– Westman hockey fans will get a chance to see the Canada-Russia hockey rivalry up close this fall. The second game of the CHL’s Subway Super Series will be held at Westman Communications Group Place on November 11th. The contest will feature Team WHL against the Russian Selects. Details on tickets are to be announced in the near future though season tickets holders will have first dibs on their seats for the game. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has more information on his blog at http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– Former Brandon Wheat King Corbin Boes stopped 30 shots to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Kelowna Rockets in WHL playoff action Tuesday night. The Winterhawks scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation before Taylor Leier notched the overtime winner. The victory gives Portland a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Final. In the Eastern Conference Final, Marek Langhamer stopped 43 shots to lead Medicine Hat past Edmonton 2-1 Tuesday. The Oil Kings still lead the series two games to one. Game four in both series is Wednesday night.
– The WHL’s Regina Pats will soon be under new ownership. Reports are a group of Regina businessmen have teamed up to bankroll the purchase from the Parker family, who have owned the team since 1995. Brandon product and former Wheat King Todd Lumbard is among those involved with the new ownership group. The official announcement is expected Wednesday, with the sale still subject to approval by the WHL’s Board of Governors.
– Canada was denied a perfect preliminary round Tuesday at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship, dropping a 3-2 shootout decision to Russia. Despite the loss, Canada still finishes in first-place in Group A and will face Switzerland in Thursday’s quarter-finals. Elkhorn product Travis Sanheim assisted on both of Canada’s goals Tuesday while Wheat Kings’ Jayce Hawryluk, John Quenneville and Ryan Pilon were all held off the scoresheet.
– The penalties have been handed down to members of the Lake Manitoba Eagles hockey team for an incident in which players attacked officials, including pummelling a linesman as he lay on the ice. Three players will be suspended; one who shoved an official got six weeks, one who shot a puck at a referee got two months, while a 14-year-old girl who punched one referee in the head and another in the groin will be suspended for a year. RCMP are continuing their investigation into the incident.
– Manitoba justice officials have authorized criminal charges against two youth hockey players and their coach following an ugly on-ice incident in February. The Winnipeg Free Press reports that the Winnipeg police have been conducting an investigation into the peewee game at Southdale Community Centre between Sagkeeng First Nation and Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation during the Southeast Winter Tribal Days hockey tournament.
– Max Pacioretty scored a power-play goal with 43 seconds left in the third period as Montreal edged Tampa Bay 4-3 for a four-game series sweep. It’s the first time the Canadiens have swept a playoff series since 1993, which is the last time they won the Stanley Cup. Elsewhere in NHL playoff action Tuesday, Patrick Marleau scored in overtime as San Jose edged the L-A Kings 4-3, giving the Sharks a commanding 3-0 series lead. The Bruins are up 2-1 in their series over Detroit after blanking the Red Wings 3-0. Tuukka Rask made 23 saves for Boston. And in Philadelphia, the New York Rangers had goals from four different skaters, including Martin St. Louis, as they beat the Flyers 4-1 for a 2-1 series edge.
– It leaked out last week, but now its official. Brandon’s Rob Fowler is rejoining forces with Jeff Stoughton and will play third on a new curling team that also includes Alex Forrest and Connor Njegovan. Fowler was Stoughton’s second for four years from 2006 to 2010, but has skipped his own team out of the Brandon Curling Club for the past four years and won the Provincial title in 2012. Third Allan Lyburn announced he was taking a year away from the game after this year’s Safeway Championship and Fowler says that’s what started him in exploring his options. For more on this story, please click here.
– Team Canada has made their pick, and it’s a familiar name for curling fans. John Morris will skip the reigning Brier champions of Pat Simmons, Carter Rycroft and Brandon product Nolan Thiessen next season. Morris takes over for Kevin Koe, who left the team to form a new foursome. Team Canada makes its debut at the 2015 Tim Hortons Brier in Calgary and will also compete at the 2014 Canada Cup and 2015 Continental Cup but will have a limited schedule otherwise.
– History in Major League Baseball Tuesday night. Albert Pujols became the 26th player in history to reach 500 career home runs, hitting #’s 499 and 500 in the LA Angels 7-2 victory over Washington. Pujols is the first player to reach the 500 mark since Gary Sheffield in April of 2009. Other action Tuesday including the Toronto Blue Jays getting three-run homers from Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie and Melky Cabrera with a 9-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
– The Santa Clara Baseball League has been reduced to a six-team laegue for the 2014 season. The Ebb & Flow Lakers have taken a one-year leave of absence; the Parkland Brewers and Dauphin Midget have both dropped out of the league while the Austin A’s have been added to the loop. The SCBL’s 15-game regular season will begin May 21st, while most of the team will participate in a pre-season tournament in Plumas on May 10-11.
– Brandon’s Alexandra Murray opened her singles competition at the Canadian Junior Raquetball Championship with a victory Tuesday, defeating Quebec’s Jessica Leduc 15-1, 15-4 to start the 16-and-Under Girls’ competition. Murray also teamed with Milana Paddock to beat a Quebec duo and even their record at 1-and-1 in the 18-and-Under Girls’ doubles while Reid Sorotsky fell to 0-and-2 in the 12-and-Under Boys’ singles with a 15-2, 15-1 loss to Quebec’s Long Boudreau.
– The Westman High School Rugby League’s regular season got underway with three games Tuesday. The debut the Elton Sabres varsity boys’ team didn’t go well as they dropped an 82-0 decision to the Minnedosa Chancellors. Vincent Massey defeated Crocus Plains 13-0 in the other Varsity Boys’ matchup while the lone Varsity Girls’ game saw Victoria Rust have two tries and a convert to lead Vincent Massey past Crocus 46-19.
– DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points as Toronto edged Brooklyn 100-95 Tuesday night to even its first-round playoff set at a game apiece. Amir Johnson had 16 points and nine rebounds while Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 14 boards.
