– The Brandon Wheat Kings suffered their fourth straight loss Saturday night, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Prince Albert Raiders. Calder Brooks and Leon Draisaitl scored goals 13 seconds apart late in the third period for the Raiders while Rihards Bukarts scored both goals for Brandon. The result plus Red Deer’s 5-3 loss in Medicine Hat leaves the Wheat Kings, Prince Albert and Red Deer tied for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. All three teams have 71 points heading into the final week of the regular season.
– Cole Holowenko stopped 31 shots to lead the Swan Valley Stampeders to a 3-0 win over the Virden Oil Capitals in MJHL playoff action Saturday night. Nic Erb, Bo Sigurdson and Max Flanagan scored the goals for the Stamps as they take a 1-0 lead in the Sher-Wood Division semifinal. The Oil Caps will look to rebound from their seventh straight loss overall when they visit Swan Valley for Game #2 on Monday.
– The decisive fifth game of the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League’s semifinal series goes Sunday at the Sportsplex in Brandon as the AAA Midget Wheat Kings host the Eastman Selects. Brandon won Game #4 on the road Friday to force today’s fifth and decisive game, but will be without one of the top scorers today. Ty Lewis suffered a lower body injury in Friday’s game and is out for today’s contest. Faceoff today is at 1:30 p.m. at the Sportsplex. The winner moves on to meet the Winnipeg Wild in the League Final.
– Newcomer Ales Hemsky had four assists as the struggling Ottawa Senators defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 Saturday afternoon. It was Hemsky’s second game and first points with Ottawa since he was acquired last Wednesday in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers and slotted on to the Senators’ top line. Bryan Little, Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien scored the goals for Winnipeg. The Jets’ third straight loss leaves them five points behind Dallas for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
– Brad Twordik scored 18:16 into the second overtime period to lead the Deloraine Royals to a 7-6 win over the Souris Elks in Tiger Hills Hockey League action Saturday night. The win gives Deloraine a 2-0 lead in the Best-of-Five Western Division Final. The Eastern Division Final between Gladstone and Carberry resumes Sunday with the Lakers hosting the Plainsmen. Gladstone won Game #1 on Friday.
– Reid Gillis scored the overtime winner as the Glenboro-Carberry-Baldur Wildcats edged the Minnedosa Chancellors 4-3 in Game #1 of the Westman High School Hockey League’s Consolation Final Saturday. Game #2 of the Best-of-Three series goes Sunday night in Glenboro.
– Brandon product Nolan Thiessen has a chance at a second Tim Hortons Brier title today. Thiessen and his Alberta teammates downed Quebec’s Jean-Michel Menard 9-8 in an extra end in Saturday night’s semifinal at the Canadian Men’s Curling Championship. Alberta will play B-C’s John Morris in the Brier final Sunday night while Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton faces Quebec in the third-place game Sunday. Stoughton dropped a 7-6 decision to Menard in the 3-vs-4 Page Playoff game Saturday.
– Westman finished in third-place in medal standings at the Manitoba Winter Games that concluded Saturday in Winkler and Morden. Westman won gold in the women’s hockey competition, beating Central 1-0 in Saturday’s gold medal game behind a goal from Melissa Hunt and shutout goaltending from Kristen Campbell. Both our Special Olympic Co-ed curling teams also won gold Saturday. Westman finished 48 medals — 19 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze. Kristjan Frederickson was the most decorated Westman athlete, winning six gold and one silver in gymnastics.
