Players from region selected at WHL draft

Another year brings another high draft pick from the Eastman region at the Western Hockey League draft.

Ile des Chenes’ Nixon Gaudet was the first name from the region selected, as the Kamloops Blazers made the pick in the second round.

Gaudet suited up for the Eastman Selects AAA U15 team this year, lighting up the scoresheet. Across 32 regular season games, he nabbed 80 points, chipping in with 25 playoff points across 11 playoff games. He scored four goals in a losing effort in game four of the league finals, as the Selects fell to Brandon.

Kamloops had four picks in the first two rounds at the 2026 WHL draft and made 10 selections across the two-day event.

Nighthawks remain undefeated at Centennial with barnburner 7-6 win over Rockland

The Niverville Nighthawks didn't make it look easy, but they remained undefeated at the Centennial Cup, beating Central Canada Hockey League champions Rockland Nationals 7-6 in their final game of the preliminary round May 13 in Summerside P.E.I.

The game meant nothing in the table for both teams with Rockland unable to make the playoffs with any result and Niverville clinching top spot in their group thanks to a win over Alberta champions Canmore yesterday.

Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst said after the game it was a 1980s-style game between Calgary and Edmonton in the NHL and wasn't about to take many lessons from the game

"There was a little bit too much cheat in the game, there was too much not caring, too much complacency I would say," Hirst said.

COLUMN: The Carillon Flashback December 24, 1954 – J.R. Friesen house becomes Invalid Home staff residence

Another familiar landmark along Steinbach’s Main Street is gone. The Friesen residence, situated under the big maples next to the family’s Ford dealership, has been moved to a new location on Hanover Street, where it will be used to house the staff of the Invalid Home.

Built in 1916 by J.R. Friesen, this spacious home was one of the very first in town to boast hot and cold running water, plumbing facilities and steam heating. The contractor was John M. Penner, who now lives at Greenland. Plumbing and heating were installed by C.F. Friesen, now retired in Steinbach.

Total cost of the 30-foot by 30-foot, full two storey structure, was $5,000.

When the moving crew began to put the building on wheels, they found a house that was still built with the main floor of solid lumber planks rather than floor joists with spaces in between. Sixty-ton jacks almost failed to lift the structure from its foundation.

High-flying Steinbach Arts Council throws fundraising gala to boost support

Steinbach Arts Council executive director David Klassen spoke at the non-profit’s May 1 fundraising gala. Klassen called the event the charity’s most important fundraiser. SAC expects to see 2,300 program registrations, triple its pre-pandemic numbers. Klassen said the arts council is considered one of Canada’s largest arts organizations, leading the nation in per capita programming, with half of the budget of similar programs elsewhere.

Jobs and trade minister shares economic update at chamber summit in Steinbach

During the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce’s economic summit in Steinbach on May 1, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Jamie Moses shared some of the changes to the economy and initiatives the government has undertaken since last fall when it launched its economic development strategy.

“I also want to say that every person’s success in our province is really important to us as a government. We understand that the challenges we’re facing, both to grow your individual business, to support the different regions of our province, only gets more challenging when we see the national framework of competitiveness, international conflicts when it comes to trade and tariffs…” he said.

“As well as when we look at global conflicts, which restrict supply chains, make things more expensive, put pressure on Manitobans and put pressure on businesses as well. And so we spend a lot of time as a government in understanding how we can support business communities through all of these broad challenges.”

Moses highlighted certain government initiatives, such as doubling the export support program funding so businesses can reach new markets, having a trade envoy in Washington, creating a $50 million trade growth investment financing program (TGIF), doubling funding for the export support program, taking the PST off of manufacturing equipment, building trade ties with Mexico while also looking to reach markets in Asia and India, and signing an interprovincial trade agreement in November 2025.

Nighthawks fly into Centennial Cup semi-finals

The Niverville Nighthawks chances of winning the Centennial Cup took a massive step forward May 12 in Summerside, P.E.I.

Across the modern history of the tournament, no team has lifted the championship trophy without first winning their five-team group and earning a bye straight to the semi-finals. The Manitoba Junior Hockey League-winning Nighthawks did just that a day before their final game, defeating Alberta champions Canmore 6-4 to move to 3-0 with eight points, four points ahead of any team with games left to be played.

"It's huge for the program, it's huge for the families, it's huge for the MJHL to have a team represented in the semi-finals," head coach Dwight Hirst said after the game.

Team captain Adam Vigfusson stepped up, netting a hat trick for his team to give them a early second period 4-1 lead they managed to hold through a late Canmore surge. He got the game going with a bang, converting on a two-on-one pass from line-mate Hayden Wheddon.

Steinbach endorses The Bridge on 3rd

Steinbach city council offered their endorsement of The Bridge on 3rd, a 30-unit apartment block under development by Eden Healthcare Services in partnership with Steinbach Community Outreach.

In a letter to council requesting a letter of support, Eden Healthcare Services program director Leighton Knapp explained the purpose of the facility council had first heard about at the April strategic priorities committee meeting.

“It is specifically designed to provide stable, affordable housing and comprehensive onsite mental health supports for adults living with severe and persistent mental illness,” the letter stated. “Fifteen tenants will have access to Tier 3 and Tier 4 specialized clinical programming, including psychiatric care, medication management, life-skills coaching, and 24/7 crisis response.”

Knapp added that the project addresses what is currently a critical gap in the community, saying it will reduce chronic homelessness, frequent hospital admissions and emergency service demands while helping individuals achieve greater stability and quality of life.”

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Centennial Cup May 11

Featuring games between the Flin Flon Bombers and Greater Sudbury Cubs, Thunder Bay North Stars and Rockland Nationals and Truro Bearcats and Toronto Patriots.

Steinbach Pistons back on top of MJHL’s attendance race

There was little doubt the Steinbach Pistons would be back on top of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s attendance chart during their first full season inside the Southeast Event Centre, but the team basically lapped the field this season.

With a reported average above 1,800 for the regular season, they were more than 1,000 fans per game ahead of their closest competition, Virden. The Oil Capitals averaged 745 per game. Virden drew the most fans in the league in the past two seasons, as Steinbach played home games out of the roughly 500-seat HyLife Centre in La Broquerie while the SEC was under construction.

Every home game this season the Pistons welcomed more than 1,000 fans into the building, with an additional re-scheduled “away” game against the Blues on a Monday afternoon packed with 2,000 students.

The team reported a total of more than 68,000 fans walked through the door across the entire season, a new all-time high for the franchise.

Nighthawks’ Vigfusson announces USports commitment, picks up community award

Niverville Nighthawks captain Adam Vigfusson will continue his hockey career in Canada.

The 2005-born forward from Gimli announced his commitment to York University in the days following Niverville’s Manitoba Junior Hockey League victory.

Vigfusson led the league in playoff points, posting 10 goals and nine assists across 13 games.

He was also named the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s RBC Community Award recipient May 5, as he was preparing with his team to start the Centennial Cup in Summerside, P.E.I.

Steinbach gets new RCMP detachment commander

Steinbach’s RCMP detachment is getting new leadership after a new detachment commander started work last month.

Staff Sergeant Mike Maxwell, a 19-year RCMP veteran, left his post in Bridgetown, N.S. to take the Steinbach job.

“This is a really beautiful community. And, yeah, the town is great. The people that I work with here are great, and I’m just excited to be here,” he said.

The 41-year-old’s career has spanned Alberta, Nunavut, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. He got his first RCMP posting in Lynn Lake, and later worked in Thompson and Cross Lake. Steinbach will be the largest community he’s worked in. Maxwell is looking forward to working with municipal and community leaders through his role.