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Small town and hockey are two things that go hand in hand.

Whether it's at an outdoor rink or an indoor facility, so many young Canadians spend countless hours skating and shooting a puck. For Brady Turko of McCreary, this was exactly the case. Growing up in a community of about 500 people, if Turko wasn't in school during the winter months, you could find him at the Centennial Arena in the community.

From a young age you could tell that Brady was going to be a special player if he continued to work hard and as the McCreary star continues to shine bright, he will always know that McCreary is where it all started.

"McCreary helped me out a lot," said Turko. "The ice was always available so I had a great opportunity to work on my game pretty much whenever I wanted in the winter. I played on some great teams throughout the years and I loved my time in my hometown."

After playing his minor hockey in McCreary and a five-game stint with the Parkland U15 Rangers, Brady made the move about 90 minutes away to Brandon to join their academy. Turko joined the Wheat Kings AAA program starting with the U15 team in the 2021-22 season and he tore the league apart with 30 goals and 81 points in 32 regular season games before posting another 18 points in 11 playoff games. 

Turko then moved up to the U18 level in time for the next year and it was a solid rookie U18 season for the McCreary native as he posted 14 goals and 43 points across 44 regular season games and another five playoff points in eight games.

Back in the Wheat City with the U18 club this year, Turko has taken his game to the next level by recording 90 points in just 41 games. He finished second in league scoring and averaged 2.20 points per game. The McCreary sniper had a league-leading 16 power-play goals and 30 points while on the man advantage. He also had four game-winning goals and one shorthanded goal.

"Growing and getting stronger was a big reason I was able to take my game to the next level," said Turko. "With that said, my teammates and linemates were a big reason as well. I wouldn't be where I am today without them."

WHL Bound:

On December 11, 2023, Brady achieved a lifelong goal of his as he signed his first Western Hockey League (WHL) Standard Player Agreement with the Wheat Kings. Turko was taken 97th overall in the 2022 WHL Draft by Brandon. 

"It was a dream come true, I grew up watching the Wheat Kings as a young kid," offered Turko. "It was one of the greatest feelings ever for me, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity."

Just as December 11 was a big day, Turko had an even bigger day just about a month later as he made his WHL Debut on January 20. It resulted in a 6-0 win for the home team against the Lethbridge Hurricanes and including the rookie lap, it was an evening that Brady will never forget.

"Getting to play my first WHL game was even better," said Turko. "I've been given a lot of opportunity here in Brandon and I was grateful to get the chance to play with them, pretty surreal moment."

Then just a month later on February 19, Brady put another check on his Wheat Kings checklist as he scored his first WHL goal against the Saskatoon Blades. It came in front of nearly 3800 fans at Westoba Place, many of whom were Brady's family members and friends.

"It was an amazing feeling," offered Turko. "It means a lot when I score with the U18 team, but it's an elevated feeling when it happens at the WHL level. It's hard to describe it more than that, it was pretty special. I'm honoured that it happened with the team I grew up watching and always wanting to play for."

Brady now has that puck in his bedroom. In seven games with the WHL Club this year, Turko has one goal and three assists while also being a plus-3. 

Main Focus:

Brady's time in the WHL is now on the back burner, but just for now. Without a doubt, the young star from McCreary has an extremely bright future and he will soon be a full-time WHL player. For now; however, he's focusing on not letting the heartbreak the team felt last year happen again this year.

The U18 Wheat Kings are heavy favourites to win the league this year. The team came up short in five games last year against the Wild in the league semifinal. This year, Brandon has been in a class of their own and the year they enjoyed will go down as one of the best in league history. In a 44-game regular season, Brandon won 43 games and their only loss came against Southwest in overtime.

"It was a great season, we have a pretty special group here," said Turko. "We have faced our fair share of adversity as well, I'm proud of this group."

Now three games into their playoff journey, Brandon is already waiting to see who they will play next. The Wheat Kings scored 26 goals in a three-game sweep of the Eastman Selects in the first round. 

Turko had nine points in the first round as the Wheat Kings now focus on preparing for whoever they will play next in a best-of-5. Regardless of whomever it is, Brandon will once again be heavy favourites.

"We're just looking to our next game, we know that we will have to be ready," said Turko. "You can't look at the regular season. These are the playoffs and no one can be taken lightly. We're pleased with what we achieved against Eastman. 

While Brandon won 43 games in the regular season and it will undoubtedly go down as one of the top regular seasons in league history, Brady knows that only one thing will classify this as a successful season in all.

"We're here to win a championship, that's our main goal," said Turko. "We know that we have to win six more games and we know that we have to be ready for whoever we go up against next because they will be coming out hard."

This Brandon team is well worth the price of admission. On top of getting to see Brady play, you will also get the chance to watch Jaxon Jacobson. Jaxon just turned 15 a couple of months ago and his 106 points in the regular season were the fourth-most in league history and he also had six points in seven games with the WHL's Wheat Kings. 

In the first round against Eastman, Jaxon had 10 points. So the dynamic duo of Jacobson and Turko combined for 19 points.

"We push each other every day and I believe that's important," ended Turko. "Not only in games but practices as well. We're always trying to get better. We're also pretty great friends off the ice as well as on, so we have some great chemistry together."

Around the League:

#2 Southwest Cougars vs #7 Pembina Valley Hawks (Cougars lead the best-of-5, 2-1)

Kole Beard scored his first of the playoffs with 35 seconds left in the second and it stood up as the winner in game three. 

Southwest can wrap up the series in Pembina Valley on Thursday

#3 Winnipeg Wild vs #6 Interlake Lightning (Lightning lead the best of 5, 2-1)

After splitting the first two games, the Lightning scored a pair of empty-net goals late in game three to lock up a 4-1 win. 

The Lightning can advance to the next round when they host game four on Thursday. 

#4 Winnipeg Thrashers vs #5 Winnipeg Bruins (Thrashers lead the best of 5, 2-1)

The Battle of Winnipeg has been a fun one so far. After the Thrashers won 4-3 in game one in overtime, Justin Perreault recorded a 27-save shutout for the Bruins in game 2. Then in game 3, Perreault gave up two goals on 33 shots as he was outdueled by Taye Timmerman, who turned away 41 shots for the Thrashers.

The Thrashers can advance to the next round when the Bruins host game 4. 

** Regardless of if the Winnipeg Wild win the league or not, they will still play in the Telus Cup West Regionals as they will host that event early next month at the Hockey for All Centre**

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 6, 2024 - 10:38 am

Last Tuesday in a 4-0 loss to the Blizzard, the Dauphin Kings had just 15 shots and were heavily outplayed.

Seven days later, the Kings had 27 shots and were once again outplayed. Playing the final of a six-game season series against the Virden Oil Capitals on Tuesday, Dauphin struggled from start to finish as they could not get anything going in a 4-0 loss to the Oil Capitals.

The loss marks the second time in seven days that Dauphin has been shutout. Dauphin was solid on the penalty kill going 4-for-4; however, they did not score a power play goal across six chances.

The loss drops Dauphin to 34-16-1-1 and they remain four points behind the Blizzard for second place in the West Division, Dauphin has one game in hand.

The Oil Capitals inched closer to clinching first place in the West as they moved six points up the Blizzard and are 37-10-3-3.

The Kings are in Neepawa to play the Titans on Friday. I'll have the broadcast beginning at 7:15. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 5, 2024 - 10:22 pm

The Blizzard Junior 'A' Hockey Club was a big winner on Monday as the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) announced award winners for the 2023-24 regular season.

Ed Belfour Goaltender of the Year - Tomas Anderson (Blizzard)

A graduate of Stillwater High School in Minnesota last year, Anderson now calls The Pas his home and he has been exceptional this year. Anderson has 23 wins this year, the fourth-most in the league, and his .932 save percentage is tied for second in the league while Anderson has a very solid 2.07 goals-against average.

Tomas recently had a stretch that saw him record four shutouts in six starts and he leads the league with seven overall this year. He also recently committed to play Division 1 hockey at Niagara University. 

Anderson has been a massive reason why the Blizzard currently occupies second place in the West Division.

Muzz MacPherson Coach of the Year - Eric Labrosse (Blizzard)

After helping the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) make the playoffs thanks to a third-place regular season finish in the Western Conference last year, Labrosse was hired by the Blizzard this year and he has sparkled.

The Blizzard is not the most skilled team in the league; however, you will not find a team that works harder. Instilling a hard-working club, Labrosse has done a tremendous job of assuring his club is ready to go every single game. 

There is a new buzz in The Pas this year and Labrosse is a big reason why. He has also coached professionally in the past in France. 

Steve "Boomer" Hawrysh MVP - Trent Penner (Flyers)

He is the team's captain and he never shies away from a battle. If Trent Penner has to play physically, he will. If he has to play a finesse game, he will. Whatever way Penner needs to play, he can. 

Heading into the second last week of the MJHL regular season, Penner is second in league scoring with 26 goals and 42 assists. His average of 1.36 points per game is the second-best in the league, only behind Dalton Andrew who is his teammate in Winkler.

Penner has also added five game-winning goals for the Flyers this year as they sit in second place in the East Division. 

Brian Kozak Top Defenseman - Noah Szabo (Pistons)

No surprise here whatsoever. Noah has had to deal with an injury this year, but when he is on the ice, there is no stopping the Pistons defender. Everyone knows about his excellent ability to shut down opponents in his end and this year, the 19-year-old has taken his game to the next level offensively.

Averaging a point per game, Szabo had 44 points in 44 games this year for Steinbach. Only Kaycee Coyle of Niverville has more points among a defender in the league. Noah is 18th in league scoring this year and fifth in team scoring.

He can lock you down in his end and Szabo can also terrorize you in his opponent's end.

Kim Davis Rookie of the Year - Grady Hoffman (Pistons)

Just like Szabo was no surprise to win Defenseman of the Year, Grady Hoffman is certainly no surprise to win Rookie of the Year honours.

At 18 years old, Hoffman has 46 points in 48 games this year. He has a great ability to create his own space offensively which has proven extremely beneficial. Hoffman has also been excellent while on a power play with six goals and five assists while the Pistons are on the man advantage. Perhaps the most impressive statistic for Hoffman is his four shorthanded goals this year.

No player has more shorthanded goals this year. Hoffman's 27 goals are also tied for the fourth-most in the league. The Pistons are on top of the MJHL and will likely clinch home-ice advantage for the entirety of their playoff run.

Frank McKinnon Memorial Award Hockey Ability & Sportsmanship - Josh Lehto (Oil Capitals)

The Dauphin Kings will go up against him on Tuesday night at Tundra Oil & Gas Place. 

In his second year with the team, Lehto has been brilliant offensively this year as he leads the Oil Capitals with 55 points, 20 of which have come on the power play. Lehto is one of those tireless workers that every team wishes they could have several of.

While Lehto is by no means a big player when it comes to size on the ice, his great ability to see open ice and create space for himself which makes him a threat every single time that he's on the ice. If Virden is to go deep this year, Lehto will have to be front and centre. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 5, 2024 - 11:27 am

The 14U Predators Volleyball Club was in Winnipeg this weekend to participate in a Premier Tournament and once again had a solid weekend.

They finished first in their pool with wins over Winman 13U, Junior Pilots White, and Offspeed VC.

The Predators carried that momentum into the playoffs where they first downed Club West Rage. The team's run to a title would come to an end in the quarterfinals in a loss to the Huskies. This left the Predators in 5th place in the 32-team tournament.

They are off until March 15/16 when they will play in the BVC tournament in Brandon.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 3:16 pm

26 teams took part and Team Dwight Bottrell was the last one standing.

It was another great weekend of curling at the Dauphin Curling Club as the Dauphin Men's Bonspiel took centre stage.

In the final, Dwight Bottrell and his rink of Morley Bourns, Steve Soloway, and Nick Ogryzlo scored to two in the last end to beat Rob Rempel, 9-8, to win the first event sponsored by Embroidery by Design.  Placing third in the first event was Chad Sahulka and fourth went to Barret Procyshyn.

Second Event - Sponsored by Parkland Source for Sports:

Winners: Jeff Campbell rink. He was supported by Seth Gares, Blaine Johnson, and Bart Michaleski who beat the Jared Nigemeers quartet.  Third in the second event went to Cory Toews rink and fourth was the Greg Thompson foursome.

Third Event - Sponsors by McMunn and Yates Building Supplies:

Kyle Forsyth, Jarvis Whyte, Trent Hill, and Cody Hill beat the Chris Belhumeur rink to win the third event.  Third in the third event went to the Mark Hadway team and fourth went to the Brian Freiheit rink.

Fourth Event - Bakers Computers:

The fourth event winners sponsored by Baker Completers were Rob Fisher, Dave Campbell, Danny Scott, and Brent Stykalo who beat the Logan Devos team.  Third in the fourth event was the Luke Michaleski rink and fourth was the Terron Stykalo rink.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 1:10 pm

The U15 Roblin Stars are feeling like their on top of the moon right now.

The Stars completed a dominating and perfect provincial tournament with a nailbiting 4-3 win in the gold medal game on Sunday in Warren.

Maddox Andres recorded a hat-trick for Roblin in the game while Ryder Newton also scored for the Stars in the gold medal effort. Both players recorded four points.

"It feels unbelievable, this is the second year in the row," said Jarrett Newton, team coach. "This team started playing together when they were five and they continue to work hard and keep to the process. They are now reaping the benefits of such hard work."

It has been nothing short of a sensational season for Roblin as they also won their home tournament, as well as a Tournament of Champions event. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 3, 2024 - 9:09 pm

(Parkland teams are bold)

It was a busy weekend for Hockey Manitoba as they hosted provincial championships across the province and the Parkland was all over the action.

At the U15B event in Russell, a team from the Parkland was able to defend their home region as Swan Valley beat Wawanesa in the gold medal game, 4-2. Rylan Laderouette scored a pair of goals for Swan Valley while Kennedy Baskier, and Walker Atkinson also scored for the Stampeders in the victory.

In Gilbert Plains at the U11 A event, Bennett Harness had the hot stick as he scored four times for Swan Valley as they beat Flin Flon, 6-5, in a thrilling bronze medal match. 

Over in Portage la Prairie, the Dauphin U11 AA Kings came up short against Winkler in the gold medal game, 2-0. Dauphin beat Brandon, Mitchell, and MacDonald in their other games to reach the gold medal game. 

After winning their first two round-robin games, the U18 female Grand Plains Ice Dogs came up short in the bronze medal game as they lost to Hamiota/Rivers, 5-2.

At the provincial held in Dauphin at Credit Union Place and the Rotary Arena, Morden beat Stonewall, 5-4, in an outstanding gold medal game. Springfield blanked Portage, 4-0, to win the bronze medal game. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 3, 2024 - 8:45 pm

The Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy U15 Kings won the Tournament of Champions earlier this year for Myles Haverluck.

On Sunday, they were playing for a provincial championship. Playing in St. Agathe, Ben Miner was exceptional between the pipes and the team's offence came up clutch when they needed to as they downed Rivers, 4-2, to claim a provincial title. 

The title winning game capped off a perfect weekend for the team. After a tournament opening tie against Flin Flon, Dauphin beat Peguis, Springfield, and Niverville. 

Garrett Sahulka led the way for Dauphin as he scored a pair of goals in the final, one of which was the game winner. Dominic Chartrand and Lyric Smith also scored for the Kings. 

"This year's team definitely had its skill spread over our three full lines," said Aaron Miner. "We were able to wear the other teams down by using them all equally."

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 3, 2024 - 8:33 pm

Before Mother Nature unleashes a blanket of snow on much of the Parkland, the Predators U17 girls volleyball team unleashed their skills in Dauphin.

Playing in a tournament hosted by the Vipers on Saturday, the Predators cruised through the entire tournament, not dropping a match, as they were crowed tournament champions.

In their round-robin, the Predators beat Russell, Vipers 16U, along with Vipers 17U. They then handled Russell in the final in straight sets as they improved to 12-3 on the season.

They're off to Winnipeg next weekend for a second Premier tournament after a fifth place finish in the first Premier tournament that they played in earlier this season. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 3, 2024 - 1:26 pm

The Parkland will be a busy region when it comes to provincial championships over the weekend.

Dauphin is just one of the communities that will host a provincial hockey tournament. Below are more details on where you can catch the action live.

(FINAL SCORES ARE BOLD)

U11 AA - Dauphin Kings in Portage la Prairie
Friday - 5:00 p.m. vs Brandon - Dauphin beat Brandon, 4-0
Saturday - 10:45 a.m. vs Mitchell - Dauphin beat Mitchell, 3-2

U11 A - Grand Plains hosting
Friday - 10:00 a.m. vs La Broquerie - Grand Plains lost, 8-2
Friday - 6:45 p.m. vs Flin Flon - Grand Plains lost, 8-7
Saturday - 3:15 p.m. vs St. Claude - Grand Plains wins, 5-0

U11 A - Swan Valley in Grandview/Gilbert Plains
Friday - 1:30 p.m. vs Neepawa - Swan Valley won, 7-4
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. vs Gimli - Swan Valley won, 13-2 
Saturday - 5:00 p.m. vs Virden - Swan Valley tied, 2-2

U11 B - Russell at Notre Dame Minor Hockey
Friday - 3:15 p.m. vs Lac Du Bonnet - Russell won, 6-1
Saturday - 11:45 a.m. vs Hartney - Russell won, 6-5
Saturday - 5:00 p.m. vs Pembina Valley - Russell won, 10-5

U11 C - McCreary at Rivers Minor Hockey
Friday - 11:45 a.m. vs Pinawa - McCreary won, 20-0
Friday - 7:00 p.m. vs Rivers - McCreary, won 5-3
Saturday - 1:30 p.m. vs Deloraine - McCreary won, 3-0

U11 A1 - Dauphin hosting
Friday - 10:00 a.m. vs The Pas - Dauphin tied The Pas, 5-5
Friday - 2:15 p.m. vs Morden -  Dauphin lost, 11-1

U11 A1 - Swan Valley at Dauphin Minor Hockey
Friday - 11:15 a.m. vs Neepawa - Swan Valley lost, 6-1
Saturday - 10:15 a.m. vs Springfield - Swan Valley lost, 19-0

U13 B Female - Grand Plains at Deloraine
Friday - 10:30 a.m. vs Elkhorn - Grand Plains won, 2-1
Friday - 4:30 p.m. vs Rat River - Grand Plains won, 2-0 
Saturday - 1:30 p.m. vs Stonewall - Grand Plains won, 5-1

U15 A - Dauphin in Niverville
Friday - 3:15 p.m. vs Flin Flon - Dauphin tied Flin Flon, 2-2
Saturday - 11:45 a.m. vs Peguis - Dauphin won, 15-2
Saturday - 5:00 p.m. vs Springfield - Dauphin won, 6-1

U15 C - Roblin at Warren Minor Hockey
Friday - 5:00 p.m. vs Notre Dame - Roblin won, 6-2
Saturday - 10:45 a.m. vs St. Adolphe - Roblin won, 9-1

U18 Female - Grand Plains in Glenboro
Friday - 3:15 p.m. vs Cross Lake - Grand Plains Ice Dogs won, 21-1
Saturday - 9:00 a.m. vs Birtle - Grand Plains Ice Dogs won, 3-1

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 3, 2024 - 7:15 am