Calendar friendly towards holiday hockey this year

With Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday this year, the holiday hockey schedule is jam-packed, with most leagues scheduling games between the 20th and 22nd.

Steinbach and Niverville’s schedule in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League ends on Dec. 20, but both teams will be on the road. Those two teams will kick-off the post-Christmas schedule with a game Dec. 31 in La Broquerie, with the Southeast Event Centre opening is postponed.

In the Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League, teams will play a full schedule of games in the pre-Christmas weekend in addition to a jam-packed post-Christmas Schedule.

Ste Anne has a pair of home games Dec. 28 and 29, with Landmark, Red River and Macdonald also playing that weekend.

New Pembina Valley GM hoping to turn team around

The Pembina Valley Twisters find themselves in unfamiliar territory this season, and have brought in some extra help to try and rise up the standings.

The Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL) team hired John Mintenko as a general manager. The Twisters have been a solid franchise over the years in the MMJHL, which differentiates itself from other junior leagues with looser age restrictions.

Those results have taken a step back this season.

Pembina Valley, which plays out of the Morris Multiplex, are at the bottom of the league’s standings, with only seven points in 23 games this season.

Pembina Valley Twisters player recovering after scary injury

A Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL) game between Pembina Valley and St James Dec. 15 was halted mid-way through the third period after a scary injury on the ice.

Ty Sadowski was left un-moving on the ice after an “unfortunate incident,” according to a post on the Twisters’ Facebook page. The post added Sadowski was taken to Boundry Trails Hospital between Winkler and Morden, and his scans and tests, "all came back normal.”

Those tests allowed the player to return home for his recovery. Pembina Valley general manager John Minkenko reported Sadowski had avoided a serious injury, but would be out of the lineup for a while.

Sadowski was immediately attended to by trainers from both teams, with three firefighters in attendance at the game also helping before EMTs arrived.

Carillon Sports 2nd Shots from Dec. 12th edition

Featuring photos from Providence Pilots volleyball matches Dec. 4, A Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League game in Steinbach Dec. 6 and Providence Basketball games and a Niverville Nighthawks game Dec. 7.

CMU sets tone for MCAC men’s basketball season

If a pair of games against fellow Manitoba team Canadian Mennonite University was a measuring stick, the Providence Pilots men’s basketball team came up short.

In games in Winnipeg and Niverville Dec. 6 and 7 the Blazers took care of business, winning by a the lopsided totals of 101-67 and 96-69.

While the Pilots are dealing with some injuries heading into the Christmas break, head coach Pierre Dubreuil said to compete with CMU for the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference championship they’ll need to improve beyond just health to challenge the pre-season favourites.

“I’m convinced (CMU) are a really, really good team, obviously they just proved it,” Dubreuil said after the weekend’s results, adding the Blazers could easily finish first in the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which includes American teams.

SRSS Sabres honour graduating players at football banquet

December 5th was a night of celebration for the Steinbach Regional Secondary School Sabres football program, as they held their annual banquet inside the school’s gym.

There was plenty to be happy about this season, as both the varsity and junior varsity enjoyed winning seasons, albeit with disappointing playoff losses.

The varsity team had an all-time year from running back Josiah Grenier.

Grenier led the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) in rushing yards with 1,076. He was the only player in varsity AAAA to finish with more than 800 yards on the ground and also led the league with 13 rushing touchdowns.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1979: Snowmobile racing not for the faint of heart

I spent the coldest afternoon of my life at Richer Sunday, dividing my time equally between getting a few pictures of the snowmobile races and sitting in my car trying in vain to warm up between races.

The Richer Snowmobile Riders Club with the assistance of the Central Canadian Snowmobile Racing Association, staged a very successful event under less than ideal conditions.

The Richer track was in great shape and competition was keen with 111 entries, and though the Carillon photographer wasn’t exactly surrounded by spectators, snowmobile racing fans could hardly be blamed for not showing up in the 25-below weather (not counting the windchill).

There weren’t any major mishaps, which is a tribute to the quality of the track, and the event ran smoothly, which is a tribute to the organizers.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: SEMHL regular season match-up one to watch

To take the readers behind the scenes of how I schedule what events I go to, I have a print-out of all the Manitoba Junior Hockey League games for Niverville and Steinbach month-by-month, where I also mark each event I go to, and on my main calendar I have notable events I don’t want to forget to go to.

I describe that to say, it’s not often a normal, run-of-the-mill regular season game can make it onto my calendar as a must-see event, but that is certainly the case this week in the South East Hockey League.

This Saturday marks the first match-up between the two-time defending champion Ste Anne Aces and expansion Springfield Winterhawks in Oakbank.

Not only are the two teams tied at the top of the league standings with identical 6-1 records, I’m looking forward to seeing how the teams interact on the ice.

Jale, Elenoa Kaukirewa pick up Rugby Manitoba awards

Two of the region’s outstanding athletes were honoured at the Rugby Manitoba Awards Dec. 5 in Winnipeg.

Jale Kaukirewa was named the province’s male athlete of the year. Kaukirewa played for the Eastman Warriors, helping them to back-to-back Premier Division champions.

The Warriors are the first team based outside Winnipeg’s Perimeter Highway to win Manitoba’s top rugby trophy, which has been awarded since before 1900.

Elenoa Kaukirewa was recognized as one of two winners for the junior female athlete of the year. She captains the Steinbach Regional Secondary School team, leading the high school league in points.

MJHL Notes: Portage coach Spiller notches 700th career win

Portage Terriers head coach Blake Spiller has reached another milestone.

After the Terriers defeated the Waywayseecappo Wolverines Nov. 29, Spiller became the first coach in MJHL history to reach 700 wins.

Last season, Spiller passed Doug Stokes for the league’s all-time coaching wins record.

This year, the Terrires have stormed back from a slow start to hold second-place in the East Division standings, and are three points behind first-place Steinbach.

St Adolphe’s Pickering scores first NHL goal

“Welcome to the big show, Owen Pickering!”

Those were the words from Pittsburgh Penguins colour commentator Phil Bourque after the St Adolphe product notched his first NHL goal Dec. 3.

With a scoreless game against Florida, the puck bounced to the right point and was held in by Blake Lizotte, who moved it over to the left point where Pickering was waiting.

The big defenseman let loose a shot that flew past a perfect screen from Michael Bunting and behind Spencer Knight to open the scoring for Pittsburgh.

Carillon Sports Second Shots from Dec. 5th edition

Featuring photos from a Niverville Nighthawks game Nov. 29, the AAAA varsity boys volleyball semi-finals in Winnipeg Nov. 30, a CRJHL game in La Broquerie between the Habs and St Malo Warriors, the AA provincial varsity boys volleyball championship in Morris and a Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League game Dec. 1 in Grunthal.

Area students nab MHSAA honours

For three consecutive weeks, the Manitoba High School Athletic Association’s athlete of the week has gone to a volleyball player from the region.

Green Valley’s Jasmine Barkman and Gabrielle-Roy’s Jacob Boisjoli followed up Morris School’s Nicolas Leflar in receiving the award.

Barkman is the only grade 12 player on the Grunthal-based Green Valley’s varsity volleyball team and helped them to an appearance at the provincial championships.

“Jasmine has been a fearless leader all season long, on and off the court,” the MHSAA release reads, noting she also serves on the school’s student council and maintains a 98% average in her classes.