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It was an outstanding weekend for the Roblin Stars Minor Hockey Association.
The U-13 Stars hosted their tournament and came out as champions. They captured a banner to raise to the rafters with a dominating 11-3 win over Tri-Valley in the final. It was a coast-to-coast victory for the Stars who also pounded Thompson by scoring 20 goals and 19 goals in a victory against St. James.
Thompson went on to win the B-side final over Selkirk.
The U-9 Foxon team earned themselves a banner with a great weekend as they captured the title at the Grand Plains tournament.
They beat Dauphin 14-7 and then downed Russell in a tight affair, 7-5. They then beat Russell in an overtime thriller, 10-9. In the final, they beat Swan River, 9-8. The team showed a great ability to battle adversity and found a way to get the job done.
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Several local curling stars are heading to the provincial championships.
Team Todoruk (Greg Todoruk, Darcy Todoruk, Rob Fisher, and Terron Stykalo)
Competing at a Viterra Championships qualifier over the weekend, Team Todoruk played the role of comeback boys to start the event.
They stole a single point in the eighth, ninth and 10th ends to secure a thrilling 6-5 win over Team Anderson. In their next game, the Parkland foursome scored four in the second end and never looked back in beating Team Gregory, 13-6.
The 2025 Viterra Championships will be held at Stride Place from February 4-9, 2025.
Team Forrester (Hayden Forrester, Reece Hamm, Cyrus Brandt, Lawson Yates)
Dauphin's Yates and his foursome needed a win in their final game and that's what they did.
Playing lead on Team Forrester, the team scored a single in the 10th to beat Team Siwicki, 6-5.
The team won three of their four games and is now Portage-bound for the big dance.
Team Dundas (Cassidy Dundas, Lauren Evason, Eryn Czirfusz, and Tessa Terrick)
Team Dundas stole a single point each in the seventh and eighth ends followed by a steal of two in the ninth to beat Team Terrick, 6-3.
Tessa, who plays on Team Dundas, got the best of her sisters Zoey and Jaycee.
Dundas, Tessa and the rest of her team are off to Pilot Mound for the Rocky Mountain Equipment women's provincial championships from January 21-26, 2025.
Team McFarlane (Hailey McFarlane, Janelle Lach, Stacy Sime, Hallie McCannell)
Stacy, of Dauphin, joined Team McFarlane and they were perfect over the weekend.
They scored 27 points in three games and solidified their provincial berth with a decisive 9-5 win over Team Calvert.
Team McFarlane, featuring Stacy Sime of Dauphin, will join Team Dundas in Pilot Mound.
Good luck to those from the Parkland and around the province at the provincial championships.
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Fans may be surprised the Dauphin Kings have dropped in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Top 20 rankings.
Spending last week as the 11th-ranked team in Canada, Dauphin has dropped to 13th this week. Dauphin opened last week with a solid road win over the Northern Manitoba Blizzard and they followed that up with a 5-2 win over the Steinbach Pistons.
Steinbach was ranked sixth last week and they couldn't handle what the Kings had to offer. Cole Sheffield made 34 saves in the game as Dauphin won their fifth straight contest to jump eight points ahead of the Blizzard for first place in the West Division. Dauphin also has two games in hand on the Blizzard and will play them twice before the Christmas break.
The Kings have points in 14 of their last 16 games and are tied with Steinbach for first place in the league. Steinbach also dropped in the weekly rankings, however, they're still eighth.
The Winkler Flyers, who were honourable mentions last week, are ranked 20th this week.
The 'Sheff' Is Cooking:
After two marvellous performances, Cole Sheffield was named one of the MJHL's Stars of the Week.
The 20-year-old from London, who leads the league with 16 wins, sparkled in two performances against the Blizzard and Steinbach. In a 4-2 win against Norman, Sheffield turned away 33 shots. He then made 34 saves in a 5-2 win against Steinbach.
Cole is near the top of the league in every major statistical category and his 1377 minutes played are far more than anyone else. Jase Wareham (1133) has played the second-most. Wareham and the Wolverines come to Dauphin on Tuesday.
Sheffield is 16-5-1 this season with a .925 save percentage to go along with a 2.31 goals-against average.
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A nine-round shootout was needed to decide a champion as the Dauphin Minor Hockey Association hosted its Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy U15A tournament over the weekend.
In the wild back-and-forth game, it was the Swan Valley Stampeders that prevailed as they beat the Yorkton Terriers, 3-2. It was a game that had fans on the edge of their seats.
In the bronze medal game, the Dauphin Kings easily got past Souris, 4-1. The consolation final saw Brandon beating St. Boniface, 4-1.
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For the first time in league play, the Dauphin Clippers have lost two straight games this season.
After losing 2-0 against Killarney on Friday, the Clippers held a 2-1 lead but fell 4-2 against the Vincent Massey Vikings. Layne Wolfenden and Ronin Mouck had Dauphin's two goals as they led after 40 minutes.
Vincent Massey scored twice to take the lead and sealed the game into an empty net late. Dauphin's game on Sunday was postponed because of poor weather conditions so their next game will be on Wednesday at 1:45 when they host Roblin at Credit Union Place.
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The Dauphin Kings stayed red hot and won their 20th game of the season on Saturday night.
The Kings opened up a 3-1 lead and never looked back as they cruised to a 5-2 win over the Steinbach Pistons. Dauphin played an outstanding defensive game and Cole Sheffield was brilliant when he needed to be.
Gavin Nemis led the way for Dauphin as he scored twice in the win, as the Kings moved to 20-6-1 on the season and are currently tied with the Pistons for first overall.
Cole Sheffield made 34 saves while Declan Hoad, Ethan Stewart, and Matthew Thomas also scored for Dauphin.
The Kings welcome Waywayseecappo on Tuesday.
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The Parkland U-18 Rangers gave up eight goals in the final 13 minutes of the first period as their skid continued on Saturday.
Playing one of the top teams in the league in Manitoba's capital, it was the Bruins that locked up an 8-2 win over Parkland. They went 3-for-4 on the power play while the Rangers were 1-for-2. Shea Rollason, a Kings prospect, scored twice for Winnipeg in the win.
Brayden Budolowski scored both of Parkland's goals in the loss. The Rangers are now 12-12 on the season which has them in eighth place, three points ahead of the Thrashers for the final playoff spot in the league.
They're off to Shoal Lake on Tuesday and host Pembina Valley on Friday.
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Five players from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) have been selected to represent Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge which begins next week in Camrose, Alberta.
The five include Dru Mushumanski of Rossburn. Dru, who is in his first full season with the Wolverines after starting his junior career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Regina Pats, has five goals and 13 points in 19 games this season in Waywayseecappo.
Dru was identified as a player of interest after scoring twice in one game at the Western All-Star Showcase against Team Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) on November 5. Mushumanski has an outstanding shot and a knack for finding open ice and creating offence.
Marlen Edwards (Northern Manitoba), Jackson Kostiuk (Steinbach), Reece Gault (Steinbach), and Avery Laliberte (Niverville) were also named to the 22-man roster. Four teams will compete in the tournament, Canada West, Canada East, Sweden, and the United States.
Each team plays a three-game preliminary round over the first four days of the tournament to decide seeding for the semifinals on December 14 while the bronze and gold medal games are set for December 15.
Eric Labrosse of the Blizzard will serve as an Assistant Coach for Team West while Justin Giesbrecht of the Niverville Nighthawks will serve as the team's physiotherapist. Dru and his team play their first game on Monday against Sweden at the Encana Arena in Camrose.
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The Dauphin Kings completed a blockbuster trade on Wednesday.
They sent 20-year-old Ashton Paul to the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in exchange for Rylan Ringor and a player development fee. Paul had a slow start to the season this year with seven goals and six assists. He was unable to find the form that he had last year when he joined Dauphin. He had 32 points in 25 games with the Kings in the regular season last year.
Paul will join a Mustangs team that is on top of the SJHL. The defending SJHL champions have an eight-point gap over Battlefords for first place in the league. They also possess Will Munro and Bo Eisner of Swan River.
Doug Hedley commented on the departure.
"When a player loses confidence like Ashton did, it's a struggle mentally," said Hedley. "He wanted to get closer to home. The original request was for him to join the Blizzard and that's what we were attempting to do. They weren't interested in giving up an adequate replacement in the top six. He said he wanted to try Melfort and that was done."
In nine games with the Mustangs this year, Rylan scored twice and added six assists. He started this year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with the Devon Xtreme. In each of the past three seasons, Ringor recorded at least 30 points with the Winnipeg Freeze, Lloydminster Bobcats, and Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
Rylan is from Winnipeg and is expected to join the Kings in the coming days.
"We believe he will help us. He has a high hockey IQ, moves the puck well and could fit in our top six here," ended Hedley. "He's a good player for us and I wish Ashton Paul all the best, hopefully, things work out in Melfort for him."
The Kings return to the ice on Saturday when the Steinbach Pistons come to town. It will be a battle between the top two teams in the league. Steinbach is on top with a record of 20-4-1 while Dauphin is in second with 19 wins in 26 games.
It's also Hockey Card night and the puck drops at 7:30.
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Naaman Hofer took a shot from the left point and Josh Schmidt was the hero.
The 19-year-old from Ontario got a stick on Hofer’s shot and re-directed it past Alex Reedy with just more than three minutes left in the third period and Rylan Gage scored into an empty net as Dauphin earned a 4-2 victory and two big points against their West Division rival Northern Manitoba Blizzard.
It was Josh’s team-leading third game-winning goal of the season.
“It felt great getting some revenge on the team that eliminated us last year,” said Schmidt. “We found a way to get the job done in a hostile arena; it was a big win for our group.”
These two teams met in one of the longest playoff series in Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) history last spring. The series went the distance with several dramatic finishes. Josh was the hero in game two as Dauphin outlasted the Blizzard in a 5-4 overtime victory. Game four needed double overtime; Cayden Glover was the hero in game six in one of the longest games in CJHL history as five overtimes were needed and in game seven, three overtimes were needed to decide the winner.
Riley See of the Blizzard scored the winner in game seven as the Kings season came to a heartbreaking end at the Roy H Johnston Arena.
Despite the series' defeat, it will always go down as something to remember for Josh.
“That was just a crazy series, it was so fun to be a part of,” said Schmidt. “It was unfortunate that we lost, but we left everything on the ice. I was proud of how the group battled, I will never forget that series.”
So it’s safe to say that Tuesday’s victory meant a lot personally to Josh.
“We came up short last year and now that we got over them, even though it was just a regular season game, it still feels great,” offered Schmidt.
Schmidt and the Kings will play the Blizzard two more times before Christmas, the first of which comes next Wednesday, December 11 and their final game before the Christmas break is on December 17 in The Pas.
Schmidt’s junior career opened in his home province with the Stouffville Spirit of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) where he played 46 games before playing 10 playoff games with the Uxbridge Bruins of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Josh landed in Dauphin last year, played 45 games and is now 23 games into his second season with the Kings and he loves every moment.
“It feels great to be back in Dauphin. I love the team, our coaches and the entire staff,” said Schmidt. “It’s a very easy place to play hockey, we are treated great. I love my linemates; we’re sort of on the same wavelength.”
Schmidt has been playing alongside Sheldon Shyiak and Rylan Gage since last November. The tremendous trio have formed not only on the ice but as Schmidt says, off the ice as well.
“It’s a lifetime bond, we spend every moment at practice together and more time off the ice as well,” said Schmidt. “We have a dynamic bond, I love those guys, they’re incredible people and great hockey players.”
The Kings sit on top of the West Division with wins in 19 of their first 26 games. Paired with their win against the Blizzard on Tuesday, the Kings are now eight points ahead of them for first place in the West. They’re also in second place overall, just two points back of Steinbach. The Kings have scored 97 goals while giving up 60 and the team’s power play of 24.8% is second-best in the league while their 85.4% on the penalty kill is also second.
“All the guys know that we have a special group, we believe we can go all the way,” continued Schmidt. “Everyone is locked in and ready to compete. All the intensity makes the game more enjoyable for everyone.”
Josh is already enjoying a career year. After posting nine points last year in 38 games, Schmidt has four goals and 10 points this year. As mentioned above, he leads the team in game-winning goals with three and was the hero on Tuesday night.
Schmidt has caught fire as of late with six points in his last eight games. He also had one assist on Tuesday and he sits in a tie for 12th in team scoring alongside Captain Ethan Williment.
“I started the season very slow, I wasn’t making many players entering the offensive zone,” commented Schmidt. “If I continue playing how I have over the last six games, I think I could have a very good year.”
Josh also had some great things to say about the coaching staff.
Doug Hedley – “he’s very intense and he knows a lot. I trust everything he says. Everything that he tells me seems to work. He knows how to work systems, I love playing for Doug,” said Schmidt.
Rick Freese – “he brings a crazy bond to the team, he’s so passionate about us on and off the ice,” said Schmidt.
Chad Facey – ‘he always gives great advice and he is great at bringing the boys together, he’s a great guy and coach,” offered Schmidt.
Brad Dupasquier – ‘he analyzes all of our games amazingly, gives us great pre-scout and gets us ready for our games,” said Schmidt.
You can catch Josh and the rest of the Kings in action on Saturday at Credit Union Place when the top two teams in the MJHL go to battle as the Steinbach Pistons come to town. The two teams met earlier this season with the Pistons coming out on top in overtime. It’s also a rematch of the 2022 Turnbull Cup Final which the Kings won in seven games and finished in the top four at the Centennial Cup.
“That’s going to be a great matchup, we’ve been looking forward to getting a second chance at them after they beat us earlier this year,” said Schmidt. “They’re a great team and we are as well. It’s going to be a great game and we hope that our amazing fans pack the stands to cheer us on.”
You can also hear Josh’s full chat with Darnell Duff during the Dauphin Kings Power Play Show on Friday afternoon just after 4:00.
Get to know Schmidt:
Q: What’s your go-to meal for breakfast, dinner and lunch?
A: On a game day for dinner I would say some sort of pasta, like chicken fettuccine Alfredo and if we don't have a game, my favourite is chicken parmesan. I enjoy a soup and sandwich for lunch and a couple of pouches of oatmeal with blueberries to get my day going.
Q: What are some of your other hobbies?
A: I used to play a lot of baseball, so I enjoy throwing a baseball around when I can. I enjoy football as well as playing golf.
Q: Did you ever have to choose between baseball and golf?
A: It was hockey since about grade five. I quit baseball for a bit because I didn’t enjoy it as much as hockey. I started playing it again at the AA and AAA level, but I was never a great player, just played it because my friends were. Hockey has always been my passion.
Q: Have you thought about what your future could look like?
A: I would love to play hockey at the Division 3 level or USports, that’s been a big goal of mine. I plan on studying accounting, finance or kinesiology.
Josh had plans of going to school prior to coming to Dauphin last season but decided he wanted to continue playing the game he loves.
“I certainly made the right decision, being in Dauphin is incredible,” said Schmidt. “After I finish hockey, that’s what I plan on doing.”
Q: Do you have any siblings and what is your relationship with your parents?
A: I have an older brother that’s two years older than me and a younger sister that is four years younger than me. I have a tighter relationship with my dad when it comes to hockey and a tighter relationship in other aspects with my mom, it’s a great balance.
In a heartbreaking story, Josh’s brother used to play hockey but was forced to quit just as he was set to begin his junior career after breaking his leg and tearing his meniscus. In a feel-good story, his sister is a provincial-level soccer player.
“She’s outstanding at soccer and she works very hard at it,” said Schmidt. “My family means everything to me; they’re incredible and very special.”
Q: What is one of your favourite hockey memories?
A: I have to go with that five-overtime game last year in the playoffs against the Blizzard. You had to be at the rink to truly realize how crazy it was. I had never experienced anything even close to that before so it was wild to be a part of.
Q: If you could go on a 2-on-0 breakaway with any teammate, who would it be and why?
A: Sheldon Shyiak, for sure. If that puck goes in the net and he’s the one that scores, it would be the most exciting goal, it would be electric.
Josh Schmidt, a great man off the ice and a King on the ice.
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It was a heartbreak that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have become used to over the past three years.
For the fifth straight year, the Blue & Gold made the Grey Cup. They won their first two trips to the Canadian Football League's (CFL) championship game but have now lost the last three years. This time it was the Toronto Argonauts that got the best of Winnipeg in a 41-24 victory.
Stanley Bryant has had some time to think about the loss.
"It was disappointing of course, we always wish that we could have done better," said Bryant. "Things just didn't go the way that we planned. It's always a tough way to end the season, we worked so hard to get there."
For Bryant, there was speculation that this past season would be his last. Set to turn 39 in May, that is not the case as the all-star has signed a one-year contract extension to remain in Winnipeg for the 2025 season.
A future Hall of Fame left tackle, Bryant is a four-time winner of the league's Most Outstanding Lineman Award (2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022). This past season, he was named to the All-CFL team for an eighth time while manning the left side of an offensive line that helped running back Brady Oliveira capture his second consecutive rushing title with 1,353 yards, and quarterback Zach Collaros throw for a career-best 4,336 yards.
Stanley began his CFL career with Calgary in 2010 and signed with the Bombers as a free agent in 2015. He has played 219 career games, 186 of which have come with Winnipeg. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion. He won with Winnipeg in 2019, 2021 and in 2014 with Calgary.
While Bryant will turn 39 before next season begins, he knows what he is still capable of.
"I feel that I am still 100 percent, I won't discredit myself and think that I can't play to a high standard," said Bryant. "I still believe I am the best at my position in the league."
Bryant says he still has a passion for the game and a fire burning in his belly. He also says he couldn't go out after losing the league's championship game for the third straight season. Preparations for the 2025 season are well underway and Bryant believes general manager Kyle Walter will field another very competitive team.
"I believe we will be a great squad. We had some young guys step in last year and had great years," offered Bryant. "We had some older guys that battled injuries and they will come back ready to go next season. With what we have now and what could be added in free agency, I'm very confident that it will be a solid year for our group."
What the Bombers do know is that they will be without two key personnel next year. Buck Pierce has been hired as head coach of the BC Lions and Ted Goveia has been hired as general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Bombers also know that the Grey Cup will be played at Princess Auto Stadium next season. Winnipeg will play host to the championship game. That means if Winnipeg can make their sixth straight Grey Cup, they'll do so on their home field.
Bryant knows that will be a driving factor for the team to go all in.
"That would be a match made in heaven, the city would love it, the fans would love it, and the organization would love it," ended Bryant. "It would be a beautiful thing. That's what we're pushing for, it would be very special."
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