– The Brandon Wheat Kings will try to close out their first round playoff series when they host the Regina Pats on Friday night (7:30 p.m., Westman Communications Group Place). The Wheat Kings have a three games to none lead in the Best-of-Seven Eastern Conference Quarter-Final, but will be without Jayce Hawryluk for Game Four after he was hospitalized after Game Three Wednesday, complaining of shortness of breath and lightheadedness. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has more on the Wheat Kings on his blog at http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon is scheduled to be released from Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon on Friday. Bozon was hospitalized March 1st when he diagnosed with nesseria meningitis. He was in critical condition and in a medically induced coma for part of his stay in hospital.
– The WHL playoff action Thursday, former Wheat King Jordan Fransoo had a goal and an assist to lead Victoria was Spokane 4-2 Thursday, giving the Royals are sweep of their Western Conference Quarter-Final. It’s the Royals first playoff series win in their franchise history. Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart had a goal and four assists to lead Kootenay past Calgary 6-5 Thursday, giving the Ice a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference Quarter-Final.
– The Dauphin Kings used a five goal second period to down the Virden Oil Capitals 7-2 on Thursday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the MJHL’s Sher-wood Division Final. The Kings got goals from seven different players in the contest while Jordan Greig and Artsiom Kalashnikov had a goal and an assist each for the Oil Capitals. Virden are now on the brink of playoff elimination, and will need to win Game Four on home-ice Saturday night to extend the series (7:30 p.m., Tundra Oil & Gas Place).
– Tobias Enstrom scored a power-play goal with 3:36 remaining in the third period to help the Winnipeg Jets deal a blow to San Jose’s chances to finish in first place by beating the Sharks 4-3 Thursday night. Blake Wheeler added a goal and two assists for the Jets, who trail Phoenix by nine points in the race for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien also scored, and Al Montoya made 27 saves.
– The battle for the Rathgaber Cup begins Friday night as the South East Prairie Thunder host the Shellbrook Elks in Steinbach. The Man-Sask series for Senior AAA Hockey supremacy will send one of the two teams to the 2014 Allan Cup in Dundas, Ontario next month. Brandon product Devon LeBlanc was the MVP at the Allan Cup two years ago when the Thunder captured the national title. LeBlanc is back with South East this year, with his teammates including former Wheat Kings Tyler Dittmer, Justin Kurtz and Terry Yake.
– Both Manitoba teams are into the playoffs at the Canadian Senior Curling Championship in Yellowknife. Brandon’s Lois Fowler finished first in the Senior Women’s standings with a 10-and-1 record and earned a bye to Saturday’s final while Neepawa’s Kelly Robertson finished in second-place with a 9-and-2 record and will play in the Senior Men’s semifinal Friday night.
– The 2014 Olympic and Paralympic curling gold medalists from our province have been inducted into the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, one of the highest honours bestowed by the provincial government. Olympic champions Jennifer Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen, Kirsten Wall and their coach Janet Arnott, and Paralympic champion Dennis Thiessen were awarded the honour in a ceremony yesterday at the legislature. The Jones rink won Olympic Gold in women’s curling against Sweden. Thiessen won gold as part of Team Canada in a victory over Russia.
– The Detroit Tigers are smashing the piggy bank to keep baseball’s best hitter. Miguel Cabrera is reportedly set to sign a contract extension that will pay him a record 292 million dollars over the next 10 years. Cabrera has won the AL MVP award the last two years.
– Georges St-Pierre needs yet another knee surgery. The Montreal fighter and former UFC welterweight champion tore his left ACL in training. St-Pierre vacated his title in December to go on hiatus but has continued to train with plans to return to the octagon. His latest injury is to a different knee than the one that required reconstructive surgery in 2011.
