– Six deals were made in the Western Hockey League Wednesday as teams continue to make roster adjustments in advance of Friday’s trade deadline. Among the deals Wednesday were the Kamloops Blazers sending Wawanesa product Jordan Thomson to the Saskatoon Blades as part of a multi-player, multi-pick deal. Thomson was the third overall pick in the 2011 Bantam Draft and had seven assists in 20 games with Kamloops this season before leaving the team in November for ‘personal reasons.’ The WHL trade deadline is at 1:00 p.m. (CST) on Friday afternoon.
– The Brandon Wheat Kings scored four unanswered third period goals to beat the Parkland Rangers 5-2 in Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League action Wednesday night. Jordy Stallard had two goals and an assist and Tanner Kaspick a goal and two helpers in the third for Brandon. The victory improves the Wheat Kings to 29-3-0-0 and leaves them still one point ahead of the second-place Winnipeg Wild in the standings. The Wild beat Pembina Valley 3-1 in one of Wednesday’s other games.
– The Virden Oil Capitals have picked up a forward without making a trade. The WHL’s Red Deer Rebels have assigned 18-year old Christian Stockl to the Oil Capitals. Stockl had one goal in 16 games this season and four goals and 11 points in 78 career WHL games.
– Corey Haverstick has been named the Virden Oil Capitals Player of the Month for December. Haverstick had nine goals and 14 points in nine games last month.
– The repercussions of a cancelled MJHL game December 21st between the Virden Oil Capitals and Neepawa Natives is stil up in the air. The Natives were unable to ice a team because of injuries and illness but did not get league permission before postponing the game. That sparked an investigation that Commissioner Kim Davis says is still ongoing. Davis says any consequences including whether the game will be made up or go down as a forfeiture will be decided by the league’s Board of Governors.
– Jared Morris and Mitch Van Teeling scored a pair of goals each to lead the Dauphin Kings to a 6-2 win over the Neepawa Natives in the lone game in the MJHL Wednesday night. The victory moves the Kings to within a single point of first-place Virden in the Sherwood Division. Henry Berger had a goal and an assist for the Natives, who remain tied with Waywayseecappo for fifth-place and the final playoff spot in the Sherwood Division.
– Jonathon Filewich had two goals and three assists to pace the Souris Elks to an 8-6 win over the Hartney Blues in Tiger Hills Hockey League action Wednesday night. The victory improves the Elks Western Division-leading record to 14-3-0-1, three points ahead of Deloraine and four points ahead of Hartney. The Royals beat Boissevain 4-3 in Wednesday’s other contest.
– The North Central Hockey League’s top two teams were both winners Wednesday night. Shane Jury had three goals and an assist to pace the Minnedosa Bombers to a 9-1 win over Kenton while Curtis Gardham scored twice to help the Miniota-Elkhorn C-Hawks to a 4-3 win over Foxwarren. Minnedosa is now 11-1-0-0 on the season, two points ahead of the 10-1-0-0 C-Hawks.
– Six teams are 2-and-0 after the first day of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women’s Curling Championship in Virden. Top-seed Chelsea Carey, Kerri Einarson and Darcy Robertson are undefeated in the Black Group while Barb Spencer, Michelle Montford and Janet Harvey are 2-and-0 in the Red Group. Brandon’s Kortney Teale is 1-and-1 while Kelsey Russill of Brandon and Lisa Menard of Dauphin are both 0-and-2. CKLQ’s Resby Coutts is reporting all week from the Scotties, and will be hosting his weekly ‘In the Hack’ program LIVE from Tundra Oil & Gas Place Thursday night from 7 – 8 p.m.
– The Brandon Men’s Bonspiel begins Thursday at the Brandon and Riverview Curling Clubs. It’s the last chance for some of the eligible teams to earn a berth in the Safeway Championship. The winner or highest finisher of the 16-team competitive division earns a spot into the Provincial Men’s Curling Championship. 38 teams are entered in the Recreational Division of the bonspiel.
– Reg Malanchuk of Deer Lodge earned a berth in the Provincial Masters’ Curling Championship. Malanchuk defeated Brandon’s Brian Lowden 6-4 in the final of the Crocus Credit Union playoff round of the Brandon Masters’ Bonspiel on Wednesday.
– Another little milestone for former Brandon Wheat Kings’ captain Mark Stone Wednesday night. Stone notched his first career NHL regular season assist in Ottawa’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The assist comes a game after Stone scored his first career NHL goal Saturday in Montreal. Meanwhile, Brayden Schenn had an assist in Philadelphia’s 3-1 win over Montreal while the New York Rangers topped Chicago 3-2.
– The New Jersey Devils claimed former Wheat Kings’ defenseman Alexander Urbom off waivers from the Washington Capitals Wednesday. The move is a reversal of a pre-season transation — the Capitals had claimed Urbom off waivers from the Devils before the start of the season, and he had one goal and one assist in 20 games with Washington. He hadn’t played an NHL game since November 29, sitting out as a healthy scratch for 17 straight games. Because the Devils were the only team to put in a claim in Urbom, he can be assigned to the American Hockey League and the Devils sent him to Albany.
– Pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer. Maddux and Glavine are the first pair of 300-game winners elected in the same year since 1973. Thomas is the first player to be elected after being a designated hitter for much of his career.
– Are you ready for wrasslin’ 24/7? WWE is moving outside the ring to mesh the best of Hulk Hogan, The Rock and John Cena all in one place, one its own network. The WWE Network launches February 24 as a streaming service for $9.99 per month with a six-month commitment and will include all 12 pay-per-view events.