– Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton lost his first game at the Tim Hortons Brier Monday night. Stoughton fell behind 4-1 after three ends in a 10-4 loss to Alberta’s Kevin Koe. After two straight games at a perfect 100 per cent, Brandon product Nolan Thiessen had to settle for curling 94 per cent in the Alberta victory. The result leaves Stoughton, Koe and B.C’s John Morris tied for first-place at 4-and-1 with Saskatchewan’s Steve Laycock next at 3-and-1.
– The Provincial Masters Men’s Curling Championship wrapped up Monday, with Ron Westcott of Fort Rouge taking the title with an 8-2 victory over Doug Armour of Souris in the final. Westcott becomes the first skip to win three Manitoba Masters titles. He and Masters Women’s champion Pat Malanchuk will represent our province at the Canadian Masters Championship in Coaldale, Alberta later this month.
– Brandon Wheat Kings’ forward Jayce Hawryluk was named the Western Hockey League Player of the Week. Hawryluk had six goals and four assists for ten points in three games last week, helping the Wheat Kings earn five of a possible six points. The Roblin product leads the Wheat Kings in scoring with 64 points. It’s Hawryluk’s second Player of the Week award this season.
– The Western Hockey League is not headed to Winnipeg for next season, according to the Winnipeg Jets. A report in the Prince George Citizen on the sale of that city’s WHL franchise mentions Winnipeg as the future home of the Kootenay Ice, but a Jets’ spokesperson says there’s no truth to that story. Meanwhile, sources say the Prince George Cougars have been sold to local businessman Greg Pocock and a group of investors that includes NHL players and former Cougars Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis.
– The Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Sher-Wood Division Survivor Series opens Tuesday night as the Waywayseecappo Wolverines visit the OCN Blizzard. The Best-of-Three series will see the winner moving on to face the Dauphin Kings in the Sher-Wood Division semifinals. The Wolverines and Blizzard split their eight head-to-head meetings during the regular season. Game #2 of the series is Thursday night in Waywayseecappo. CKLQ’s Tyler Crayston has more here.
– Westman won its first two medals at the Manitoba Winter Games Monday. Gideon Nadlersmith of Boissevain and Kate Mazur of Erickson won silver and bronze respectively in the Pee Wee Male and Female 2.5 kilometre classic cross-country skiing races. Other action included Westman’s Bantam Male hockeyk team falling 9-8 to Eastman and 3-0 to Winnipeg Gold to fall to 1-and-2; Westman’s Junior Girls and Boys’ curling teams are both 1-and-2 while Westman’s Ringette team is 0-and-2.
– The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have acquired quarterback Brian Brohm from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for a conditional 2015 draft pick. Brohm appeared in one exhibition game last year for Hamilton before spending the entire season on the injured list. The Bombers also released quarterback Justin Goltz Monday, while former Winnipeg QB Buck Pierce is expected to announce his retirement Tuesday.
– Several big-name Canadians will not be going to the world figure skating championship later this month in Japan. That includes Olympic medallists Patrick Chan and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Pairs teams Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, and ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje will lead the 17-member Canadian team. The team will also include the Virden-based duo of Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers.
