– The Brandon Wheat Kings chose a total of 11 players in yesterday’s WHL Bantam Draft. Including #1 pick Stelio Mattheos, Brandon chose five forwards, four defencemen and two goaltenders. Among their picks was Brandon product Connor Gutenberg, whom they chose in the fifth round. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has more details on the Wheat Kings’ day at the Bantam Draft at http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– The second-winningest coach in Western Hockey League history is switching teams. Don Hay is leaving the Vancouver Giants after ten years behind the bench to re-join the Kamloops Blazers. Hay had one year left on his contract with the Giants, but Vancouver has chosen not to hold him to it or request compensation from Kamloops.
– The host Dauphin Kings put themselves in the driver’s seat at the Western Canada Cup Thursday night. Brett Hope and Brent Wold had a pair of goals each as Dauphin downed the Coquitlam Express 5-3 to finish atop the round-robin standings. That gives the Kings two chances to qualify for the RBC Cup. Dauphin faces Yorkton in the 1-vs-2 game Saturday night, with the winner earning a spot in the National Junior A Championship. The loser will play the winner of the Spruce Grove/Coquitlam 3-vs-4 game on Sunday for the second available spot in the RBC Cup. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has the full story here.
– Hockey Manitoba will hold their annual general meeting this weekend, and they’ll be focusing on the positives. Minor hockey had it’s share of negative indicents over the winter, including two Winnipeg parents being suspended for three years and at least two separate incidents of officials being attacked on the ice by players and coaches. Hockey Manitoba executive director Peter Woods says any organization has its hiccups, but those type of incidents are few and far between and they’ve had a lot of successes this season. Woods adds he has confidence in the organization’s disciplinary committee to dole out punishment when the need arises.
– P.K. Subban scored a power-play goal in double overtime as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 Thursday night to win Game 1 of their second-round playoff series. Carey Price finished with 48 saves while Rene Bouque and Francis Bouillon scored in regulation for Montreal. Reilly Smith, Torey Krug and Johnny Boychuk countered for Boston, and Tuukka Rask stopped 29 shots. Two other second round series open Friday night with Chicago hosting Minnesota and Pittsburgh entertaining the New York Rangers.
– John Tortorella has been fired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks after just one season. The Canucks struggled under the fiery coach and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The Canucks are still on the hook for the remaining four years remaining of Tortorella’s contract, which is worth an estimated two million dollars a season.
– The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have sold more than 20,000 season tickets, down from this same time a year ago. Last year, season ticket sales were spurred on by the christening of the new Investors Group Field and the Bombers had 23,000 at this time and finished with close to 25,000. Bomber president Wade Miller is pleased with the number and says they knew sales would be down over last season.
– The Prairie West High School Baseball League got its 2014 season underway Thursday. Chad Kilimnik had four hits, including a home run, and drove in five runs to pace the Major Pratt Trojans to a 14-5 victory over the Hamiota Huskies while Bradley Schoonbaert had three hits and three RBI’s to help the Vincent Massey Vikings top the Birtle Falcons 19-7. There is one game on Friday’s schedule, with the Boissevain Broncos hosting the Killarney Raiders.
– The NBA owners’ advisory and finance committee held its first meeting yesterday about ending Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers. Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life and fined him 2.5 million dollars on Tuesday for making racist comments. Silver said he also would urge owners to force Sterling to sell. The committee plans to meet again next week.
– Hall of Fame sports announcer Bob Wolff has been honoured by the Guinness Book of World Records for having the "Longest Career as a Broadcaster” in a pregame ceremony at Yankee Stadium. The 93-year-old Wolff, still working for News 12 Long Island, was celebrated on the field last night before New York played the Seattle Mariners. According to the Yankees, Wolff has been broadcasting for 74 years, 6 months and 7 days.
