Friday night marked the opening day of the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs. But it was just another day, and another win for the hometown Winnipeg ICE, who improved to 5-0 in the postseason with a 5-3 win over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors from Wayne Fleming Arena.

The ICE welcomed Zach Benson back to lineup following a significant upper-body injury suffered back on March 10 against Edmonton. And it didn't take long for the projected Top-5 2023 NHL Draft selection to make his mark.

The 17-year-old scored his first of the postseason just 7:57 into the game, with regular point producers Conor Geekie and Ben Zloty getting the assists on what was Winnipeg's second goal of the game. Matthew Savoie got his seventh goal of the playoffs before the period expired, giving the ICE a 3-1 lead through 20 minutes.

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Moose Jaw scored three-straight goals to tie things up before the third period rolled around, but it was Winnipeg that came out to play in the final frame. Connor McClennon and Graham Sward each scored before the period was half over, putting the ICE up 5-3.

Goaltender Daniel Hauser shut things down over the final 20, as he picked up his fifth win of the playoffs, stopping 26 of the 29 shots he faced.

Five ICE players recorded multi-point outings, with Savoie leading the way with a goal and two helpers in the series-opening victory. Both teams went 1/2 on the power play. Winnipeg outshot Moose Jaw 37-29 on the night.

The ICE and Warriors won't need to wait long to renew hostilities, as the teams will regroup for Game 2 on Saturday evening at 6:00 PM central time. Some tickets are still available for purchase from www.WinnipegIce.ca.

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Zach Benson Scores in Return as ICE Win First Game of Second Round

<h2>Making Blazers history - Smith earns PRESTIGIOUS award</h2>For the first time in program history, the distinguished JWHL Elizabeth 'Liz' Turgeon Memorial Player of the Year Award has been given to a member of the Balmoral Hall Blazers U-19 team.Blazers forward Morgan Smith received the honour of the JWHL Player of the Year title after leading her Balmoral Hall squad to an eye-catching 39-12-4 record (82 points) as the team’s captain and showing off her talented knack for scoring in the process.&nbsp;Referred to as “Mo” around the rink by her coaches and peers, Smith amounted to an impressive total of 96 points this season for Balmoral Hall, recording 48 goals and 48 assists on the year.And to say this is the first time the 18-year-old has demonstrated her high offensive ceiling to head coach Sarah Zacharias and her Blazers teammates would be a foolish mistake.&nbsp;In fact, in the 2022-23 season with Balmoral Hall, Smith actually topped this season’s scoring mark, registering an astounding 50 goals and 63 assists for 113 points as just a junior in high school.Of course, 17 points less this year doesn’t take away from the incredible season Smith has had, but only points to her incredible offensive gifts at such a young age.&nbsp;Hailing from East St. Paul, MB., the left-shooting winger possesses a perilous shot, strong footspeed, and elite vision. These attributes give Smith all the makings of an elite offensive producer, and that’s why she is a threat to score from anywhere on the ice.And those on-ice qualities really came out to shine for Balmoral Hall in the 2024 JWHL Challenge Cup in Washington, D.C. Smith racked up six goals and two assists for eight points in just five tournament games for the Blazers.&nbsp;“Mo” also served to be the “Queen of special teams” for her team in the Challenge Cup, as she scored two of the team’s four power play goals and registered the team’s only shorthanded goal of the tournament.&nbsp;Smith’s determined efforts led her Blazers to a 2-1-2 record; however, it proved to be not enough after they bowed out in the semifinals to Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep team, who went on to win the Challenge Cup, carrying a practically flawless record of 5-0-1.The next stop for Smith is Bemidji, MN., where she will play NCAA Division I level hockey for the Bemidji State Beavers under newly hired head coach Amber Fryklund.

Blazers’ Morgan Smith Named JWHL Player of The Year

<h2>FRom AHL call-up to playoff saviour? </h2>Winnipeg’s Calvin Pickard helped the Edmonton Oilers even up their second round series with the Vancouver Canucks at two games apiece in his first ever NHL playoff game on Tuesday night.The 32-year-old netminder made 19 saves in a stunning 3-2 victory which saw Vancouver's Dakota Joshua tie the game up with 1:41 to go in the third period, only to have Edmonton's Evan Bouchard score less than a minute later, restoring the Oilers' lead and evening up the series.Pickard was called up from the Oilers' AHL affiliate in November to replace Jack Campbell, who was named the Oilers' No. 1 at the start of the season.&nbsp;The former U18 AAA Winnipeg Wild star jumped on the opportunity and never looked back having a great season as Stuart Skinner’s backup and building trust between the pipes.In 23 games this season, Pickard posted a 12-7-1 record with a .909 save percentage, a 2.45 goals against average and a single shutout - not too shabby for a goaltender who has only seen 53 games of NHL action since 2017.&nbsp;Pickard is a pro hockey journeyman to say the least. Since joining the league, he has played for 13 pro hockey teams split between the AHL and NHL and even had a brief stint in Austria during the 2020-21 season.Over his 14-year career, Pickard has found himself in almost every situation. That is until last night, when he played his first NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game in front of a sold-out Rogers Place (18,347 fans) with his team down in the series.In a series which Vancouver is relying on its third-string goalie Arturs Silovs - who made his NHL playoff debut in Round 1 - no one expected Pickard to see the ice until the final handshake line of the Oilers' season, whether that be a Round 2 exit or a Stanley Cup win.Skinner started the playoffs as the Oilers' No. 1 coming off a season where he played 59 games (fourth most in NHL) and posted a decent, but not outstanding, .905 save percentage.&nbsp;“Stu” struggled in the postseason last year, getting pulled four times. This year has been no different. Among starters in the second round, Skinner ranks last in practically every goaltending statistic there is. And the headliner? An abysmal .877 save percentage.&nbsp;After being pulled in game three after allowing four goals on 15 shots, Pickard took over for Skinner in Game 4 and helped the Oilers win. Although coach Kris Knoblauch has not confirmed, it is looking like Skinner will take Pickard’s spot on the bench for the foreseeable future.On the stats sheet, the series is as close as you can get. The teams are tied with 14 goals each through four games, each game being decided by a single goal. However, the edge goes to the Oilers in shots on goal per game (31-20.5) and with their lethal powerplay which sits at 50 percent in the series.While Vancouver waits for their Vezina contender Thatcher Demko to return from an injury, it looks to be a battle of the third stringers in the crease for possibly the rest of the series.&nbsp;For both Pickard and Silovs, it’s a rematch of last year's five-game series in Round 1 of the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs, when they were with their respective AHL affiliates, the Bakersfield Condors and Abbotsford Canucks.&nbsp;Silovs and Abbotsford came out on top in last year's series but if the Oilers can maintain their dominant Game 4 form and get solid goaltending from the Winnipeg Monarchs and Team Manitoba alum, it looks like it’s Edmonton’s series for the taking.&nbsp;

Pickard's Lengthy Journey to First Playoff Start Headlines Oilers' Game 4 Win

<h2>Canada edges rival Americans in nail-biter, winning first para hockey gold medal since 2017</h2>The Canadian men’s Paralympic hockey team has struck gold once again, outlasting its southern rival 2-1 in the gold medal game on Sunday in Calgary.It’s been seven years since Canada’s last world para hockey gold medal, which for Canadian captain Tyler McGregor, makes Sunday’s win that much sweeter.“It's been for myself seven years, and for many of us seven years since we've won a world championship,” said McGregor post-game. “And to be quite honest, I've, especially the past couple years, been bearing the weight of that.”Canada’s gold medal victory ends a streak of dominance from the Americans, which had won the previous three world para hockey championships, as well as striking gold in the 2018 and 2022 Paralympic Games.The Canadians wasted no time getting on the board Sunday, as Dominic Cozzolino buried a beautiful back door pass from McGregor just 35 seconds into the first period.“We'd like to survive the first shift without giving one up there, but I thought we settled in,” said American coach David Hoff. "At the end of the period, we'd outshot them 8-1.”Team Canada extended its lead in the second period when McGregor won the puck on the forecheck, finding Anton Jacobs-Webb in front for his third –and biggest—goal of the tournament.It was all USA in the third period when finally, with 3:41 to play, a familiar face found the back of the net for the US as tournament MVP Declan Farmer’s highlight reel finish cut Canada’s lead in half.Outshooting Canada 14-4 in the final frame, the Americans poured on the pressure until the final buzzer, but Canadian goaltender Adam Kingsmill—whose .944 save percentage led the tournament—saved his best game for last, stopping 24 of 25 USA shots.A big part of Canada’s success against the United States was keeping the American offence—which averaged 8.5 goals per game heading into the final—away from the slot."We were able to handle a team that's a high-octane offence and keep them to bad ice for most of the game," said Canadian head coach Russ Herrington. "That allowed us to put Kingsmill in a position where he could shine.""They were very efficient getting pucks out of the zone. They were very efficient about getting pucks in deep into the zone, making us work 200 feet if we're going to do something,” said Hoff, the American head coach. “They did what they needed to do to win a hockey game."The win is Canada's fourth world para hockey gold medal since the tournament’s inception in 2008."We put so much into this," said Cozzolino. "Wearing this jersey and from everything we've been through over the past seven years, this is what it's all for. Man, this is the best ever.”

Back on Top: Canada Wins Gold at Paralympic Hockey Championship

<h2>33 Manitobans selected in WHL Draft, WHeat Kings make 10 picks</h2>Thursday marked the culmination of a highly-anticipated week for Manitobans in the hockey world.The Western Hockey League held its annual prospects draft, beginning in the morning, which saw exactly 237 players selected by its respective WHL clubs. Of those 237, 130 were forwards, 84 were defencemen, and 23 were goaltenders. Among the promising 237 players selected, 33 hailed from Manitoba.&nbsp;Thirty-three players closely resembles Manitoba’s previous two years of representation in the WHL Prospects Draft, where 38 Manitobans were selected in 2023 and 31 Manitobans were selected in 2022.With no Manitobans being taken off the draft board in the top twelve, the Lethbridge Hurricanes selected Winnipeger Tyden Lafournaise at 13th overall, winning the honour of choosing the first Manitoban of the draft.The 5-foot-11, 168-pound centreman racked up 66 goals and 60 assists for 126 points in just 32 games with his Winnipeg Bruins U15 AAA Gold squad. And if those numbers weren’t impressive enough, the next-highest point leader on his team had only 66 points, exactly 60 less than Lafournaise.Lafournaise also played in four games with the Bruins’ U17 AAA team, where he impressively put up three goals and three assists for a total of six points.Two picks after Lafournaise was selected, the Red Deer Rebels took the second Manitoban off the board with right-shot defenseman Graeme Pickering 15th overall.The blueliner from St. Adolphe, MB. played for Winnipeg’s U15 Rink Hockey Academy Prep team this season, where he accumulated 36 points in 27 games (seven goals, 29 assists). Pickering’s play offensively and defensively helped his RHA squad to a dominant 22-5 record through the regular season.He is also the younger brother of Owen Pickering - the 20-year-old blueliner drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins 21st overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.&nbsp;The Victoria Royals acquired the third Manitoban of the draft at 18th overall after they selected Ludovic Perreault, a the 5-foot-8, 152 pound centreman from Winnipeg.&nbsp;Perreault played 32 games for the Winnipeg Bruins U15 AAA Brown team this season, where he tallied 67 goals and 25 assists for 92 points. Perreault also gathered two goals and two assists in the postseason before his team’s eventual exit in the quarterfinals.Full list of Manitobans selected in the draft:13th- Tyden Lafournaise (Winnipeg, MB) - Lethbridge Hurricanes&nbsp;&nbsp;15th- Graeme Pickering (St. Adolphe, MB) - Red Deer Rebels18th- Ludovic Perreault (Winnipeg, MB) - Victoria Royals22nd- Asher Gingras (Steinbach, MB) - Kamloops Blazers28th- Antonio Correia (Winnipeg, MB) - Calgary Hitmen36th- Prabh Bhathal (Winnipeg, MB) - Brandon Wheat Kings42nd- Calum Brownlee (Winnipeg, MB) - Swift Current Broncos46th- Madden Tymchak (Oakbank, MB) - Kamloops Blazers53rd- Drayden Uhrina (Winnipeg, MB) - Victoria Royals59th- Easten Turko (Brandon, MB) - Brandon Wheat Kings62nd- Cole Secord (La Salle, MB) - Kamloops Blazers77th- Cohen Lewko (Sanford, MB) - Saskatoon Blades81st- Urijah Moosetail (Brandon, MB) - Brandon Wheat Kings90th- William Picklyk (Mitchell, MB) - Everett Silvertips93rd- Linkin Stadnek (Thompson, MB) - Kelowna Rockets96th- Anthony Bedard (Winnipeg, MB) - Spokane Chiefs98th- Forrest Karlson (Dauphin, MB) - Red Deer Rebels105th- Noah Alexander (Winnipeg, MB) - Medicine Hat Tigers111th- Knox Burton (Brandon, MB) - Prince Albert Raiders112th- Paxton White (La Salle, MB) - Edmonton Oil Kings127th- Hudson Champagne (Brandon, MB) - Tri-City Americans133rd- Spencer Kuntz (Winnipeg, MB) - Saskatoon Blades134th- Aiden Sitarz (Winnipeg, MB) - Kamloops Blazers138th- Ryland Moore (Winnipeg, MB) - Victoria Royals141st- Nolan Harding (Winnipeg, MB) - Victoria Royals146th- Eric Berger (Virden, MB) - Lethbridge Hurricanes154th- Dixon Hartwich (St. Andrews, MB) - Prince George Cougars164th- Chase Kettles (Headingley, MB) - Prince Albert Raiders169th- Mason Chubey (Winnipeg, MB) - Brandon Wheat Kings173rd- Theran Turner (Brandon, MB) - Moose Jaw Warriors190th- Grady McNish (Rivers, MB) - Lethbridge Hurricanes196th- Atticus Cruz (Winnipeg, MB) - Wenatchee Wild287th- Hunter Ethelston (Brandon, MB) - Saskatoon BladesAs for Manitoba's lone Western Hockey League club, the Brandon Wheat Kings, the team made 10 selections at the draft.Full list of players selected by Brandon:14th- Chase Surkan (Regina, SK)36th- Prabh Bhathal (Winnipeg, MB)59th- Easten Turko (Brandon, MB)81st- Urijah Moosetail (Brandon, MB)85th- Ethan Young (Regina, SK)103rd- Alex Letourneau (Legal, AB)107th- Carson Park (Pilot Butte, SK)128th- Hudson Postnikoff (Saskatoon, SK)169th- Mason Chubey (Winnipeg, MB)191st- Tristan Follick (Langford, BC)Of the Wheat Kings' 10 picks, two players in particular have some serious upside to their games.The first player is Brandon's first selection in the draft (14th overall), Chase Surkan. The 5-foot-8, 154 pound left-winger from Regina, SK. only played 27 games with the U15 AA Regina Pat Blues and still managed to produce 73 goals and 62 assists for a total of 135 points. Surkan also racked up 12 goals and 20 assists in just nine postseason games.Albeit AA competition, accomplishing an average of five points per game is quite staggering. Look out for his name in the upcoming years with the Wheat Kings.&nbsp;Another player to look out for is Winnipeg, MB. native Prabh Bhathal. Drafted in the second round 36th overall, the 6-foot-2 14-year-old captained his Winnipeg Thrashers U15 AAA White squad and led them by a landslide offensively with 83 goals and 119 points. The next highest point total on Bhathal’s team was only 43 points, creating an astounding 76-point difference.He also had four goals and eight points through three games played with the Thrashers’ U17 team and two goals through five games played with the U18 team - all of this as a 14-year-old. Bhathal will be among the many Manitobans selected in this year’s WHL Prospects Draft that will have the opportunity to thrive in the WHL, working his way toward the ultimate goal of playing in the National Hockey League.

2024 WHL Prospects Draft Sees 33 Manitobans Selected

<h2>Norway House and Morden teens selected in USHL Draft</h2>Two Manitobans joined 14 other Canadians selected in the 2024 USHL Entry Draft on Tuesday.Defenceman Hubert Clarke and goaltender Raiden LeGall will both have an opportunity to make a name for themselves next year at camp in the United States’ premier junior hockey league.Clarke, a Norway House product, was drafted 46th overall by the Youngstown Phantoms in the fourth round.&nbsp;The 6-foot-3, 190 pound defenceman spent his 2023-24 season with the Northern Alberta Xtreme Prep. With the U17 squad, Clarke tallied nine goals and 30 assists, good for 39 points in 27 games.The ‘07-born Clarke also spent time with the club’s U18 program, putting up four goals and six points in nine games. In 2023, Clarke represented Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, scoring two goals and three assists from the blueline in six games – helping guide Manitoba to an undefeated record, and a 5-2 win against Ontario in the gold-medal game. Clarke previously spent time with the Winnipeg Thrashers AAA organization.Youngstown finished 4th in the USHL’s Eastern Conference this season, eventually falling 3-1 to the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the quarterfinal.LeGall, of Morden, was selected 68th overall by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the fifth round.&nbsp;He spent last season with the MJHL’s newest club, the Niverville Nighthawks. LeGall’s .920 save per centage and 2.73 goals against average helped lead Niverville to a playoff berth, where the Nighthawks were swept by the Turnbull Cup finalist Steinbach Pistons.The ‘06-born goaltender was named to the MJHL’s all-rookie team and played the majority of games this season with the Nighthawks, posting a 20-14-3 record.LeGall spent time with the Pembina Valley Hawks U18 AAA program before Niverville, posting a 2.16 goals against average and league-best .942 save percentage in his final season, earning him a first all-star selection, and league MVP honours. LeGall has committed to play Division I hockey with the NCAA’s Bemidji State Beavers beginning in 2025-26.The Lumberjacks finished second-best in the USHL’s Eastern Conference this season, being swept 3-0 in the league semifinals, again by Dubuque.The USHL has become an attractive league for players not only in North America, but across the world. The league has bred a lot of success over the years, including 136 NHL draftees since only 2019 – among them Jack and Luke Hughes, Trevor Zegras, and Logan Cooley. 51 USHL players were drafted in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, while 191 alumni were announced on NHL opening-night rosters to begin the 2023-24 season.

Manitobans Hubert Clarke and Raiden LeGall Selected in USHL Draft

<h2>Soupy spectacular in toronto's 4-0 playoff victory</h2>The Professional Women’s Hockey League has been crushing records left, right and centre for women's hockey in its inaugural season, and Brandon’s Kristen Campbell has been no exception.&nbsp;Campbell was the second netminder taken off the board in the 2023 PWHL draft (14th overall) by PWHL Toronto. The 26-year-old has made an immediate impact for the team, helping them secure first-place in the league.Top seeded PWHL Toronto elected to play against the fourth seed PWHL Minnesota in round one of the playoffs – a team Campbell had .927 save percentage against in the regular season while posting a 2-0-1-1 record.On Wednesday, Campbell recorded the first-ever playoff shutout in PWHL history, stopping all 26 shots faced in a 4-0 win in the first ever PWHL playoff game, adding another amazing feat to her already dominant season.&nbsp;In the regular season “Soupy” led the PWHL with three shutouts, was second in goals against average (1.99) and her .927 save percentage was good enough for fourth in the league among qualified goaltenders (​​a netminder must play 480 minutes to be considered qualified per. PWHL).Campbell racked up these impressive numbers while starting the second-most games in the league with 22, only one game behind one of her Canadian Olympic goaltending partners, Emerance Maschmeyer.Finding this level of utter dominance did not look so promising to start the year. Through the first five games, Toronto went 1-4, with a lot of the blame falling on defense and Campbell herself.Looking back, Campbell may have needed some time to find her game. After a two-year stint at the University of North Dakota, Campbell played out her final three years of college hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers.&nbsp;Campbell started a total of 110 games through those three years, putting up 27 shutouts, a 1.34 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and a 90-13-7 record.After being one of the most outstanding backstops in Badgers history, the next three years didn't go according to plan. She started a combined total of 14 games over that period, split between the PWHPA and international play.&nbsp;After a shaky start to the campaign, Campbell rediscovered her dominance and looks to be the future of Canada’s female goaltending. Campbell outplayed her Women’s National Team counterparts in every goaltending statistic this season.“Soupy” has her hands full for the rest of this best-of-five series and will have to stay red hot against one of the most underrated teams in the PWHL for Toronto to make a championship run.

“Soupy's" Standout Season: Brandon’s Kristen Campbell Records First Playoff Shutout in PWHL History.

<h2>Denton Mateychuk named BIll Hunter Memorial Trophy winner</h2>Moose Jaw Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk has been awarded the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the Western Hockey League’s top defenceman following the 2023-24 season.Mateychuk beat out fellow Manitoban Hudson Thornton (Prince George), as well as Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary) and Graham Sward (Wenatchee) who were also nominated for the award.“It’s a huge honour to win the top defenceman award this year,” said Mateychuk. “I want to take the time to congratulate all the other division winners on their great seasons.”The Dominion City product – and 12th overall pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022 – posted a career-high 75 points in the regular season, where he played only 52 games.Mateychuk’s 17 goals and 58 assists placed him third among WHL d-men this season—his 1.44 points per game ranked first.“It was pretty cool to be able to tell my family that I won the award after all we’ve been through together and all they’ve done for me,” Mateychuk said.The 19-year-old came out of the gates swinging this season, tallying six goals and 35 points in 23-straight games from October 10, 2023, to December 8, 2023.Mateychuk also played a significant role on the blueline for Team Canada in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships in Sweden—totalling four assists and a plus-six rating in just five games.In this year’s NHL preseason, Mateychuk contributed three assists in four games with Columbus, before returning to Moose Jaw.His 1.44 points per game not only lead all WHL defencemen, but rank second among all CHL d-men. He has been a point-per-game player throughout his entire WHL career, which began in 2019-20.Mateychuk has tallied 215 points in 203 career regular season games with Moose Jaw, while in the playoffs, he has averaged 1.25 points per game with 45 points in 36 career games.The WHL’s East Division First Team All-Star has also eclipsed his first 100-point season, currently standing at 102 points after eight goals and 19 assists in 16 postseason games this year.With a plus-89 rating over the past three seasons and 249 points in 216 games, the future is bright for Manitoba’s 5-foot-11, 191-pound defender, and also for Blue Jackets fans.Mateychuk and WHL scoring leader Jagger Firkus lead Moose Jaw into the WHL championship, where they hope to win their first Ed Chynoweth Cup as the Warriors (the Moose Jaw Canucks were Ed Chynoweth Cup champions in 1966-67).The Warriors begin their championship series against the Portland Winterhawks Friday night in Oregon.

Dominion City's Denton Mateychuk Named WHL’s Best Defenceman

<h2>Hi there! Winkler Flyers gear up for centennial cup after 32-year absence</h2>In 1992, the Winkler Flyers lost in the Canadian National Junior A Championship to Thunder Bay by a score of 10-1. 32 years later they are making their return and will represent the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) at the Centennial Cup National Championship in Oakville, Ontario this week.On paper, the road to the Centennial Cup may look like a breeze for Winkler, but it was far from it. After taking down a mighty three-seed Portage Terriers in five games, the Flyers had their work cut out for them in beating the Virden Oil Capitals in six.&nbsp;The Flyers and Oil Caps had three games go to overtime in the semi-final, with the deciding Game 6 being finished early into the fourth overtime by Jakob Jones.&nbsp;In the league final, Winkler swept the top-seed – and last year's Turnbull Memorial Trophy winner –Steinbach Pistons. Once again having two of the four games going into overtime.The Flyers’ regular season was just as strong as their gritty postseason run, posting a 42-11-5 record - good enough for second in the league behind those same Pistons.Local Winkler product Trent Penner and Brandonite Dalton Andrew have been the two mainstays for the &nbsp;dominant Flyers offense over the past three seasons, practically doubling their point totals from the previous season each year they have been in Winkler.Andrew was named the MJHL’s top scorer in the regular season with 43 goals and 82 points, while Penner was named MJHL MVP with 29 goals and 78 points. They were also tied for the MJHL playoff point lead with 14 points in 15 games.Winkler's goaltending may have been the biggest factor in solidifying the league championship, with 20-year-old Malachi Klassen earning playoff MVP honours.&nbsp;In the regular season, the Flyers had one of the most dominant duos between the pipes in all of Junior A Hockey. Malachi Klassen posted a .917 save percentage and a 2.16 goals against average in 36 games played, while rookie goaltender Liam Ernst had an outstanding first season with a .928 save percentage and 1.78 goals against average in 22 games.Even the Flyers’ talent behind the bench was unmatched. Justin Falk, Ryan White and Eric Fehr have a combined 1,337 games of NHL experience to their names. After the COVID-19 shortened season, Falk was brought on as the assistant coach and general manager, before being promoted to GM and head coach after a short three months. White came over in the summer of 2021, while Fehr joined the Flyers as the director of player development in June 2022.What Falk and his staff have been able to do in a span of three years is nothing short of amazing. They turned a bottom feeder team in an albeit shortened 2020 season into a Junior A powerhouse.&nbsp;For the last 51 years, Junior A teams across Canada have played for the Centennial Cup. The Flyers will look to bring the first Junior A championship back to Manitoba since Portage did it in 2015, doing so as the host club.&nbsp;The Centennial Cup runs from Thursday May 9 to Sunday May 19 in Oakville. The Flyers will play four preliminary games against four other CJHL league champions.Winkler Flyers preliminary round schedule: (Rankings according to CJHL Top-20 Power Rankings)Winkler (4) will head into the Centennial Cup as the second highest ranked team behind the top ranked team in Canada the Collingwood Blues, OJHL (1).Thursday May 9, 12:00 PM EDT Winkler Flyers (4) @ Sioux Lookout Bombers, SIJHL (Unranked)Manitobans on Sioux Lookout:No. 22 Owen Riffel - G:36 A:31 P:67 (Onanole, MB)No. 14 Ty Lone - G:7 A:8 P:15 (Boissevain, MB)No. 16 Ty Kirk - G:6 A:3 P:9 (Hamiota, MB)No. 28 Beau Bannerman - G:0 A:4 P:4 (Balder, MB)No. 23 Ty Love - G:2 A:3 P:5 (Miami, MB)Saturday May 11, 12:00 PM EDT Melfort Mustangs, SJHL (11) @ Winkler Flyers (4)Manitobans on Melfort:No. 22 Logan Belton - G:21 A:26 P:47 (Winnipeg, MB)No. 4 Nolan Roberts - G:3 A:9 P:12 (Brandon, MB)No. 55 Bo Eisner - G:2 A:6 P:8 (Swan RIver, MB)Monday, May 13, 7:30 PM EDT Oakville Blades, OJHL (Host) @ Winkler Flyers (4)No Manitobans on OakvilleTuesday, May 14, 7:30 PM EDT Winkler Flyers (4) @ Miramichi Timberwolves/Summerside Capitals, MHL (Unranked)Manitobans on Miramichi:No. 11 Trentyn Crane - G:22 A:52 P:74 (Morden, MB)No. 3 William Irvine - G:11 A:45 P:56 (Morden, MB)&nbsp;

MJHL's Winkler Flyers Gear up for Centennial Cup

<h2>Winkler flyers' dalton andrew has signed with the UND Fighting Hawks</h2>Winkler Flyers star forward, Dalton Andrew, has announced his commitment to the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks to play NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey beginning in the 2024-25 season.&nbsp;The Brandon product led the MJHL in scoring with 43 goals and 82 points to earn the MJHL’s Mike Ridley Trophy, given annually to the league’s top scorer following regular season play.The third-year Winkler Flyer was an MJHL First Team All-Star and co-led the MJHL playoffs in scoring with four goals and 10 assists in 15 games (tied with teammate Trent Penner).The 6-foot-5, 205- pound forward previously committed to play U-SPORTS hockey for the Acadia University Axemen in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Conference. But this new opportunity far superseded his earlier option with Acadia.

Flyers' Star Forward Dalton Andrew Commits to the University of North Dakota

<h2>Bowness calls it a career, retires at 69</h2>Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness has&nbsp;announced his retirement after 38 years of coaching in the NHL.Bowness has only been with the Jets for the past two seasons, but his 2,726 games behind the bench are the most by anyone in NHL history.The 69-year-old spent time with nine NHL teams as an assistant or head coach over the course of his coaching career, which makes his retiring as a Jet even more special.40 years ago, in the same city he now calls home, Bowness was offered his first NHL coaching position, an assistant coaching job under Barry Long with the Winnipeg Jets 1.0.His first head coaching job also came in Winnipeg, when he took over for Dan Maloney in February of 1989 for the remainder of the season.After lending his expertise to five other NHL clubs as a head coach, Bowness found his way back to the place it all began as a coach, taking over for interim head coach Dave Lowry in July of 2022.The Jets went 98-57-9 over Bowness’ two-year stint, earning a trip to the postseason both years.Not only did Bowness start and end his coaching career with the Winnipeg Jets, he also ended his playing career with the organization in 1984.The Winnipeg Jets were the last NHL team Bowness suited up for. He spent the final two seasons of his career with the Jets’ minor-league affiliate in Sherbrooke, even operating as a player-coach for the 1982-83 season.“This game has given us a tremendous lifestyle that we never could have dreamed of as kids,” said Bowness in his year-end media availability Thursday. “Never ever ever take a day for granted in this league. And I never have. And I never will.”When Bowness was announced as the Jets’ head coach on July 3, 2022, it was not an attractive situation to walk into.The Jets had just missed the playoffs, tensions were high in the dressing room, and the team was playing uninspired hockey.Bowness’ motto of accountability brought new life to the Jets, which posted a record of 23-13-1 from October-December of 2022.The team found its way back to the postseason, falling in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in just five games.And for the better part of this past season, Bowness and the Jets found themselves vying for not only the top spot in the Central Division, but the entire league.At the all-star break, the Jets sat atop the Central Division in points, and Bowness earned himself coaching honours for the Central Division’s Team MacKinnon.After tying the franchise record for wins in a regular season, Bowness and the Jets came back to the playoffs, again falling in five-games to the Colorado Avalanche.Though the last couple postseason runs have been anti-climactic, Jets fans have been given much to cheer about over the past two seasons under the familiar face atop the bench.Bowness’ passion for the game is unrivalled. However, even he knows that some things are bigger than hockey.The veteran coach took a leave of absence in October of 2023 to be with his wife, who had suffered a stroke.“Well, if you go through life there is always life-changing moments”, said Bowness in an interview in November of 2023, “That was certainly a life-changing moment for us.”In March of this year, Bowness also went on medical leave for what he said was a “minor medical procedure”.The game of hockey is faster than it ever has been. It comes with many twists and turns, every change bringing with it a wave of emotions.Of course, life moves fast as well. And for Rick Bowness, it’s time to slow things down and prioritize what matters most to him at the age of 69: family.As Bowness’ 38-year coaching career comes to an end in the same place it began, we know that he will always have another family of 15,225 strong down at Canada Life Centre, cheering on their Winnipeg Jets.&nbsp;

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