After they upset the Winnipeg Wild in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League final, the Brandon Wheat Kings season is set to continue.
The squad is in Tisdale, Saskatchewan for the Telus Cup Western Regionals that start today.
Up for grabs is a berth to the National Midget AAA Championship later this month in Thunder Bay. The last time Brandon appeared at the Telus Cup was in 2004 which is the year they won their third title at the event.
The team is led by Nolan Ritchie who has been having an incredible season. He had 94 points in the regular season and he tacked on 21 points in the playoffs for a 115 total leading up to this event.
Here is the team's schedule:
Thursday - vs Notre Dame Hounds @ 4:00 p.m.
Friday - vs Thunder Bay Kings @ 4:00 p.m. Thunder Bay has already locked up a berth in the Telus Cup as they will host the event.
The Swan Valley Stampeders have never played in an MJHL final.
That has all changed as the Stamps start the final against the Portage Terriers tomorrow.
Swan Valley earned their berth in the big dance final by beating the Dauphin Kings in four games and defending league Champion, Steinbach Pistons in six games.
The fourth win against Steinbach came at the T.G. Smith Centre after Steinbach stayed alive with a game five win in Swan River.
“That’s a tough building to play in but we had success in the series at that rink for whatever reason,” said Barry Wolff, Head Coach, and GM. “The guys battled really hard and definitely deserved the series win.”
Portage is a team that has been in this position so many times. Since 1972-73, they have won 10 League Championships.
Seven of the league titles have come since the 2007-08 season and they won three straight MJHL titles from 2014 to 2017.
Portage made quick work of their first two opponents by sweeping Waywayseecappo and Virden.
Swan Valley vs Portage, it’s the series most thought would happen and it’s a series that a lot of people wanted to happen and it all starts on Friday night at Stride Place.
Although Portage finished higher than Swan Valley in the regular season standings with six more points, it was the Stamps who got the best of the Terriers. Swan Valley went 4-2 against them in the regular season. Two of the wins were shutouts and one came in overtime.
“I think we like the matchup against Portage,” said Wolff. “We won four games against them but I think any of the games could have gone either way with a bounce here or there. It’s going to be an exciting series.”
After going 25-5 on home ice in the regular season, the Stamps have faltered a bit in the playoffs. They are 3-2 at the Centennial Arena and both losses came against Steinbach in their semi-final battle.
That doesn’t mean Swan Valley didn’t play well in those games, they managed 103 shots in the two losses. They just couldn’t get the puck past Matthew Radomsky.
“We can see a lot of our guys are playing nervous. There are a lot more distractions on home ice compared to on the road,” he added. “Sometimes it’s just better to get away.”
So is starting on the road in Portage a good thing for Swan Valley? They are 5-0 on the road in the playoffs.
“I think so, especially if we can steal game one,” said Wolff. “Coming back on Sunday, we really need to control our emotions and just play how we know we can.”
Let’s take a deeper look into the season series. These numbers are all head to head.
Swan Valley Stampeders:
Vs Portage Terriers (4-2) when scoring first (2-0) gave up the first goal (2-2)
PP – 4/25 – 16% PK – 34/39 – 87%
Leading Scorers:
Matthew Osadick – 5G, 3A Campbell Balk – 2G, 5A
Bradly Goethals – 1G, 4A Josh Tripp – 2G, 2A
Home Record:
3-0
Road Record:
1-2
Facts:
A key to success for Swan Valley is scoring first. Not only were they perfect against Portage when doing so in the regular season, but when they scored first against Steinbach in the semi-finals, they won all four games.
Merek Pipes shutout Portage twice and had a .945 save percentage against them.
Bradly Goethals leads all playoff scorers with 15 points. The team has nine different skaters with at least nine points. That includes Swan River’s, Josh Tripp.
Portage Terriers:
Vs Swan Valley (2-3-1) when scoring first (2-2) gave up the first goal (0-1-1)
PP – 5/39 – 12% PK – 25/29 – 86%
Leading Scorers:
Owen Murray – 2G, 5A Joey Moffat – 4G, 3A
Kolton Shindle – 2G, 3A Scott Mickoski – 3A
Home Record:
2-1
Away Record:
0-2-1
Facts:
Ethan Peterson was solid against Swan Valley in the regular season with a .930 save percentage.
He’s also been superb in the playoffs with a 7-0 record. His save percentage is .938 and he has a 1.55 goals against average.
Former NCAA Division 1 player, Chase Brakel leads Portage with 12 points in the playoffs while Scott Mickoski has 10.
Nine of Portage’s top 15 scorers in the playoffs are from Manitoba. Four of them are from Portage led by Jared Roy who has seven points.
Game One Facts:
Portage last played on March 28 while Swan Valley finished off Steinbach earlier this week on April 1.
Swan Valley is 1-1 in game one’s this playoff while Portage is 2-0.
It’s the best team in the league against the second best in the league. Both teams can score and both can lock down defensively.
Will Swan Valley win their first title in franchise history or will Portage win their 11th Championship since 1972-73.
The series kicks off tomorrow night at Stride Place at 7:30.
Russell's Tyson Zimmer was back in Manitoba this past weekend for Hockey Manitoba's Program of Excellence Combine.
The event welcomed the top 116 U16 players from across the province to show off their stuff and try to improve their draft stock ahead of the Western Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League drafts later this summer.
The 14-year-old was the only player from the Parkland that suited up on the Gold team.
"I think it went pretty good. The combine was solid and it was fun to play with a bunch of new guys, it was a new experience but one that I enjoyed," added Zimmer. "There are so many great players in our province and our team had to come together and it was a really fun experience to be a part of."
Tyson spent this winter and is now back in BC at the Okanagan Hockey Academy. One year after putting up 69 points with the Parkland Rangers last season, Tyson just kept it going this season. He put up 52 points (22G) in just 26 games and he added a pair of points in three playoff games.
By his own admission, Zimmer has a ton to learn still and he's already absorbed a ton through his first year of Academy hockey.
"I think the biggest thing I've learned is that my work ethic has to be through the roof every single shift," added Zimmer. "My offensive game is pretty good but I really need to work on my 200-foot game. That's what's needed to move on to higher levels."
"This was a pretty big developing year for me," he added. "I think I'm capable of improving my draft stock and I think I've done that throughout the course of the year."
The WHL draft goes on May 2 in Red Deer, Alberta. The Winnipeg ICE will be the first team to pick on that day. The MJHL draft goes on June 2 in Winnipeg. Wherever he ends up, Tyson knows what needs to be done going forward to make it to the next level.
"It doesn't really matter where I get drafted, I know how hard I have to work to make it," added Zimmer. "I'm working hard to be the best player I can and the draft is just the next step for me."
"It's an exciting time right now and I know the draft will be super fun to see what team wants me," he added.
Tyson led his team in scoring this year and he was 13th in league scoring.
Ochre River’s, Emma Jensen and her foursome are at 3-1 after day two action at the U18 Canadian Curling Championships.
Jensen, Kaitlyn Szewczyk, Zoey Terrick, Jaycee Terrick, and Gracey Gulak opened up their day with a 6-3 win against Alberta who was undefeated at the time.
They broke open the game by scoring four in the sixth.
The foursome went up 2-1 on New Brunswick in their next game after two ends, but that didn’t hold up.
New Brunswick would catch fire to beat the Manitoban squad, 6-3.
Manitoba is still atop Pool B.
They play just one game tomorrow night at 7:00 against Newfoundland & Labrador. They are 1-3.
If you're looking to play softball this summer, Grandview is the place to be.
The Grandview Minor Baseball Association is looking for girls at the U12 and U14 age groups for the upcoming season.
"We know that other teams are full and we want to get more girls involved in playing the game and we want to grow the sport of baseball," said Jill Wiebe, Recreation Director.
The cost for the U12 age group is $85 and practices are in Grandview on Tuesday and Thursdays starting at 6:45 p.m. The U14 age group takes place at the same time.
If you want to sign up to play softball this season you can give Dave Minshull a call at 648-7909. You can also call Jill at 572-4072.
If you're just looking to get in some swings and stay sharp this summer, Grandview also has you covered. The Brock Pulock Memorial batting cage will open later this month.
"Any teams from the Parkland can come out to get some practice in," added Wiebe.
Tucker Scantlebury has been well travelled during his junior hockey career. The now 20-year-old started his career by playing one game with Neepawa before he was shipped off to Melville. That's where he played 52 games before being traded at the start of last year to the Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL.
Tucker played 76 regular season games as a Bobcat before he was traded once again, but this time, it was for good.
Scantlebury was picked up by the Swan Valley Stampeders back on January 4, just six days before the CJHL Trade Deadline. Tucker came on to a team that was near the top of the standings then and now they're in the MJHL final that starts this weekend.
"We've been waiting for this and we're super excited," said Scantlebury. "There's one more step though."
"We're dialed in here and we're not getting too high and we're not getting ahead of ourselves," he added. "We're just going to take it game by game here and we're geared up to get the job done."
When Tucker played three playoff games with Lloydminster last season he put up just one point. The veteran has gone off during the Stamps' playoff run. He's played in 10 games and already has nine points (7G). He also scored the game-winning goal against the Steinbach Pistons which sent Swan Valley to the league final. Prior to the playoffs, Tucker put up 15 points in 20 games.
"A big thing for me is it's always so exciting coming down to the rink, it's such a great atmosphere," said Scantlebury. "There's honestly nothing like coming to the rink and being excited about it. We're just trying to stay even keel but just to get this opportunity, there really is nothing like it."
So what makes this year's Swan Valley Stampeders so special? It could be that seven players had at least 40 points in the regular season. It could be that nine players have at least nine points in the playoffs which include Tucker's nine. But, it's more than that; it's more than all of the points which has led the Stamps' to their first league final in 20 years.
"You can go to anyone on any given day and have a great chat with them. It's a brotherhood here," said Scantlebury. "I've never been a part of something that's so exciting. Everyone is on the same page and it's hard to come by that."
Three other teams have led Scantlebury to Swan River. Now, he and the Stamps' are just four wins away from hoisting the franchise's first MJHL title.
The all-Parkland team had a very good day at the U18 Women’s Canadian Curling Championships today.
Ochre River’s Emma Jensen, McCreary’s Jaycee Terrick, Zoey Terrick, and Kaitlyn Szewczyk, and Gilbert Plains Gracey Gulak, went 2-0 to open up their competition.
In their first game the team scored two points in the final end to beat BC, 6-5.
After giving up one in the first end in their second game, the Jensen-led foursome caught fire. They scored seven straight points to beat Northwest Territories, 7-1.
Big players come up big when needed and that's exactly what Swan River's, Josh Tripp has done with the Swan Valley Stampeders. Tripp and the Stamps' booked their ticket to the MJHL final last night when they beat Steinbach, 5-3 on the road.
Not only is it Swan Valley's first league final in franchise history but it's the 20-year-old's first final in his junior career.
"It was just so exciting. It came down to the wire, we knew Steinbach wasn't going to give up and they pushed it right to the last buzzer," said Tripp earlier today. "It's such an amazing feeling that we're going to the finals and I can't wait for the weekend."
"I've wanted to play with this team for as long as I can remember and making the league finals has been a dream of mine forever," he added. "It's huge that we've made it this year."
Before last night, Josh had nine playoff points, all of which were goals. The former Parkland Ranger added two assists yesterday as he enters the league final with 11 points in 10 games. The 11 points are fifth among playoff scorers.
Josh also has two game-winning goals. The 20-year-old is just five points shy of the 100 point mark overall this season after he put up 84 points in the regular season.
"I was hoping I could help out and put up some numbers," said Tripp. "I knew I wasn't going to put up as much as I did in the regular season because it's a totally different game. I'm pretty happy with what I've provided the team with offensively."
The one final MJHL test for the Stamps' is the Portage Terriers. Portage has yet to lose a playoff game as they swept both the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and Virden Oil Capitals. Swan Valley did hold their own in the regular season against Portage.
After dropping the first of six meetings, 6-3, the Stamps' got on fire. They won four straight games against Portage. They did drop their final meeting of the regular season on February 22, 5-3.
"We're confident. We've played them well this season and they have played us hard as well," said Tripp. "I'm sure it will be a really good series. We know we can play with any team in this league so it's just about playing our best game and hopefully, we can come out on top."
"There will be some nerves but I think it's more excitement honestly," he added.
Game one is slated for Friday at Stride Place in Portage. The remainder of the series has not been set, but it is likely that game two will return to the Swan River Centennial Arena this weekend. The last time the Stamps' played on home ice was on Saturday when a capacity crowd packed the arena to cheer on the team. More sellouts are expected going forward.
"The fans are absolutely amazing, I get goosebumps thinking about it sometimes," said Tripp. "Every time we score or make a big play it's so loud in the rink. I'm sure all the fans are just as excited for the game as we are. The excitement around town is unreal and I hope it continues to grow."
Stay tuned to hear from more Stampeders throughout the week.
The Dauphin Kings will hold their Spring Camp this weekend at Credit Union Place. Ahead of that, the organization has committed two players moving forward.
The first is Matthew Boonstra (2001). He's no stranger to the Kings organization as he suited up in two playoff games and he also scored his first career MJHL goal against Swan Valley. Before playing for Dauphin, Boonstra suited up for the Eastman Selects Midgets for the past few seasons.
He put up 63 points in 46 regular season games this past season. He also added four more points in four playoff games.
"It feels good to commit to the Kings. Playing for the team in the playoffs gave me a good opportunity to see what the organization was about," said Boonstra. "I really enjoyed it. I'm really looking forward to spending the next few years in Dauphin with the team."
"He can play up front and on the back end so he's a very versatile player," said Doug Hedley, Head Coach & GM. "He has outstanding speed and has a very good skill set. We'll put him up front on the left side next season. He has to get better but he has a natural skill set right now."
The second player to commit is Matthias Smith. He played in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (Jr.B) last year with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings and he was an AP player for the BCHL's Powell River Kings.
The 17-year-old had a 4.91 goals against average and a .887 save percentage.
"We've had two or three scouts looking at him and they all feel that he's very capable of being of a backup goalie at the Jr. A level," said Hedley. "He seems like a great kid and he really wants to get better. The coaches that we've talked to believe he has a ton of potential."
Dauphin's Spring Camp kicks off on Friday afternoon.
Dauphin’s Marley Quesnel joined the Assiniboine Community College Cougar’s women’s hockey team for their second season in the American College Hockey Association Division Two conference.
What a rookie season it turned out to be for Marley as she helped back stop her team to a National Championship gold medal. They took down the top division two teams from the United States en route to claiming the sports top prize.
The Championship game came against Minot State where Marley and the rest of the Cougars won, 1-0.
“This is pretty cool. I don’t think there is a better feeling,” said Quesnel who was travelling back to Brandon. “I don’t even know if words can describe it. It’s just an amazing feeling.”
“We had one goal at the beginning of the year and that was winning nationals,” she added. “So we went into the tournament with that goal in mind and we made it happen.”
The National Championship capped off what was a wonderful season for the team. They went 18-6-1 in conference play and ended their conference schedule with two straight wins and went 7-3 in their final 10 games before the nationals.
The 1-0 win gave Marley her second shutout of the tournament. She turned away 14 shots in what was a very defensive hockey game in which ACC had just 18 shots.
“Having a shutout makes it that much better,” said Quesnel. “I definitely couldn’t do it without my teammates, though. They help me out so much by blocking shots and keeping their shooters to the outside.
Being a first-year player, this was Marley’s first National Championship. The Dauphin rookie had no problems with any pressure that came her way.
“Nobody really knows what to expect going into the tournament,” said Quesnel. “We just went in and played our game.”
“There was quite a bit of pressure on me but I do my best to not really think about it,” she added.
The star rookie won’t be the young gun she was this season with the Cougars next year, but one thing she does know is she’s ready to do whatever it takes to win again.
“We’re definitely going to be pushing to win it again next season,” said Quesnel. “We need to keep working harder and we want to have the same feeling next year.”
For the first time in franchise history, the Swan Valley Stampeders will play for a league title.
The team advanced to the MJHL final with a 5-3 win against Steinbach earlier today. The win gave the Stamps a 4-2 series win.
Bradly Goethals opened up the scoring just 31 seconds into the game as he continued with his stellar season. Swan River’s own, Josh Tripp had the lone assist, his first of the playoffs.
At the 7:04 mark, Matthew Osadick gave the Stamps a 2-0 lead. Bradly Goethals and Quintin Sudom earned the power play assists.
Riley Vautour brought Steinbach within one as he beat Merek Pipes.
Tucker Scantlebury took over from that point. He scored at the 15:29 mark with John Jebamani and Kasyn Kruse notching the helpers.
Tucker made it 4-1 just less than three minutes later. He scored his seventh of the playoffs with Alexander Uryga and Kasyn Kruse getting the assists.
The Stamps held that 4-1 lead after 20.
Tanner Mole would score once for Steinbach in the second and Kyle Bettens would bring his team within one, but that was it.
Dane Hirst scored an empty netter just as the final buzzer went.
The Stampeders locked it down defensively from that point and they’re off to the league final.
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