– The Brandon Wheat Kings could have as many as 16 players make their Western Hockey League playoff debuts this weekend when they open their Eastern Conference quarter-final series in Regina. However, none may be more important that rookie goaltender Jordan Papirny. The 17-year old Edmonton product is looking forward to the opportunity to perform in the playoffs after going 11-7-4 after the Christmas break with a 2.94 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. Papirny will be the first rookie to be Brandon’s clear-cut starter going into the playoffs since Tyler Plante in 2005. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has more on his blog at http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– Brandon captain Ryan Pulock was the only Wheat Kings’ player honoured when the WHL unveiled its award finalists and conference all-stars Thursday. Pulock was named to the Eastern Conference first all-star team after finishing fourth among all defencemen in scoring with 63 points in 66 games. Pulock was second among blueliners with 23 goals, and led all defencemen with 14 power-play goals.
– The sixth game of Brandon’s first round playoff series against the Regina Pats will be played in Dauphin. The club announced Thursday that Credit Union Place will be their playoff home-away-from-home for the contest, which is scheduled for March 31st. The DCUP has 1,763 seats and can hold another 750 people in standing room. The Wheat Kings needed to find a different venue because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair will be at Westman Place, and the MTS Centre in Winnipeg is unavailable because it’s hosting the Juno Awards.
– The WHL playoffs opened Thursday night with Sam Reinhart having two goals and an assist in Kootenay’s 5-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen in Game One of their Eastern Conference quarter-final. Two other series start Friday night with Swift Current visiting Medicine Hat and Vancouver at Portland.
– Zach Rakochy stopped 29 shots as the Steinbach Pistons blanked the Portage Terriers 4-0 Thursday night in the seventh and deciding game of their MJHL Addison Division semifinal. Justin Baudry and Nicholas Kobelka had a goal and an assist each for the Pistons as they move on to meet the Winnipeg Blues in the Addison Division Final.
– The schedule for the Sher-Wood Division final between the Virden Oil Capitals and Dauphin Kings has been finalized. The Best-of-Seven series opens Sunday in Dauphin, with Game #2 at Tundra Oil & Gas Place in Virden on Tuesday night. The Oil Caps will also host Game #4 on Saturday, March 29th and Game #6 on Thursday, April 3rd.
– Shane Levandosky and Braedon Mitchell had a goal and two assists each to pace the Neepawa Tigers to a 3-1 win over the Deloraine-Hartney Colts in the third and deciding game of their Westman High School Hockey League semifinal series Thursday. The Tigers move on to meet the Major Pratt Trojans in the League Final.
– The CFL is on the road to making one big rule change ahead of next season. The league’s rules committee is recommending pass interference be subject to video review. The proposed change would allow coaches to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. The league’s board of governors still needs to approve the change.
– Canada’s Rachel Homan is in good position to challenge for gold at the Women’s World Curling Championship. Homan defeated Sweden 9-6 Thursday night to finish atop the round-robin standings with a 10-and-1 record. Now, the Ottawa skip takes on Switzerland in the Page 1-2 playoff with the winner moving straight to Sunday’s gold-medal game.
– The Provincial High School Basketball Championships continue around the province today. The Neelin Spartans and Virden Golden Bears will meet in the AAA Girls’ semifinal, while the Spartans also advanced to the semi’s in the AAA Boys’ championship. Three of the final four teams in the A Girls’ championship are from Westman with two-time defending champion Hamiota facing Elm Creek and Grandview battling Glenboro in the semifinals. The top-ranked Glenboro Panthers are into the A Boys’ semifinals, Boissevain and Souris advanced to the semi’s in the AA Girls’ while the lone Westman team still alive in the AA Boys’ championship are the Boissevain Broncos.
– Reigning Olympic moguls champion Alex Bilodeau will retire at the end of the World Cup season. The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association made the announcement today. Bilodeau will compete in one last event, the season-ending World Cup in France today, before hanging up his skis. Bilodeau took gold medals at both the Sochi and Vancouver Winter Games, making him the only freestyle athlete to win back-to-back Olympic titles.
