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The Dauphin Kings are back on track
Without leading goal scorer Cayden Glover, NCAA Division 1 commit Naaman Hofer, and star defender Aiden Murray, Rylan Gage scored very early and the Kings never looked back and put together an incredible performance in a gutsy 3-1 win against the Northern Manitoba Blizzard on Saturday night at Credit Union Place.
It was an outstanding response from Dauphin just 24 hours after suffering their worst loss of the season against Virden. Gage opened the scoring with his 11th of the season just 36 seconds in with a perfect shot from the point.
Havyril Simchuk then scored his seventh in the back half of the period before Gabriel Bugeaud scored a dandy shortly after as Dauphin led 3-0 after 20 minutes of play. The Kings allowed just 17 shots through 40 minutes and while the Blizzard scored late in the third period, Dauphin was never in danger of giving up the lead.
Dauphin went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and while their power play (0-for-3) continued to struggle, it was a great effort for a group that was without two of their best players and one key player on the back end.
With the win, Dauphin improved to 27-11-1 on the season and now have an eight point lead over the Blizzard with a game in hand and they're also eight points ahead of Neepawa, with four games in hand.
The Kings welcome back Carter Zalischuk on Tuesday as the Selkirk Steelers come to town before heading on the road for three games next weekend, Friday against Steinbach, Saturday in Niverville, and Sunday against Jayce Legaarden and the Winkler Flyers. Every game next weekend can be heard here on 730CKDM with Darnell Duff.
King Chips:
- Cayden Glover suffered an upper-body injury on Friday and is out week-to-week;
- Aiden Murray also suffered an upper-body injury on Friday and is out week-to-week;
- Madden Murray suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and will be re-evaluated on Saturday;
- Naaman Hofer was suspended two games on Friday and is eligible to return on Friday when Dauphin plays Steinbach; and
- Cole Sheffield was back between the pipes and was excellent, turning away 22 shots.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
That's now 2-for-2 for the Dauphin Clippers hockey team this weekend.
Following a solid win against the Virden Golden Bears on Friday that saw Ronin Mouck score three times, the Clippers made their way to Boissevain to play the Broncos on Saturday and embarrassed them.
Dauphin came out of the gate firing as Sully Fox scored twice in the opening period against the Broncos and Dauphin never looked back and coasted to a 13-1 win. Ethan Carnegie continued to torch his opponents as he scored four times. Ronin Mouck scored twice as did Noah Hanneson.
Kenai Mouck, Layne Wolfenden, and Josh Yakielashek also scored for Dauphin as the team continued to produce offence at an elite level, while playing an excellent brand of defensive hockey.
Dauphin heads to Melita to play the Renegades on Sunday, looking for their sixth straight win.
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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers no longer have to worry about not having the services of Dalton Schoen.
The all-star receiver signed a one-year contract on Saturday to remain in Manitoba's capital in the Blue & Gold. Schoen had a league-leading 10 touchdowns in 2023 and ranked third in yards with 1,222.
While he was limited to just three games last season because of a lower-body injury, Schoen was named a West Division all-star the previous two seasons, recording 26 touchdowns, paired with 2,663 yards.
Schoen was set to hit free agency on February 11, however, there's no worry now if you're a Bomber fan.
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The Dauphin Clippers varsity girls basketball team is on fire.
Already with a championship under their belt at the Powerview tournament, the Clippers defended their home court while putting on a show for the fans at the Clipper Dome this weekend.
Hosting their home tournament, the team completed another undefeated weekend. In a tight game against Neepawa, the Clippers got some clutch late baskets and locked down defensively in a 45-36 win. They hammered the Virden Golden Bears, 52-30, and Steinbach Christian Flames, 57-43.
They've now win six straight games.
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The Virden Oil Capitals picked up a statement win last Saturday when they doubled up the Dauphin Kings on Ukrainian Night.
On Friday night, it was more than just a statement. They proved that they are for real. The Kings had nothing from start to finish, Loic Morin made 30 saves and their offence showed up early and often in securing their 17th win with an 8-0 victory over Dauphin.
It was the Kings biggest loss of the year and they may have paid a bigger price. With less than two minutes left, Cayden Glover took a huge hit in the Oil Capitals zone and he immediately skated down the tunnel and was tended to by Haley Choma. Glover leads the league with 33 goals and if he were to miss any action, that would be a massive blow to the team's lineup.
Dauphin will return to action on Saturday night when they host the Northern Manitoba Blizzard. Dauphin still leads the West Division by six points over the Blizzard and Neepawa Titans. Saturday's game is sponsored by Dauphin's Countryfest as it's Country Night at Credit Union Place.
Next broadcast is next Friday against the Steinbach Pistons.
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The Dauphin Clippers have jumped into a tie for fourth place in the Westman High School Hockey League.
Setting sail for their first of three games this weekend, the Clippers opened up a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes and never looked back in a 7-4 win against the Virden Golden Bears at Tundra Oil and Gas Place.
Ronin Mouck led the way for Dauphin recording a hat-trick to fuel Dauphin while Chase Glover earned the victory in net. Ethan Carnegie was right behind Mouck with two goals while Julien Lopez and Wil Busby also scored for Dauphin.
The team's first line of Mouck, Lopez, and Carnegie continued to torch opponents as they combined for six goals. The Clippers will now support the Dauphin Kings as they'll watch their game against Virden before heading to Boissevain to play the Broncos on Saturday evening, their weekend wraps up Sunday afternoon in Melita against the Renegades.
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Brayden Dube is having a career year and has announced some exciting future plans.
The star 19-year-old from Roblin has committed to play Division 1 NCAA hockey at the Bemidji State University. Dube has certainly made his third season with the Prince Albert Raiders count, scoring 22 times in 45 games, totalling 47 points. He has already smashed last year's total when he had 29 points.
Brayden has been lighting it up for the Raiders, ranking fifth in team scoring while sitting third in goals, trailing only Tomas Mrsic and Rilen Kovacevic. The clutch factor isn’t new for Dube—back in 2022, at just 16, he buried the game-winner in Game 7 of the Turnbull Cup final for the Dauphin Kings.
He’s helping propel Prince Albert up the standings, with the team surging to second place in the Eastern Conference at 26-15-3-1. Riding a red-hot streak, they’ve taken seven of their last eight and are proving to be one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
Brayden will join Bemidji State in the 2026-27 season, after completing his Western Hockey League career next season. The Beavers are an NCAA Division 1 program that plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Tyler Jubenvill of Gilbert Plains played for the Beavers from 2018-2022.
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It was a series that while it happened in April of 2024, many hockey fans are still talking about it, or at the very least, remember how it unfolded.
The Northern Manitoba Blizzard and Dauphin Kings locked horns in the first round of the Turnbull Cup playoffs and it was one of the most epic series in Canadian Junior Hockey League history. Cole Sheffield was a massive reason why it went the way it was.
The 20-year-old from London put on a show for fans. As Dauphin opened the series with a win, Sheffield turned away 46 shots. Then we fast forward to game six which was a game that ended far past midnight, Sheffield made 71 saves in a five-overtime victory for the Kings. Dauphin fell in game seven in triple overtime, but Sheffield once again brought his best game making 52 saves.
Months later, Cole still thinks about what a crazy series that was to be a part of.
"It was special. Looking back at it now, it's one of the best series you will ever see," said Sheffield. "Having a day off from that five-overtime game and then going to triple overtime, it was definitely tiring. It was definitely a cool experience and a lot of fun."
Following a solid off-season in the gym and on the ice, Sheffield had options when it came to where he would play this season. Kings fans were thrilled when they found out Cole was returning to Dauphin for his 20-year-old season.
"It's the culture, we have a lot of guys that returned from last year, and having that relationship with them is important," continued Sheffield. "I also live with our goaltending coach Dan Keeping and we have a great bond. He's great and has been a big part of my development, along with Doug, Rick, Brad, and Chad."
As Dauphin prepares for a key MGEU West Division matchup against the Virden Oil Capitals on Friday night, the Kings will be looking to flip the script. The team is coming off a 4-2 loss last Saturday against Virden in front of a sold-out crowd on Ukrainian Night. While that was a disappointing loss, it has been a season full of positives as the West Divison leaders sit at 26-10-1, six points ahead of Northern Manitoba with two games in hand.
Dauphin has the fourth-highest winning percentage in the league and while they're not chasing anyone in the West, they are chasing the East Division leaders, and Dauphin has games in hand on all of them. They're 10 points back of Winkler and Steinbach, with four games in hand on the Pistons and two on the Flyers. The Kings also have four games in hand on Portage and are six points back.
"We're building off each win. I feel like there's times when we're feeling really good about our game and we go into contests with swagger," said Sheffield. "This is a winning hockey club and we need to continue coming to the rink ready to compete and battle for one another."
Cole also continues to cook up some tasty meals between the pipes. Nicknamed 'King Sheffield' by many team fans, Cole has 22 wins this year, tied for the second-most in the league while leading in minutes played with 1877.
Sheffield also has two shutouts to his credit and his goals-against average and save percentage are right near the top. Sheffield can make a massive save when needed and make the cool and collected save. He's a treat to watch and Dauphin fans are lucky to witness what he has to offer all season long.
"Yeah, it's been good. Doug (Hedley) has given me a great opportunity to play a lot," commented Sheffield. "I've been fortunate enough to get that chance to play a lot and it's my job to give our team a chance to win."
Cole should have been invited to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League / Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Showcase last year but was left off the 20U all-star teams. This year, the MJHL got it right and named him to Team MJHL 20U Black.
Sheffield got the team's first game off as Christian Green of Steinbach gave up nine goals. Cole was in the net on Wednesday and what a performance it was. Sheffield made several outstanding saves including a save on Rylan Williams when he was awarded a penalty shot late in the second.
Sheffield turned away all 21 shots he faced in the third period finishing the game with 43 saves and was named the CCM Star of the Game for his team. It was the best goaltending performance of the tournament as Cole shut down Team SJHL 20U Gold.
"It was great. Especially after our first game when the team didn't play as well and lost, I really wanted to make sure our team won," he added. "The guys played great in front of me and I was able to make some big saves. It was great to get that experience and pick up the win for the team."
Cole was joined in Manitoba's capital by his teammates Naaman Hofer, Cayden Glover, Matthew Thomas, and Gavin Nemis. He played on the same team as Glover, Thomas, and Hofer while Nemis was on the MJHL's 18U all-star team.
"Thomas and Hofer were great defensively, they helped me a lot. Glover brings that offence and had a great game," continued Sheffield. "We had a chance to watch Nemis twice and he was flying out there, definitely one of the best players in the 18U games."
Cole's junior journey began in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League in the 2020-21 season with the French River Rapids where he played 39 games across two seasons. He joined the Kings in training camp in the 2022-23 season, the rest is history.
Sheffield has played 120 MJHL games, recording 69 wins and putting on a show for fans countless times. This season is Cole's last chance to make a championship run and he's not taking it lightly.
"I remember I was 16 playing junior and one of the veterans said just enjoy it, it goes fast," ended Sheffield. "Looking back now, it definitely flies. I'm trying to enjoy every second and that's what I'm doing. I believe we have the group to get the job done this year so hopefully, we can buy in and win a championship."
Sheffield chats with Darnell Duff.
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The Parkland U-18 Rangers survived what would have been a devastating collapse on home ice.
Playing the last-place Yellowhead Chiefs at Credit Union Place, Parkland led the game 5-1 after 43:07. The Chiefs scored four straight goals to force overtime and shock the crowd. Ultimately, Cade Legaarden said enough is enough.
Legaarden completed a hat trick with his third of the night just 16 seconds into overtime as the Rangers picked up the extra point in a nerve-racking 6-5 win over Yellowhead. The win moved Parkland into solo sixth and they're just a point back of the Thrashers for fifth place.
The Rangers are only eight points behind the Cougars for fourth. The top four teams earn home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Parkland's next game concludes a home-and-home with Yellowhead as the two teams lock horns on Tuesday at the Shoal Lake Communiplex.
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The champions of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) will play the champions of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
That is the first game of the Centennial Cup, hosted this year by the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) at the Max Bell Centre. The 10-team tournament runs from May 8-18 and will crown a national Junior A champion.
Manitoba will then play the champions from the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) on Saturday, May 10, before playing the Superior International Junior Hockey League champions on Monday, May 12.
The champions from Manitoba end their round-robin on Wednesday, May 14 against the champions from the AJHL. Following a day off on Thursday, May 15, the playoff portion of the event begins on Friday, May 16.
The national semi-final is slated for Saturday, May 17, and the national final is on Sunday afternoon, May 18.
When the Dauphin Kings competed in the Centennial Cup in 2022 in Estevan, the Kings advanced to the semi-final where they lost to the Pickering Panthers.
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Mark Kerkowich is a true sports fanatic, living and breathing every moment of action!
Seven years ago, he picked up curling and joined a men's league team with three of his best friends in his hometown of Neepawa. Little did Mark know, that decision would set off a wild ride leading to the biggest stage in Manitoba curling.
When Neepawa hosted the West qualifier for the Viterra Championships – Manitoba's premier men's curling event – Mark had an idea. He told his team they should enter. At first, they were skeptical, but before they knew it, the team was all in.
With four spots up for grabs in the provincial championships, the odds were long, and Mark never imagined they would make it to the big show. But that's why it's always important to believe in yourself. His team, led by skip Sean Boyle, third Brent Boyle, and second Scott Newton, found their rhythm and caught fire, earning one of those spots!
Now, as the Viterra Championships approach on February 5 at Stride Place, home of the Portage Terriers, Neepawa is buzzing with excitement. Mark and his team are heading to the Manitoba men’s provincial championships, ready to compete under the brightest lights of Manitoba curling. It’s a dream come true, and it’s just the beginning.
"The guys kind of laughed at me when I mentioned playing in the qualifier because we hosted it," said Kerkowich. "I thought if we lose two games, we're done, and we move ahead. But we got onto a nice roll, won a few games and pulled it out at the end. It was pretty neat to know we earned a spot."
The Viterra Championship features the top 32 men's teams in the province, except for Team Matt Dunstone as their team has already qualified for the 2025 Montana's Brier from February 28 to March 9.
Team Jordan McDonald enters next week's event ranked second, Team Braden Calvert is third, Team Jacques Gauthier is fourth, and Team Brett Walter rounds out the top five. Kerkowich and his team will go up against the top-ranked and 25th-ranked team in the world as Team Boyle battles Team Reid Carruthers in the Round of 32.
Reid won the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier and World Championship and a gold medal at the 2017 Canadian mixed doubles championship. He's won two Grand Slam of Curling titles and has appeared in 12 Briers. He's widely regarded as a legend in the Manitoba curling scene and his team recently welcomed BJ Neufeld to the fold after he and Team Dunstone parted ways earlier this season.
For Kerkowich, going up against one of the best in the world is an opportunity of a lifetime.
"He could retire and be in the hall of fame tomorrow and they improved adding BJ," said Kerkowich. "It'll be pretty cool, a slice of humble pie. It's going to be neat watching the big boys play and hopefully, we can make them play more than six ends. It's going to be a very neat experience and we're looking forward to making the most of it, you don't get to play a team of that calibre every day."
You can get a complete schedule for the Viterra Championships here. The provincial final will be on February 9 at 3:00 p.m. The winner advances to the Montana's Brier later in the month.
Curling Rock For Riding Mower:
In a few short months, Mark's focus will solely shift to his duties at the golf course and working on his game. Kerkowich spent five years at the Clear Lake Golf Course before getting a call from Landon Cameron.
Cameron, the general manager at the Neepawa Golf and Country Club knew that his course needed a Superintendent, and Kerkowich was the perfect fit. So Mark went in for an interview and one thing led to another. In the end, Mark was homebound after being born and raised in Neepawa.
Kerkowich accepted the position and is heading into his 10th season as superintendent at the course.
"It was pretty cool to come home and a great feeling to get headhunted by Cameron," said Kerkowich. "To be back around so many familiar faces and back home, it's very special to me. It's where I grew up and it was great to be back."
While Kerkowich came up short of saying golf means everything to him, he has had a deep passion for the sport for many years and that love continues to grow.
"Sports have always been my thing, they keep my interest," continued Kerkowich. "Whether it's working or playing a round, it doesn't get much better than that. It's what I'm interested in most. I'm lucky that I get to play and even luckier that I get to work at this course."
Kerkowich says some of his fondest memories include spending time with the many superintendents across the province.
"It's a great industry to work in. As much as golf courses compete against each other for golfers and whatnot, we're a very tight-knit group," continued Kerkowich. "I've talked to so many who are always ready to listen and answer any questions I might have. There are so many smart people in the industry that I'm trying to keep up with."
If you're a golfer and have yet to play the Neepawa Golf & Country Club, make it a must-play when the season comes around. It truly is one of the nicest courses in the province and with a great staff to boot and a top-notch superintendent, you're in for a treat.
"I may be a bit biased because I'm from and work here, but it's a very special track," continued Kerkowich. "It's one of my favourite courses and I've played a lot of beautiful ones."
Mark also takes immense pride in assuring the course is in great shape.
"It's like every superintendent, you put your name on it, so you work hard to please everyone you can," ended Kerkowich. "You're not always going to, but it's about doing everything you can. Day in and day out, move things in the right direction."
When he's not working, which isn't often, Mark is on the course playing and making birdies. He's one of the top golfers in Neepawa and won his sixth Rose Bowl title last year.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff