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The Parkland U18 Rangers have their new man, and he's very familiar with the community.

The organization is welcoming Landon Russell to Ranger Country. Landon has been hired as the team's head coach for the 2026-27 season. 

It's Landon's first head-coaching gig, and he's thrilled about the opportunity.

"Stepping into a new role like this, it's one of those things; it's exhilarating," said Russell. "I'm honoured to be given this opportunity with this franchise."

Landon joins the Rangers after spending last season as an assistant coach under Doug Hedley with the Kings. Prior to his time with the Kings, Landon was an assistant coach for the Moose Jaw U18 AA Warriors from 2020 to 2023. As he looks forward to his first training camp as head coach, Russell thanks Hedley for giving him a chance to join his staff last year.

Russell stepped in and immediately made an impact, helping the Kings make the playoffs. He said working with Doug was super beneficial in his coaching development.

"When you have an opportunity to work under someone like Doug, you take everything in you can," added Russell. "It was extremely beneficial for me. I hope it pays off and helps me."

Before joining the coaching ranks in Moose Jaw, Landon played four years at Briercrest College in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. Prior to that, he played Junior A hockey, including time in Dauphin. Across two seasons, Russell played 72 games with the Kings. He also played with the Blizzard, English River Miners, Chase Heat, and Abbotsford Pilots.

As a player, Landon was a fearless competitor. He came to the rink with his work boots on and never took a shift off, whether at practice or game. 

"Having played the game at a high level has really brought me to believe I'm able to do this, commented Russell. "Looking back, working with Doug last year, it was a big learning curve. At this point, it'll be another learning curve. As a coach, you're looking to learn every day, and get better every day. That's something I'm ready to take on. That's what is going to make me and the team successful."

Having spent plenty of time in Dauphin, Russell says that familiarity with the community and Credit Union Place will help. The Rangers are currently holding conditioning sessions and will hold tryouts from September 4 to 6.

After making the playoffs last year, the goal heading into this season is rather simple.

"The goal is to win, and the goal is to be competitive," said Russell. "It's also to develop and create young, strong, and talented men."

The Rangers open the 2026-27 season on Saturday, September 26. It's the first of two straight home games against the Eastman Selects that weekend. After that, the Rangers play seven more games in a row on home ice. That's nine straight to start the season in Dauphin. Parkland plays 11 of their first 14 games on home ice.

It's a chance for some home-cooking and an opportunity to make an early statement.

"It gives this group a great chance to develop, bond, and get off to an early start," said Russell. "Start running out of the gate and go from there."

From November 7 to December 6, the Rangers then play nine of 10 games on the road. The push to the 2026-27 season is on, and Landon Russell is ready to lead the program. His duties begin with finding an assistant coach. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 12, 2026 - 10:00 am

Chad Facey has done it once again.

Playing at the Swan River Golf and Country Club on Tuesday, it was a touch of class on the seventh hole. He recorded his seventh hole-in-one.

He used his seven-wood to ace the extremely difficult eighth hole. It plays 205 yards.

Facey will soon exchange his clubs for a hockey stick as he returns to head-coach the Parkland U15 Rangers. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 12, 2026 - 5:00 am

JJ Love of Dauphin and the Canadian men's volleyball team is rolling in Mexico at the Pan American Cup.

They beat Costa Rica in four sets on Tuesday. They cruised to their third straight victory and have yet to suffer defeat. Love, who is in his second year with the Next Gen team and recently signed a professional contract in France's top league, is the team's captain this week.

JJ and his teammates get Wednesday off before a big matchup with the United States on Thursday. That match will determine first place in their pool. 

In a match against Puerto Rico earlier this week, the six-foot-seven setter from Dauphin had three blocks, two aces, and six points. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 11, 2026 - 10:00 pm

Perfection.

Just ask Troy Brister how it feels. He aced the 12th hole at the Neepawa Golf and Country Club on Tuesday morning. The 12th hole is 152 yards and is well guarded by three bunkers. One at the front left of the green, one at the front right, and one behind the green.

Par is a great score on the hole. An ace is perfection. 

Don't forget, if you're a member at the Gilbert Plains Country Club, you get 50% off your green fees in Neepawa. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 11, 2026 - 3:00 pm

Zach Collaros was drilled by Reggie Stubblefield in the team's win over Hamilton on July 5th.

He was put on the six-game injured list. He missed the team's next four games. The first two were victories over Toronto and Ottawa. Then, the team's defence hit a major roadblock. They gave up 52 points in a loss against the Calgary Stampeders. Then they gave up another 35 in a loss against the BC Lions.

At 4-4, they now find themselves in third place in the West Division, and they're searching for answers. 

After a bye week, Winnipeg is back on the field preparing for Friday's game against the Ottawa Red Blacks. Ottawa is 0-8 this season. When they do hit the field on Friday at Princess Auto Stadium, the team will get a big boost. Collaros has been reinstated and was back on the field for practice on Sunday.

That means, barring a setback this week, he will start under centre on Friday.

"I thought we had great energy out here today," said Collaros. "The only thing I can control is minute by minute, day by day. I thought we had a really good practice today. There was great energy, and our meetings went well. Guys were around during the bye week, staying in touch, and staying locked in."

The Blue & Gold have scored a West Division low 204 points this year. They've scored the eighth-fewest points in the league; only Ottawa has scored fewer. Before his injury, Collaros completed 74 passes for 985 yards. He had five touchdowns and three interceptions. In his absence, Dru Brown has seen the bulk of action.

He played four games, completing 94 passes for 1,085 yards. He threw five touchdowns and five interceptions.

"I thought it was very impressive the way he was able to come in and not take any reps with the group," added Collaros. "He's very familiar with what Tommy does offensively. They basically built that in Ottawa. Taking reps with players is important, and he wasn't able to do a lot of that before coming in. So the way he played was excellent."

In their last two losses, Winnipeg has given up 418 passing yards and 465 yards on the ground. This includes a 377-yard rushing day from BC in their last game. 

Playing a team that has not won a game this season as Winnipeg looks to bounce back could be a blessing. They'll be put to the test on Friday.

"You know, I think we have the right guys here. We're a group that cares a lot and wants to win," commented Collaros. "There are things obviously that need to be cleaned up. From every game, whether you win or lose. We have the right guys here. It's nice coming to work and being around people you enjoy being around. You care about the same things and the process."

Home Woes: 

Dating back to the 2019 season, the Bombers were 44-8 on home field in the previous six seasons. This year, it's been a completely different story. 

The Bombers have only won once in five tries at Princess Auto Stadium. It's a field where they have simply dominated their opponents over the past six years. They've been outscored 168-124 at home. They've allowed three games of at least 35 points against, including a season-high 52. 

Despite their home struggles, Zach credits fans for continuing to fill the stands. He says, by far, Winnipeg has the best fans in the CFL.

"One of the nice things about being out is you get to be a part of it. You can feel that adrenaline from a different vantage point," ended Collaros. "There are moments I can think about during those stretches and understand why people love coming to these games. Our fans are the best in the league; they really are."

You can hear Friday's game right here on 730CKDM as we're a proud member of the Blue Bomber Radio Network. Kickoff is set for 7:30. 

Around the league, BC is in Calgary on Thursday night, Toronto is in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon, and Hamilton hosts Saskatchewan on Saturday night. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 11, 2026 - 10:00 am

If you're a Dauphin Kings fan, you'll have plenty of opportunities to tune into the action.

Darnell Duff is back and will call 29 regular-season games. The first of which is the team's season opener on Friday, September 18. The next day, you can hear the team's home opener. Both games are against the Selkirk Steelers.

The broadcast schedule includes the team's game against Swan Valley on September 26 and four days later against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. That will be a rematch of round one of the Turnbull Cup playoffs last year. Dauphin heads to Steinbach on Saturday, October 10, and you can hear the game here.

On Friday, November 13, the Kings are in Niverville to play the defending champion Nighthawks and you can hear the game here.

The final broadcast before the playoffs is on Friday, March 12 against Virden.

Full Broadcast Schedule:

1. Friday, September 18 @ Selkirk Steelers
2. Saturday, September 19 vs Selkirk Steelers
3. Saturday, September 26 @ Swan Valley
4. Wednesday, September 30 @ Waywayseecappo
5. Sunday, October 4 @ Portage
6. Friday, October 9 @ Neepawa
7. Saturday, October 10 @ Steinbach
8. Wednesday, October 14 @ Virden
9. Friday, October 16 @ Winkler
10. Tuesday, October 20 @ Swan Valley
11. Friday, November 13 @ Niverville
12. Tuesday, November 17 @ Northern Manitoba
13. Sunday, November 22 @ Winnipeg Monarchs
14. Friday, November 27 @ Winnipeg Blues 
15. Tuesday, December 8 @ Selkirk
16. Saturday, December 19 @ Neepawa
17. Wednesday, December 30 @ Neepawa
18. Friday, January 8 at Steinbach
19. Sunday, January 17 @ Winnipeg Monarchs
20. Friday, January 29 vs Northern Manitoba
21. Tuesday, February 2 @ Northern Manitoba
22. Sunday, February 7 @ Portage
23. Friday, February 12 @ Virden
24. Friday, February 15 @ Waywayseecappo
25. Saturday, February 20 @ Winnipeg Blues
26. Tuesday, February 23 @ Virden
27. Sunday, February 28 vs Portage
28. Tuesday, March 2 at Swan Valley
29. Friday, March 12 vs Virden 

Every broadcast begins with a 10-minute pregame show sponsored by Parkland Source for Sports

**additional broadcasts may be added**

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 10, 2026 - 10:00 am

They cruised from start to finish and won a championship.

The Dauphin Pickleball Club hosted a tournament over the weekend and it was the Dominic Gamache and Jason Curtis show. The duo allowed just one point in four pool play games to finish first heading into the advanced division playoff bracket.

In the final, it was more of the same domination.

They beat Craig Zamzow and Kevin Fisher in the final. Craig and Kevin also went undefeated in pool play and won back-to-back games to reach the final. Ryan Andreychuk and Darren Maginel beat Ken Kolisnek and David Bella in the bronze medal match.

Intermediate Bracket: 

1st: Justin Diep and Pat Berscheid 

2nd: Shawna Vernon and Kelly Anna Clinton

3rd: Rae Kujanpaa and Sheldon Hill

Challenger Bracket:

1st: Jason Goran and Peter Hyunh

2nd: George Rossin and Dave Duncan

Recreational Bracket:

1st: Jake Penrose and Glenn Rutherford

2nd: John Allard and Georgina Kristjanson

3rd: Dawn Aberson-Risley and Ruth Cordonier

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 9, 2026 - 12:30 pm

The scramble of the summer continues to near.

The Dauphin Kings Par 3 Extravaganza will be on Saturday, September 12 at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club. With a 10:00 a.m. shotgun, it's a day full of great golf and plenty of laughs. The prizes are epic as well.

Tournament organizers had mulled over the idea of playing a few holes as par 4s or 5s. Christian Laughland, Director of Business Operations for the Kings, says ultimately, that won't be the case. So get your short irons ready for a chance to strike big.

"We talked to a lot of people who have played the tournament over the years, and they like the opportunity to win cash on every hole," said Laughland. "We want to cater to the golfers who make this tournament a success, so that's what we're going to do. We're going to leave it at 18 par 3 holes for $10,000 on every hole. There will be some other stuff as well."

It's been a tough summer for some courses in the Parkland. The Gilbert Plains Country Club is closed for the rest of the summer. The Dauphin Lake Golf Club has been closed for several days this summer due to heavy rains and standing water.

It's now open and is in brilliant condition. The grounds crew has done a fantastic job of getting the course in pristine condition.

Now Shawn Woods and his crew are set to host this annual event.

"It's an opportunity to support both the Dauphin Kings and the golf course," Laughland added. "It's always a great day on the course, an awesome atmosphere. There are all sorts of prizes to be won. Not only on the golf course but after your round as well. Then a great meal is added."

Before last year, the event was held earlier in the summer. Last year, tournament organizers moved the event to September, which was a great success.

"It was a great move because all of the players are here by then," continued Laughland. "They have the opportunity to get out and meet not only the sponsors, but the fans as well. That's very important to the hockey club."

Registration is open and is going well. If you've played before, you know how great of a day it is. If you haven't, now is the perfect time to tee it up. 

It's $600 per team, which is $150 per player.

"Obviously that includes your meal, golf, and we give away a tee gift every year," ended Laughland. "You get a lot of bang for your buck. If you get a hole-in-one, you get really good bang for your buck because every hole is a $10,000 opportunity."

You can get the registration form here. You can also register in person at the pro shop at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club. Call 622-5461 or 638-9400. You can also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 7, 2026 - 10:00 am

They placed fifth at the slo-pitch national championships in 2018.

One year later, they advanced to the national final. They came up short. It was an outstanding week and a podium finish. Four years later, they were on top of the country. Team Razz out of Ebb and Flow First Nation won the slo-pitch national championships in 2023.

Three years later, the team was back in action.

They competed in the national tournament over the weekend in Alberta and opened the event with a 24-8 win over Edson. They added another 16 runs in each of their next three games, extending their record to 4-0. 

Tyrone Desjarlais says the team's goal was to win half of their games. They had already exceeded that goal. But they weren't done. They beat Breton, 9-8, in their fifth game. They were 5-0 and had advanced to the semifinals. The team from Ebb and Flow continued to roll, hammering Southern Alberta, 14-5.

For the second time in four years, Team Razz was off to the national final.

"The defence was really clicking," said Desjarlais. "We went there with a full team. We had nine guys and nine girls. Everyone had a chance to play. We weren't really overloading anyone. I think that's what helped us in the end."

Ebb and Flow faced a co-op team of players from Canmore and Banff in the final. A national title was on the line. Team Razz from Ebb and Flow led the game 13-11 in the seventh inning. Their opponents had two runners on base with their clean-up hitter at the dish. They had a chance to take the lead.

Desjarlais was pitching and thought the worst-case scenario would be that he would hit a home run. That worst-case scenario never happened. Desjarlais threw a great pitch, and the hitter popped the ball up to third base, ending the contest. Ebb and Flow 13, Canmore and Banff 11. For the second time in three years, the slo-pitch team from Ebb and Flow were crowned national champions.

What an ending to a storybook week. The team scored 108 runs in seven games. That's an average of just more than 15 per game. They only allowed 58.

"Just to be able to win was a bonus. It's always nice to represent your home community," said Desjarlais. "We had some other Manitoba teams reach out and congratulate us. We got some shoutouts on social media. SPN Manitoba congratulated us. It was a great performance."

Tyrone says he's proud of all members of the team and their commitment. 

And for Desjarlais, he was more than just a national champion. He was also named the tournament's most valuable player. 

"For myself, cherry on the cake there," ended Desjarlais. "I never saw that coming. I really felt it could have gone to anyone on the team. Everyone played outstanding defensively and offensively."

The team's roster featured Jonathan Campeau, Bruce Desjarlais, Tommy Rosmus, Tyler McKay, Tyrone Desjarlais, Katherine Desjarlais, Todd Desjarlais, Toby Desjarlais, Carter Baptiste, Johnny Baptiste, Destiny Swan, Taisia Hunter, Tazara Desjarlais, Jordyn Dubryne, Marine Dubryne, Tereza Roulette, Linda Malcolm, and Hanna Cochrane. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 6, 2026 - 10:00 am

Sunday, March 23, 2025 is a day that no one in the Love family will forget.

Especially JJ. The Brandon Bobcats men's volleyball team was hosting the U Sports national championships at the Healthy Living Centre. After stunning the top-ranked Winnipeg Wesmen in straight sets in their quarterfinal, Love and the Bobcats took down the Saskatchewan Huskies in five sets in a thrilling semifinal.

The only thing between JJ and his teammates and winning a national title was the perennial power Alberta Golden Bears. Ultimately, they weren't Golden. It was JJ and his teammates who prevailed. They won the final in four sets in front of a capacity crowd at the HLC.

His collegiate career ended, and JJ went out as a national champion. More than a year removed from the sensational run, JJ says there aren't too many days that go by without thinking of what happened.

"You know, that's a great moment, and a great time in my career," he said. "That's such a fond memory to look back on. With the group we had and the coaching staff, it is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life."

In the final against Alberta, the Dauphin star stuffed the stat sheet. He hit .500 with five kills. He added 40 assists, seven digs, and one solo block. Thanks to his monster performance, Love was named the Mikasa Player of the Game. 

It was a dominating performance, and it helped lift Brandon to the top of the Canadian volleyball world.

JJ then set his sights on his next journey. He signed with Iraklis Thessalonikis in Greece's top league. He helped them start 3-0. Not long after, JJ was no longer with the team.

They lost three games, and after a quick coaching change, Love was cut. A rookie season that got off to such a great start quickly came to an end. 

"Yeah, it was definitely a big change. You don't really see that in Canada. There's not that pressure," added Love. "It was a good eye opener. It's not what you can do for the team in the past; it's what you can do now. What can you do in the moment? Our team had some struggles and injuries. No excuses, though. Obviously, we should have been and had to be better. It made me cherish every moment and realize the work needed."

JJ is now in his second year of training with Team Canada's NextGen team. They're off to Mexico later this week for the Pan American Cup.

Following that tournament, JJ and his teammates are off to Puerto Rico for the NORCECA Final Six later this month. 

The Dauphinite is grateful to have learned from Dave Preston and Adam Schriemer this summer, and he can't wait to wear the Maple Leaf on his chest while representing the country.

"Oh, 100 per cent. It's always such an honour to wear your country's flag on your chest," said Love. "It's a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity. You can't take it for granted."

Immediately following the Final Six, Love is off to Nice, France. JJ has signed his second professional contract. In the fall, he'll play with Nice Volley-Ball of France's Ligue A. It's the country's highest league.

The six-foot-seven setter is more prepared than ever as he embarks on year two as a pro. Year one had its fair share of challenges. He has grown exponentially since then and has been putting in the work. Nothing is handed to you in the professional world; everything is earned.

JJ has earned the opportunity to continue his professional journey. Last year, Nice finished eighth out of 14 teams at 11-15. They lost in the first round of the playoffs.

"Yeah, it's such an honour. France is such a good and well-respected league in the world," continued Love. "Just to go play with that great group of guys, coaches, and great organization is all I can ask for. I'm looking forward to getting going in Nice."

Love has been cut, and he's been doubted. He's heading into year two, taking things one practice and one game at a time. He plans to live in the moment and take advantage of every opportunity he earns. When it comes to doubters, he isn't worried about them.

For years, JJ always thought he had to prove doubters wrong and why they should believe in him. Personal experiences have him with a different thought process now.

"After Greece, I changed my mindset to more proving yourself and support system right," ended Love. "In those tough times, the doubters aren't always there for you. It's the people that are always in your corner, supporting you through ups and downs. It's about proving them and myself right. I have this goal and ambition. I'm the one doing the work."

Love thanks his support system for being by his side during the highs and lows. He's forever grateful for the special people in his life.

"They are always there for me through the highs and lows, no matter what," Love said. "They're only a phone call away."

JJ won a national championship with the Brandon Bobcats. He will represent Canada twice this month before kicking off year two of his professional career in France.

It's set to be a big year for JJ, and the grind is what it's all about for the Dauphinite. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Aug 5, 2026 - 10:00 am