– Brandon Wheat Kings’ captain Ryan Pulock was named the Western Hockey League Player of the Week Monday. Pulock had two goals, four points and was +5 in helping the Wheat Kings win the opening two games of their Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series in Regina. Going back to the regular season, Pulock has four goals and 12 points in his last five games.
– The Wheat Kings didn’t practice on Monday as they prepare to host Games Three and Four of their first round series with the Pats this week. There’s no update on the status of NHL-drafted players Eric Roy and Peter Quenneville, both of whom missed Game Two Sunday with undiscloed injuries. Brandon will host Regina Wednesday and Friday at Westman Communications Group Place.
– The Virden Oil Capitals look to bounce back from series-opening loss when they host the Dauphin Kings in Game Two of their Sher-wood Division Final Tuesday night (7:30 p.m., Tundra Oil & Gas Place). The Oil Caps fell behind 3-0 in dropping a 4-2 decision in Game One on Sunday, and Virden GM/Coach Troy Leslie said on CKLQ’s Monday Sports Talk this week that gaining early momentum is important for his club. Leslie also says they have to show more composure and be a little more precise in their play. For more on Game Two, click here.
– One member of the Oil Caps got good news Monday as Artsiom Kalashnikov was named the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Player of the Week. Kalashnikov had three goals and six points in three playoff games last week and currently leads the MJHL in playoff scoring with four goals and ten points in seven games. Among Kalashnikov’s goals last week was the double overtime winner in the decisive Game Six of Virden’s first round series with Swan Valley.
– Ray Whitney and Tyler Seguin scored power-play goals and the Dallas Stars held off the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Monday night. The victory allowed Dallas to move within a point of the Phoenix Coyotes for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot while the Jets continue to fade out of the post-season race. The Jets are 2-6-3 in their past 11 games and are seven points behind the Coyotes with nine games left in the regular season.
– Winnipeg will be hosting the 2015 Grey Cup game. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon will be in Winnipeg Wednesday to make the official announcement. This will mark the fourth time Winnipeg has hosted the Grey Cup game, with the city having played host in 1991, 1998 and 2006. The Bombers expect to make a large profit from hosting the game. Recent Grey Cup games have produced a profit of anywhere from three-to-five million dollars for the host club.
– Brandon’s Lois Fowler is part of a three-way tie for first-place after three days of the Canadian Senior Curling Championship in Yellowknife. Fowler split her two games Monday and is now 4-and-1, tied with Ontario and Saskatchewan’s for top spot. Meanwhile, Neepawa’s Kelly Robertson is 3-and-2 heading into day four at the Canadian Seniors. Robertson downed PEI and lost to Nova Scotia Monday and is part of a three-way tie for fifth-place with British Columbia and the Yukon.
– The Virden-based figure skating duo of Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers (swee-gurz) will begin their competition at the World Figure Skating Championship in Japan later Tuesday. The duo will skate their short program at 10:11 p.m. (Manitoba time) Tuesday evening.
– Tiger Woods could miss the Masters. The world’s top-ranked player says it’s "a little too soon” to know whether his ailing back will be well enough for him to enter the Augusta National event. Woods is off to the worst start of his 18 years on tour, and last week he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of persistent back pain.
