– Jayce Hawryluk will make his return to the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lineup when they open the Western Hockey League playoffs on Saturday. Hawryluk sat out Brandon’s final four games of the regular season due to a league-imposed suspension, his third suspension of the 2013-2014 season. The 18-year old knows he’ll need to alter his game, but wants to retain his playing style as much as possible. The Wheat Kings are continuing preparations for the start of their Eastern Conference Quarter-Final against the Regina Pats, with the Best-of-Seven series beginning with the opening two games in Regina this Saturday and Sunday. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has more on the Wheat Kings on his blog at http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– The Brandon Wheat Kings will be pulling for the Saskatoon Blades Wednesday. The WHL will conduct its Bantam Draft lottery today (12:00 p.m. CDT), with the Wheat Kings having the option to swap first round picks with Saskatoon this year as part of the trade that saw Brenden Walker sent to the Blades two years ago. Saskatoon finished with the third-worst record in the WHL, giving them a 19 per cent chance of winning the lottery and having the first overall pick, which would then be transferred to Brandon. The Wheat Kings have never had the #1 pick in the Bantam Draft.
– Former Wheat King Dakota Conroy had a goal and an assist to help the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Red Deer Rebels 5-3 Tuesday night in the tiebreaker game for eighth-place in the Eastern Conference. The Raiders move on to meet the Edmonton Oil Kings in the opening round of the playoffs.
– Ken Schneider has stepped down as head coach of the Brandon AAA Midget Wheat Kings. Schneider spent the past four seasons as the Wheat Kings’ bench boss, compiling a 124-45-7 regular season record for an impressive .724 winning percentage. However, the club’s season ended in the league semifinals in each of the past four years. The search for Schneider’s replacement will begin immediately.
– The Winnipeg Blues completed their first round upset Tuesday night, downing the Selkirk Steelers 4-1 to win their MJHL Addison Division semifinal four games to one. The Blues finished 34 points behind the first-place Steelers in the regular season. Meanwhile, Talor Joseph made 32 saves as Portage blanked Steinbach 3-0 Tuesday night to tie their Addison semifinal 3-3. On Wednesday, the Virden Oil Capitals visit the Swan Valley Stampedes in game six of their Sher-Wood Division semifinal. The Oil Caps lead the series three games to two.
– Brad Marchand and Jarome Iginla scored goals 59 seconds apart early in the second period to lift the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on a busy night in the NHL Tuesday night. The victory was the Bruins’ tenth in a row, and leaves Boston still five points ahead of Pittsburgh for top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins kept pace with a 5-1 win over Dallas Tuesday, while other action included Thomas Vanek scoring his first three goals as a Hab in Montreal’s 6-3 win over Colorado. The complete scoreboard is available here.
– Another hometown talent is returning to Brandon to continue their university career. Hope Schneider will transfer from the University of Winnipeg to Brandon University next fall, and will suit up for the Lady ‘Cats women’s volleyball team. Schneider will be entering third year of eligibility and will compete for playing time at setter behind projected starter Mary Thomson and Savannah Guttman, who red-shirted this past season. CKLQ’s Tyler Crayston has more details here.
– Former Brandonite Israel Idonije is back in familar territory. The NFL free agent defensive lineman signed a one-year, $955,000 contract with the Chicago Bears Tuesday. Idonije spent nine seasons with Chicago from 2004 to 2012, playing in 134 games and recording 196 tackles and 28 1/2 sacks. Last season, Idonije had 11 tackes and 1/2 sack in a limited role with the Detroit Lions.
– The Canadian Football League is considering making pass interference subject to video review as part of a significant review of its rule book. Under a proposal to be voted on Thursday by the league’s Rules Committee, coaches would be allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. If it passes, the CFL could become the first football league to subject pass interference to video review. The Rules Committee is also considering expanding the role of the Command Centre by requiring it to automatically review all turnovers.
– Canada’s Rachel Homan takes a 6-and-1 record into Wednesday’s action at the World Women’s Curling Championship in Saint John, New Brunswick. Homan downed Scotland 8-3 and Latvia 8-4 in her two games Tuesday and is now tied for top spot with Switzerland and Sweden.
– The Virden Golden Bears hope to make some history this weekend. The Golden Bears are the #1 seed for the Provincial AAA Basketball Championship in Swan River as they look for their first AAA basketball title. The last basketball banner to haed to Virden was a AA Girls’ crown in 1984. Brandon’s Neelin Spartans are also competing in the Girls’ and Boys’ AAA Provincials. They’re the fourth seed in both.
– Brandon-born Chuck Scherza passed away peacefully this past weekend. Scherza was the second oldest living Boston Bruin, having played 56 NHL games with the Bruins and New York Rangers in 1943-44 and 1944-45. Scherza was born in Brandon on February 15, 1923 and played junior hockey with the regina Abbotts and Oshawa Generals before turning professional. After his brief NHL tenure, the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame member spent several years with the Providence Reds of the AHL and played senior hockey with the Trois Rivieres Lions and North Day Trappers before retiring in 1959.
– The upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational will be without its marquee attraction. Tiger Woods said on his website Tuesday he called Palmer to say he won’t be able to play because of persistent back pain. Woods is the defending champion at Bay Hill and an eight-time winner at one of his favourite courses. He says it was too early to say how he will be for the Masters next month.
– Kaillie Humphries is ready for her next challenge. The Olympic bobsled champion announced Tuesday that she will be on the card for the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter: Nations Finale card on April 13th in Quebec City. The Calgary native has a 10-and-1 MMA record but has never fought in the UFC. Humphries piloted Canada to gold at the Sochi Games in two-man bobsled and was Canada’s flagbearer for the closing ceremonies with teammate Heather Moyse.
