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The Dauphin Kings failed to start on time, they got into some very early penalty trouble and it costed them dearly on Saturday night.

Playing an important home game against the Blizzard, Dauphin lost to the team they're chasing in the standings, 5-3. Dauphin picked up two early penalties which saw the Blizzard go up by a pair of goals not even three minutes into the contest.

Alex Senf cut the deficit in half late in the first; however, that is as close as Dauphin got. The Blizzard tacked on three more goals to take a 5-1 lead. Senf scored his second of the game and Cayden Glover also scored in the first, but the Kings wouldn't come any closer.

The loss was a big dagger in Dauphin's chances of earning home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. They're now seven points back of the Blizzard with just four games left this season, one of which comes on Wednesday in The Pas.

Dauphin welcomes Portage to town on Tuesday. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 9, 2024 - 10:10 pm

A legendary man that helped the Winnipeg Blue Bombers make an appearance in the 1990 Grey Cup has passed away.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers confirmed Dave Ritchie's dead on Saturday at the age of 85. A cause of death was not released. Ritchie went 52-41-1 in the regular-season as head coach of the Blue & Gold.

That leaves him fourth overall, only behind Bud Grant, Mike O'Shea, and Cal Murphy. Ritchie was a defensive line and special teams coach for Winnipeg when they came up short against Calgary in the 1990 Grey Cup.

Ritchie won a Grey Cup in 1994 with the B.C. Lions as he was the team's head coach. He left Winnipeg in the 1991 season and returned eight years later. 

Dave was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 9, 2024 - 4:51 pm

The Dauphin Kings were 14 seconds away from earning two points on Friday night.

Instead, they earned just a single in a 3-2 loss against the Neepawa Titans in a game that went right down to the wire and provided fans with an outstanding game to watch.

After a scoreless first period, Colton Alexander scored the only goal of the second. Dauphin then scored two goals in a row in the third to take a 2-1 lead. WIth 14 seconds left, Neepawa was working hard in the offensive zone and it paid off at Cade Bendsten found the back of the net. Tim Tychonick then ended it with a beautiful shot in overtime.

Jordan Bax and Cayden Glover scored for Dauphin in the defeat. The Kings are now five points back of the Blizzard for second in the West and they welcome the Blizzard to Dauphin tomorrow. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 8, 2024 - 10:11 pm

The Parkland Gators Swim Club recently took the Brandon Winter Thaw event by storm with some very impressive performances.

Harper Rudkavich
mixed 25m backstroke - 3rd
mixed 25m freestyle - 2nd
mixed 25m kick - 5th
mixed 50m freestyle - 2nd

Dylan Phillips
mixed 25m backstroke - 2nd
mixed 25m freestyle - 1st
mixed 25m kick - 1st
mixed 50m backstroke - 1st
mixed 50m freestyle - 1st

Madisyn Morden
mixed 25m backstroke - 4th
mixed 25m freestyle - 1st
mixed 25m kick - 4th
mixed 50m backstroke - 1st
mixed 50m freestyle - 3rd

Lily Montagnion
50m fly - 5th
50m backstroke - 2nd
50m freestyle - 3rd
25m kick - 8th
100m individual medley - 3rd

James Forsyth
25m backstroke - 2nd
mixed 25m freestyle - 2nd
mixed 25m kick - 1st
mixed 50m backstroke - 2nd
mixed 50m freestyle - 1st

Isla Forsyth
mixed 25m backstroke - 7th
mixed 25m freestyle - 3rd
mixed 25m kick - 6th
mixed 50m backstroke - 5th
mixed 50m freestyle - 7th

Polly Fjeldsted
50m backstroke - 3rd
50m breaststroke - 6th
50m freestyle - 3rd
25m kick - 8th
100m individual medley - 3rd

Renee Fee
50m fly - 4th
50m backstroke - 1st
50m freestyle - 4th
25m kick - 3rd
100m individual medley - 4th

Evan Favel
50m backstroke - 4th
50m freestyle - 4th
25m kick - 6th
100m backstroke - 1st
100m freestyle - 4th

Meredith Cottrell
50m backstroke - 1st
50m breaststroke - 2nd
50m freestyle - 1st
25m kick - 1st
100m freestyle - 1st

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 8, 2024 - 10:03 am

It was a weekend to remember for the Russell Rams U11 hockey club.

They doubled up the Notre Dame Hawks, 4-2, in the gold medal game as they were crowned provincial champions for the 2023-24 season.

It was an overall perfect and dominating tournament for the team as they won all five of their games. They beat Lac Du Bonnet, Hartney, Miami, St. Eustache leading up to their gold medal win against Notre Dame.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 8, 2024 - 9:47 am

The McCreary Centennial Arena is the place to be this weekend.

That's the venue for the 2024 Senior Mixed Broomball Provincial Championships that take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Here is the schedule for the event:

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 7, 2024 - 3:33 pm

The Yorkton Terriers had high hopes of making a serious playoff push and making the final 8.

Ultimately, that hope has been dashed. A 5-2 loss to the Nipawin Hawks earlier this week officially eliminated Yorkton from playoff contention. The team will now wrap up their season with a home-and-home next weekend against the Melville Millionaires.

Sitting at 21-29-2-2, Yorkton has played excellent hockey at times this year which includes wins against the league's top teams including Battlefords; however, the club has been very inconsistent which has resulted in them coming up short of their playoff aspirations.

The biggest thing on many minds as of late was would the Terriers even be back in the 2024-25 season. The team announced in January that they were in serious trouble when it came to funds and they would be unable to continue operations unless things changed drastically. Now as the team's season comes to an end, it appears as if all is good in Yorkton.

Corvyn Neufeld is the team's president and he has confirmed that the team will return next year thanks to some incredible support from near and far.

"We made the announcement the other day that the team will be back next year for sure," said Neufeld. "Our season ticket blitz was very successful, we sold 931 season tickets which is up quite a bit from our current season ticket total of 162. Our community and other communities stepped up in a big way to assure we can continue operations."

When the Battlefords North Stars were in town late last month they even bought a pair of season tickets and decided to donate them back to the club so they could give them to someone who wouldn't be able to attend games otherwise.

"There are so many stories, really neat stuff," said Neufeld. "Minor hockey teams have donated the proceeds of their 50/50 to us. Former players, families of players, there are just so many stories, it's pretty incredible."

While the team's blowout prices have come to an end when it comes to season tickets, you can still secure yours at an early bird price. An adult season ticket is $300.

SJHL Scoop:

The Flin Flon Bombers have already locked up home-ice advantage for the entirety of their playoff run. With 42 wins in 52 contests this year, the Bombers are 12 points up on Melfort and will finish first overall as they will be crowned regular-season champions; however, they have hit a rough patch.

Including a 3-1 loss to Melfort over the weekend, Flin Flon has lost five of their last seven games. They will wrap up the season with two more games at the Whitney Forum before wrapping up the regular season campaign on the road for a pair of games against Humboldt. Making the league final in four of the last six seasons, the Bombers will not only look to make it happen again, but they will look to get over the hump this year to win their first championship since 1993. Don't expect the Bombers rough patch to last long, this team is far too deep for that to happen.

With Yorkton eliminated from playoff contention and Nipawin holding onto one last string, the most likely scenario is Kindersley and Estevan battling to jump into seventh. The team that doesn't will face Flin Flon in the first round. With that said, either Kindersley or Estevan are likely okay with heading up north for round one. The Klippers recently beat Flin Flon and Estevan also recently beat them. The Bruins and Bombers have played in the last two playoff years. 

The battle for second overall continues with Melfort (36-14-3) currently occupying that spot. They're four points ahead of Battlefords (North Stars do have a game in hand) and five points ahead of Humboldt (Broncos have two games in hand).

The Melville Millionaires and Weyburn Red Wings will battle for fifth spot overall heading into the big dance. The Mills' are currently three points ahead of Weyburn and both teams have played 51 games. The Red Wings have won eight of their last 10 games while the Millionaires have won seven of their last 10. 

Playoff Matchups if they were to begin March 7, 2024:

This year's Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) champion will represent the league at the Centennial Cup in Oakville in May. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Mar 7, 2024 - 11:12 am

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