Eastman key to Manitoba’s Francophone Games team

After nearly a decade on hiatus, the Canada Francophone Games are back.

The games opening ceremonies were held in Montreal’s Bell Centre, the home of the NHL’s Canadiens July 15, with the Manitoba delegation full of Eastman talent. The Francophone Games bring French-speaking youth from across the country together to compete in a variety of disciplines.

The Francophone Games were last held in 2017, with the 2020 edition of the games cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the over 100-member delegation from Team Manitoba is Otterburne’s Mélanie Curé, who is the coach of the province’s badminton team. The Francophone games feature both sports and culture competitions, including culinary, music and improv teams.

Junior Sultans ready for semis after first round bye

Editor's note: This story was written to be published in the July 17 edition of The Carillon

The Carillon Sultans didn’t know who their opponents will be in the league semi-finals, but the Manitoba Junior Baseball League’s pennant-winners are ready to defend last year’s championship.

The Sultans earned the top spot in the standings and a first-round playoff bye in less than dramatic fashion last week. Needing a win on the final day of the regular season to clinch top spot, the Interlake Blue Jays didn’t bring enough players to field a team July 9, forfeiting the final game of the regular season and giving the Sultans the one win they needed to finish ahead of the Elmwood Giants in the standings.

“We had to win, and we expected to win that game anyway,” manager Rick Penner said.

Carillon Sports Second Shots

Featuring photos from a Hanover Soccer Club Division 3 Manitoba Major Soccer League match July 2, a Division 2 match July 3, Winnipeg Jets development camp July 4 and the Old Tom Backyard Ultramarathon July 5.

Beauchemin heading to Thunder Bay university

Brody Beauchemin will be continuing his hockey career at the USports level.

The Ile des Chenes forward announced his commitment to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay recently. Beauchemin had a sparkling junior A career, suiting up for the Winkler Flyers for 200 games over four seasons.

Beauchemin had been weighing plenty of different Canadian university landing spots throughout the season, but ended up settling on Lakehead.

“I know a couple guys on the team, it’s close-ish to home, only seven-and-a-half hours away, it seems like a great program,” Beauchemin said when asked why he picked Lakehead.

Lorette prospect Laliberte nabs NHL invite

Lorette’s Avery Laliberte continues to level up his stock as a hockey player.

From Mantioba Junior Hockey League standout with the Niverville Nighthawks, to NCAA commit, to USHL draft pick and now NHL prospect, the star defenseman has had a strong year on the ice.

Laliberte was invited to the Winnipeg Jets development camp as a free agent, competing against high profile future professionals like Brayden Yager and first round pick Sascha Boumedienne.

“My advisor thought there was a chance, and when (Jets director of player development) Jimmy (Roy) called me I was pretty ecstatic,” Laliberte said following the final practice of the camp July 4.

Steinbach Aquatic Centre could be finest in province

After decades of discussion and debate, which included several referendums, the stunning new Steinbach Aquatic Centre, a facility well worth waiting for, has officially opened to the public.

The state-of-the-art, 25,000 sq. ft. indoor swimming pool facility may well be the finest aquatic centre in the province. Not because it is the largest, but because of its uniqueness, versatility, and all it has to offer.

Originally scheduled to open in mid-August, city officials remained hopeful Manitoba Department of Health officials could give the centre their final stamp of approval in time for the pool to open when the first swim lessons were scheduled.

Built at a cost of $5.7 million by PCL Construction of Winnipeg, there were no major problems during the construction period. The delay in opening has been mainly due to testing of equipment and water quality.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The incalculable Jonathan Toews Factor©

While it’s been a long time since the 2.0 version of the Jets signed a Manitoba-born player, did they ever hit the jackpot when they finally did.

Hockey fans across the province are still pinching themselves now that Jonathan Toews is a Winnipeg Jet.

When he was unveiled to the public on July 1st he was introduced as one of the “best players Manitoba has ever produced.”

Wrong.

Second annual Old Tom Backyard Ultramarathon a success

For 35 hours at a farm near Blumenort, runners from across the province pushed their bodies to the limit in an attempt to win the Old Tom Backyard Ultramarathon July 5/6.

A backyard ultramarathon is a more accessible long-distance format, with runners starting a new 4.167 mile lap every hour, needing to complete it within the 60 minutes before starting again. The winner is the runner who completes a lap on their own after every other runner has dropped out.

Over 50 of the 75 entrants made the 12 hour mark, and six people completed a full 24 hours, meaning they ran 100 miles, including the last women’s runner standing, Natalie Hamm.

Winnipeg’s Aaron Webb came out the winner, completing 35 laps (146 miles) over two days, outlasting Jin Lee to claim the title. Last year’s champion, Justin Davey, only needed 26 loops to become the champion.

Martin right at home when playing at Winnipeg Jets development camp

For most NHL prospects, the time after getting drafted in an absolute whirlwind, as they jet across North America to an unfamiliar rink in an attempt to impress a new fan-base.

For Winnipeg Jets third-round draft pick Owen Martin, he was right at home at the Hockey for All Centre. Not only had the Oakbank product attended pro camps like the Jets recent prospects camp as a fan, he’s also played and found success inside the building, both as a minor hockey player with the Eastman Selects and with the RINK Hockey Academy.

“I think Eastman really helped with my development,” Martin said after the final day of Winnipeg’s annual prospects camp.

“Growing up, playing minor hockey there was awesome, playing with all my buddies, I always had good coaches. Eastman just really helped me through my career.”

Hanover Kickers rolling at home

The Hanover Kickers have turned the Steinbach Soccer Park into a fortress to start their season in Division 2 of the Manitoba Major Soccer League.

The club’s top team has a perfect 4-0 record at home with a plus-22 goal differential after yet another blowout victory July 3. The Kickers made short work of Scorpions FC, scoring early and often en route to a 8-1 victory.

Head coach Andreas Bergen said taking control early was key when playing in hot and humid conditions.

“We always want to see if we can score first and build the game from there,” Bergen said.

Carillon Sports: July 3rd’s Second Shots

Featuring photos from a Winnipeg Senior Baseball League game in Steinbach June 24, an Eastman Warriors game June 26 and a Carillon Sultans game in Altona July 1.

MHSAA announces year-end award winners

The region’s best high school scholar athletes were recognized by the Manitoba High School Athletic Association last week, as the organization wraps up their year.

Over 50 students from across were up for the 2025 Manitoba’s Credit Unions Scholar Athlete Awards. An athlete must participate in at least two sports and maintain an academic average above 85 per cent to be eligible for the $2,000 award.

Ryleigh Schellenberg of Rosenort School was one of the four who earned the award, posting a 98.4 average this year in classes while thriving for Rosenort’s teams.

She helped lead the Redhawks to four volleyball banners during her time at the school and was named a graduating all-star this year. She also helped her school to a pair of class-A basketball championships and was named the division’s female player of the year, while finding success on the badminton court at the divisional level.

Eastman Warriors stumble out of the gates

The Eastman Warriors rugby team had picked up a rare loss, dropping their opening home match of the season to the Manitoba Wombats by a 38-26 margin June 26 at A.D. Penner Park.

The Warriors have lifted trophies at the end of three of the last four seasons, including two Premier Division titles, the first for any team outside of Winnipeg.

The team is dealing with a key departure this year, as star winger and reigning Manitoba senior player of the year, Jale Kaukirewa left the club to join the Vancouver Valley Vipers of the B.C. Rugby League.

The game against the Wombats was a tale of two halves, as the Warriors kicking game let them down in the first. With several kicks during the run of play going straight out of bounds, the Wombats took advantage to nab tries and earn penalty kicks on their subsequent possessions to build a solid lead.

Pistons begin off-season by nabbing Blues forward

Steinbach’s 2025 Manitoba Junior Hockey League off-season is beginning in a similar way to 2024, as the Pistons picked up a Winnipeg Blues forward to play for their team next season.

Last year, the team nabbed Brody Green and this year they made a quick move to snag Evan Gradt, a 2006-born forward from Winnipeg. The Pistons sent a player development fee back to the Blues.

Since getting auto-protected by the Blues in 2022 and joining the MJHL at the beginning of the 2023 season, Gradt has played more than 100 games in the league.

While his 33 points last season might not leap off the page, Gradt was the second-highest scorer on a sub-par Blues team that finished with just nine wins and the fewest goals scored by any team in the league.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2011: Petkau guides Reimer to NHL stardom in Toronto for Leafs

Despite countless losing seasons in Toronto in recent decades, players for Toronto Maple Leafs are still number one among sports fans in Canada’s biggest city.

The most popular Leaf these days is an unlikely one, who is even more popular than superstar Dion Phaneuf, who was acquired last year from the Calgary Flames, in a multi-player trade including Steinbach’s Ian White.

In a recent fan poll conducted in Toronto, rookie netminding sensation James Reimer from Morweena, Manitoba was at the top of the list.

Hockey fans, and many others for that matter, are now aware of the meteoric rise of the 23-year-old in hockey’s biggest market. But few are aware that his agent, friend and confidante is Steinbach player agent Ray Petkau, owner of HipCheck Sports Management.