think with the ending this year, everyone is pretty motivated going into next year with the thought process of finishing things off," he concluded.
The Brandon Wheat Kings picked two players in the first-ever WHL U.S. Prospects Draft that took place on Wednesday, March 25.
Both players came from Shattuck St.Mary’s in Minnesota. Prior to the suspension of their season, the team was dominating their competition as they were 40-11-7 with the U14 team.
Their last game of the season was a 6-2 win against Providence.
Brandon’s first pick was in round #1, 17th overall. With that selection, the Wheat Kings selected Zach Nehring. From Minot, North Dakota, Nehring played in 46 of the team’s games and he scored 20 goals and added 26 assists.
Brandon’s next selection was in round #2, 28th overall. With this selection, Brandon picked up Ty Henricks who averaged well more than a point-per-game.
In 55 games with Shattuck-St. Mary’s, the 14-year-old scored 37 goals and he added 31 assists.
Henricks was able to add up 31 more points compared to last season. Playing with this same team, Ty scored 16 goals and he had 21 assists for a 37 point total.
Any players that weren’t picked in the U.S. Prospects Draft remain eligible for the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and they can be listed by a WHL club at any time after that.
One of the worst things that can happen to an elite athlete is an injury. Especially one that's rather serious and forces a player to miss several months of action right in the thick of his junior hockey career. That's exactly what happened to Roblin's Jakob Brook. He was injured last summer when he was trying to make Team Canada, the team that would compete at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
So in August, the Roblin native had surgery on his right knee. After months of rehab and hard work, Brook would make his return to the Prince Albert Raiders lineup, a team he won the Western Hockey League title with the season before. The speedster ended up playing 38 games with Prince Albert where he added up nine points (3G).
It seemed that all was good and Jakob was on his way to a career-season. However, that wasn't the case because his body wasn't holding up its end of the bargain. Brook's left knee was giving him troubles and on a Thursday in early January, Jakob had surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
In the midst of all of this, Brook was traded to the Regina Pats. On January 9, he was the centre piece in a deal that saw Regina also nab two prospects. After his surgery, Brook packed up his bags and called Regina his home and that's where his rehab continued.
"It was definitely a different season for me and I hope I never have to go through this kind of thing again," said Brook. "I came into camp with Prince Albert injured and that delayed the start of the season and then I missed more action because of my second surgery, it was pretty unfortunate. With that said, there was nothing I could do about it, I needed to get the surgeries done so I dealt with it."
Going back to Prince Albert in that trade was Max Paddock, an all-star goalie who played every single game of his junior career with Regina prior to the trade. Paddock grew up playing his hockey in Brandon and he was fantastic in 19 games with Prince Albert. He had a 1.35 G.A.A and a .935 save percentage.
So in the end, Brook played 122 games with Prince Albert and he won a league title in the process and played in his first Memorial Cup. The trade led Brook to the Pats, a team that was in the middle of a complete rebuild.
Regina went 21-34-6-2 this season, but the future is certainly bright for a team with many young stars including Brook and he can't wait to get next season going.
"That trade kind of came out of nowhere that morning, but when I heard it was Regina, I was really excited," continued Brook. "I knew I would get more of an opportunity with the Pats and I'm pretty excited about it."
"I didn't spend a ton of time in Regina; however, the time I spent was awesome, it's a great organization," he added.
So more than a month after Brook was acquired by Regina, he was set to make his Pats debut. The team welcomed the Saskatoon Blades to town on Friday, February 21, and Brook was in the lineup. He ended up playing eight games with Regina to end the season and he chalked up one goal.
"It felt good to get in the lineup, it took a few games to get my feet wet but as the games went on, I felt better every single time I hit the ice," he added.
Not only does Jakob shine out on the ice, but he does in the classroom as well. The Roblin native had an incredible 95.2% average during the 2019-2020 academic year. Thanks to that, he was named the Regina Pats Scholastic Player of the Year and now he's the team's nominee for the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year. Last year, Jakob was named the WHL's Eastern Conference Scholastic Player of the Year so now he's trying to make that happen in back-to-back years.
"That felt great. I pride myself on my work ethic in the classroom and I want to always have good marks" he continued. "I've always been pretty good in school and my parents have always supported me. I'm really happy and it's an honour."
Brook also notes that he's 100 percent healthy after the two surgeries and months of rehab. And with the off-season now here, Brook is ready to make it big next season with Regina, a place that he grew to love during his short time with the organization.
"I'm definitely looking for a career year, I wasn't too satisfied the past two years when it came to production," he concluded. "I'm starting to feel more comfortable in this league and now it's about having a great summer and making something special happen next season."
The Western Hockey League announced earlier this week the cancellation of the WHL Playoffs and the Memorial Cup as well. That event was set to be played in Kelowna from May 22-31, 2020. Being the hosts, the Kelowna Rockets would have played in that event regardless of how they did in the playoffs. That means Mark Liwiski would have been playing on the biggest stage in Major Junior Hockey at the end of May. However, that's not the case anymore.
The Rockets did also qualify for the playoffs with a record of 29-28-3-3, good for 64 points and the top wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Liwiski helped the Rockets finish their campaign with a 5-2-2-1 record in their last 10 games. In the end, it's not to be and it's still a tough pill to swallow for the Dauphinite.
"It's pretty tough news honestly. I think our team could have made a huge push in the playoffs, it's pretty tough right now," said Liwiski. "Especially being the hosts of the Memorial Cup and not getting that chance this season, it's just unfortunate but there's nothing we can do, safety is first. I just have to stay busy and make sure I'm ready for next season at this point."
Prior to the suspension and eventual cancellation of the season, Mark was enjoying a career-year in his second season with the Rockets after he started his career by playing 10 games with Everett. He scored eight goals and added 11 assists for a 19 point total in 55 games. Last year in 60 games, Liwiski had 17 points. He was also a +3 this year which is much improved from last season's -12.
Mark also had one shorthanded goal as he continues to round out his game.
"I'm pretty happy with what I did this year. I was playing in a shutdown role and I had some more opportunities in the second half of the season," continued Liwiski. "I probably could have put up more points throughout the year, but I'm pretty pleased with the season overall."
After recording two more points this year compared to last, Mark is preparing to bust things right open next season. His goal is to double his point production from this year which would put him at least with 38 points over the course of the 2020-2021 regular season.
"100 percent. I think I can have a record-setting season next year, I'm looking forward to showing what I can do," continued Liwiski. "I'll be playing in a bigger role with some new linemates, things should be good."
This year was one of ups and downs for Kelowna and it showed in their final standing. The team also added up 64 points last season which wasn't enough to earn a playoff spot. The 64 this year was enough; however, it's the fewest points they have registered since the 2009-2010 season when they had 76. They also had 118 in the 2013-2014 season for a bit of a comparison.
When it comes to moving into next year, not only is Mark getting ready for a big year but so is the team.
"I think we're going to be one of the top teams in the division and I think we can even win the B.C. Division," continued Liwiski. "We struggled with consistency this season. We would win six in a row and then we would lose six in a row, it's just about finding middle ground and I think we'll be able to do that next season because our roster will be very strong."
So yes, Mark is back home much earlier than he thought and hoped he would be. But being from Dauphin, he's back to see his family and friends every day and that's certainly not a bad thing for the 18-year-old.
"Yeah, it's good being back home, sure it's earlier but it's a good feeling," concluded Liwiski. "I missed my friends and family so it's nice to be back. It's also nice to get some downtime."
There were 189 games left on the schedule and 3.5 weeks left in the NHL's regular-season before Gary Bettman announced the league was being suspended due to the growing concern of COVID-19. The suspension came one day after the NBA suspended play when Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
It's been nearly two weeks since we last watched an NHL game. The last time the New York Islanders played was on March 10, 15 days ago. Grandview's Ryan Pulock played more than 26:00 minutes in that game in a 5-4 shootout loss against the Vancouver Canucks. The Isles' entered the stoppage in play with a record of 35-23-10.
Pulock is now back in Manitoba in self-isolation.
"Everyone had the feeling that it was going to take one guy in the sports world to get it and that would shut everything down," said Pulock. "And that's what happened. When Gobert tested positive in the NBA, we knew it was just a matter of time until we shut down."
Being back home gives Pulock a chance to digest the season it was so far. The former Parkland Ranger and Brandon Wheat King was well on his way to a career season. He registered 35 points (10G) in 68 games. His previous high in points was last year when he added up 37 points (9G). So he's already scored more goals than last year and he's played in 14 fewer games. You could also call the Grandview native Mr. Durable. He played in all 82 games last season with the team and he hasn't missed a single game this season.
"Every year I kind of want to produce a little bit more and help the team," added Pulock. "I was clearly on pace to achieve that this season so that's a nice thing. It's something I can use moving forward whether the season continues this year or moving forward into next year."
From October 12 until November 23, the team earned at least a single point in 17 straight games. However, wins have been hard to come by recently for Pulock and the rest of the team. They lost seven straight games leading up to the league-wide suspension. Four of which came in extra time which earned the team a point, but the team has now dropped out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, albeit by just one point.
"We got some good bounces during that time when we were winning games and we were just playing a solid game," he continued. "During this skid, there have been some key injuries and we just haven't gotten things going. Good teams find ways to get out of these kinds of slumps. We expected to do that because there was a lot of hockey left before the stoppage."
"Our division has been so strong this season, there are so many teams that have solid lineups and can win on any night and put streaks together," he continued.
When it comes to their division, the Islanders are in sixth. They're behind Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Columbus. However, they're only 10 points back of the Capitals for the top spot in the Metro. The Rangers are one point back of the Isles' while New Jersey is well back.
So the season has produced a massive winning streak and also a rather lengthy losing streak. All of that is in the past and no one is sure what the future is set to bring. With more than 15,000 cases of the novel coronavirus in New York alone, it's a scary time. Add the growing concern now in Canada and across the United States, there has been no estimation on when the season can resume.
"I'm honestly not trying to think about the game that much right now, I'm just trying to relax and refresh a bit here," continued Pulock. "With that said, I'm pretty fortunate that my neighbour here at the lake has an outdoor skating rink so I've been on the ice a bit and I'm staying in shape."
Ryan has also shared a video message and you can check that out right here.
This past season brought a wonderful opportunity for Conner Roulette. After a great single season with the Winnipeg Thrashers of the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League, Conner put his sights on accomplishing something bigger this season and that was making the jump to Western Hockey League, full-time.
Roulette was drafted in the second round, 34th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft. Roulette made an immediate impact at training camp and he cracked this year's roster as a 16-year-old. It ended up being a season of great individual successes for Conner and it also included some team success, enough so to earn the team a spot in the WHL Playoffs. However, his dream of making his playoff debut in the WHL came to a close yesterday. Commissioner Ron Robison announced the cancellation of the playoffs due to the growing concern of COVID-19.
Roulette is now back in Winnipeg as the off-season has arrived.
"It's obviously tough when the season comes to an end, but everyone is focused on staying healthy," said Roulette. "It's all about staying safe and healthy right now, that's the most important thing. It sucks, but I'm just trying to keep my mind off things right now and focus on moving forward."
Starting his first full WHL season, it sure didn't take Roulette long to record his first-ever regular-season point. During the third game of the season against Kamloops, Roulette lit the twine against the Blazers once. In all, Roulette added up 19 goals and 20 assists this season for a 39 point total.
Michal Teply of the Winnipeg ICE led the Western Hockey League in rookie scoring with his 63 points. Including Teply, only seven other players had more points as a rookie than Roulette. Conner was also 102nd in league-wide scoring this season.
"My success this season is something I can use moving forward into future years. I really trained hard and worked hard for this," said Roulette. "I didn't want to think too high or think too low."
The expectations on Conner have been high for a few years now as he continues to grow into the player he has become. Playing with the Winnipeg Hawks Bantam AAA team in the 2017-18 season, Roulette had 101 points (52G) in just 34 regular-season games. Moving forward to the playoffs, he scored 10 times and added 13 assists in eight games. With the Thrashers last year, Conner was named to the league's First All-Star Team and he was named the Rookie of the Year. The 16-year-old had things to prove moving into his first WHL season and he sure did achieve some of the goals that he set out for himself.
"I mean it was a pretty big transition from AAA to the WHL, so I kind of didn't know how it would go," he continued. "With that said, I just built confidence as the season went on and I think I did a pretty good job at the end of the day, I'm pretty proud of it."
Teddy Bear Man:
Against the Everett Silvertips on January 11, it was the Thunderbirds annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Cole Fonstad potted his ninth goal of the season to give Everett a 1-0 lead late in the first. That set the stage for Roulette to show what he could do. With 55 seconds left in the period while on a man advantage, Roulette tickled the twine with his 14th goal of the season to tie the game at one and thousands of bears flooded the ice.
Conner also had one assist in the game as his team beat Everett, 4-3. He was also named the game's first star.
"It was funny earlier in the day, the whole team was joking around about who would score the goal," continued Roulette. "All the adrenaline and excitement that ran through me, it was incredible, what a feeling. Just to see everyone happy and taking pictures, that's what it's all about. It was awesome to score that goal and I'll look to do it again next year."
In fact, Conner became so confident that he even said that he was going into games expecting to score, something that some 16-year-olds may have trouble saying confidently. Thanks to all his success, he has now been recognized back in his home province of Manitoba.
Roulette, a member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation, has been named the Manitoba Aboriginal Male Athlete of the Year. He was presented with the award by the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council.
"It's truly an honour. To be recognized like that, it makes me feel really proud of who I am," said Roulette. "It makes me feel like so many people are supporting me and that's such a special feeling. I feel great and I have to say thank you to everyone who has supported me, this means everything."
Not only did Conner make the full-time jump to the WHL this season, but he also made his debut with Team Canada. He played on Canada Red at the World U17 Hockey Challenge. He played in four games and he notched two goals.
The North American Indigenous Games are set to take over Halifax this July in an event that will welcome the best indigenous athletes from across North America, all of which will compete in a variety of sports.
One of the sports is basketball and there will be a 16U female age group and that's where you'll find Dauphin's Mya Kubrakovich. The Dauphin Clipper has cracked the roster ahead of the big event later this summer.
"It feels pretty good to know that all of my hard work has paid off," said Kubrakovich. "To represent Dauphin means a lot and I'm really proud of myself."
"I've worked really hard towards this," he added.
12 players in all have made the team and Mya isn't the only Dauphinite on the roster. She's joined by Madeline Amyotte who she played with on the Clippers junior varsity girls team that enjoyed a lot of success this past season. The event will be from July 12-18.
"It's going to be really exciting for me. I just have to play as I know I can and I think good things can happen," continued Kubrakovich. "I'm also really excited to play with Madeline, she's a really great girl. She's one of my best friends and she's also really good at basketball, it'll be great for us to be able to play together again."
Mya and Madeline were a driving force to the Clippers success this season. They helped the team win multiple tournaments and advance to the provincial championships. In the provincials, they won their first game before the season was cancelled due to the growing concern of COVID-19.
"We gave it all we had this season, it was pretty unfortunate that the provincials were cancelled," she concluded. "We had a good year and I'm looking forward to next season and I know the returnees are as well."
Mya will suit up for the junior varsity Clippers once again next season.
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Starting his first full WHL season, it sure didn't take Roulette long to record his first-ever regular-season point. During the third game of the season against Kamloops, Roulette lit the twine against the Blazers once. In all, Roulette added up 19 goals and 20 assists this season for a 39 point total. 
