Habs beat Warriors in all-Eastman CRJHL semi-final, lead final 1-0

Championship hockey is back in La Broquerie.

The Habs will be playing for the Capital Region Junior Hockey League trophy after beating regional rivals St Malo three games to two in the league’s semi-finals.

A Colton Pakoo goal with just 42 seconds remaining in the first overtime of game six March 20 inside La Broquerie’s HyLife Centre sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Pakoo was able to corral a rebound and guide it into the back of the net after a backhand shot from Luke Tetreault bounced off the glove of Jozsé Gauthier-Urmos and landed in the crease.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 19th edition

Featuring game three of the Price Division finals in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League between Lorette and West Kildonan March 12, Springfield vs Mitchell in the HTJHL semi-finals, action from the Canadian College Athletic Association women's championship in Niverville March 11 and 14 and a CRJHL quarterfinal game between St Malo and La Broquerie March 13.La Broquerie and St Malo are battling in the CRJHL semi-finals. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

SRSS Sabres Bueckert, Froese, named to Free Press top 10

A pair of Steinbach Regional players were recognized by a Winnipeg Free Press coaches poll as two of the province’s top high school hockey players.

Forward Jager Bueckert and defenseman Peyton Froese were placed seventh and ninth on the top 10 list, published March 13th just after the start of the AAAA hockey provincial championships.

“(Bueckert) emerged as a top talent with great speed, puck control and a deadly shot,” his profile reads.

“A tough, high-skilled, two-way forward, he is smart, consistent and well-rounded on both ends of the ice.”

Gault signs pro deal with ECHL team in South Carolina

Oakbank’s Caiden Gault kicked off his professional career this week, signing with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL.

Gault played three seasons at Ferris State University before transferring to Northern Michigan for his final year of NCAA hockey, where he served as assistant captain and compiled a career high in goals.

The Swamp Rabbits serve as the affiliate for the American Hockey League’s Ontario Reign and NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

Gault played his U15 AAA hockey in the Eastman Selects system before moving to Rink Hockey Academy. He played a single full season with the Selkirk Steelers before moving to the Alberta Junior Hockey League, scoring 73 points in 58 games in the 2021/2022 season.

Providence makes history in final year of American basketball play

The Providence Pilots made sure to exit American basketball play in style.

The program’s women’s team earned their first-ever berth to the National Christian Colleges Athletic Association division two national championships, getting selected as an at large wildcard after getting defeated in the North Region semi-finals.

The Pilots will only be playing a Canadian regular season schedule next season, leaving the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and NCCAA. The addition of Red River to the basketball ranks in the MCAC means the Pilots can compete for Canadian College championships.

In their final year of American play they not only earned their first NCCAA championship berth but also picked up a victory, defeating Manhattan Christian College 81-58 in a placement game. Head coach Kendall Perpall was named the NCCAA’s coach of the year for the North Region.

Lakeland Rustlers crowned national champions in Niverville

The 2026 Canadian College Athletic Association women’s national volleyball championships came down to one key set.

Alberta’s Lakeland Rustlers, locked 1-1 with the Lynx d’Édouard-Montpetit, trailed in the third set of the final 20-13, but managed to battle back to win 28-26, carrying the momentum into the fourth for a championship win over their Quebec-based opponents.

Lakeland head coach Austin Dyer said that third set was the turning point of his team’s whole championship run.

“If we control the ball, we’re really hard to stop,” Dyer said after the final March 15, noting the Rustlers roster had the experience to weather any pressure the Lynx could put on them.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2011: Swimmer skims seconds off best time

Thirteen-year-old Lianne Brunel has an MVP performance in the pool at the Manitoba Junior “A” speed swimming provincials in Winnipeg this past weekend.

Brunel was the only one to reach the finals of the five members of the Steinbach Skimmers Swim Club who competed in the event, but Amy Peters, Emily Bell, Erika Tetrault and Jayda Brandt all earned multiple ribbons for finishing in the top 10.

For Brunel, it was a memorable weekend, as she earned a bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle, a fifth place finish in the 200-metre freestyle, and seventh place finishes in the 50-metre breast stroke and the 100-metre freestyle.

In her bronze medal swim, the 50-metre freestyle final, Brunel managed to shave three seconds off her qualification time from four weeks earlier, putting her into the standard time for ages 15 and over.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: MJHL musings after the regular season

The worries I had about the Manitoba Junior Hockey League standings in January came true, with very little to play for in the final months of the regular season.

No playoff seeding battle was close, as at least five points separated every team this season, and more than 10 points separated playoff teams from non-playoff teams. It would be great to shave off a few games from the regular season schedule, but the league is at the mercy of what players, their advisors and scouts think.

The format of the league needs to be what will attract the best players, which are more important to generate fan interest than a friendlier schedule, especially in hockey where the post-season matters way more than the regular season. If players and scouts want more games, then the MJHL should give them what they want.

The lack of standings battles really laid out the difference between the good and bad teams in the league this season. The Winnipeg Blues, Winnipeg Monarchs and Norman Blizzard all finished with a goal difference well under minus-100.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Run — don’t walk — to see the Jocelyne Larocque play this weekend

If you don’t already have tickets to see Richer’s Jocelyne Larocque on the ice with her Ottawa Charge teammates against the Montréal Victoire in PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) action this Sunday, get your tickets fast.

This will be the last chance for Manitobans to say goodbye to a genuine hometown hero.

Despite the fact that Jocelyne has represented Canada with distinction, pride and honour for nearly 20 years, this Sunday’s game might be the first (and last) time to see the pride of Richer live and in person.

Jocelyne is the niece to a well-known hockey player in southeastern Manitoba. Her late uncle Guy played Junior B with the Steinbach Millers and senior hockey with the Ste. Anne Aces in the HTHL. (Full disclosure: Guy was my winger and teammate on the Millers.)

Steinbach Pistons out for revenge in MJHL quarterfinals

The Steinbach Pistons may have won just three championships since 2013, but they’ve been at or near the top of the class in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in the years since.

Since Paul Dyck came aboard as the Steinbach Pistons’ head coach and general manager, the team hasn’t lost in the first round of the playoffs — except for last season, when the Portage Terriers made quick work of the Pistons, ruining plans to break in the new Southeast Event Centre with a long playoff run.

Steinbach will get a second crack at the Terriers this season, as both teams finished in the exact same position in the East Division standings, with Steinbach at second and Portage in third.

Pistons captain Sam Noad quoted Michael Jordan during the team’s annual banquet, saying, “winning has a price and this year we’re willing to pay that price.”

Niverville Nighthawks aiming for first playoff round victory

Their opponent may be familiar, but the Niverville Nighthawks are in a completely different position heading into the 2026 Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs.

They’ll once again be taking on the Winkler Flyers in the East Division one versus four best-of-seven series, but this year the Nighthawks had the dominant regular season, with Winkler finishing in fourth.

“There’s no unfamiliar territory,” Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst said.

“This year the shoe is on the other foot… Our guys are just as excited to get to the playoffs as anyone else.”

Larocque ready for PWHL to ‘Takeover’ Manitoba

Professional women’s hockey is enjoying a historic run, and fans from Manitoba will get a chance to see it for themselves this weekend.

The Montréal Victoire and Ottawa Charge will battle in a Professional Women’s Hockey League regular season game inside the Canada Life Centre March 22. Puck drop is at 6 p.m.

For Ste Anne’s Jocelyne Larocque, it’s her first chance to play a competitive game in her home province since 2018, when the Canadian national team played a game in Winnipeg.

“I’m really excited for the young girls in the stands, and I know there’s gonna be a ton of them,” Larocque said during a media availability March 13.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 12th edition

Featuring photos from a Gabrielle-Roy/Pointe des Chenes Manitoba Women's High School Hockey League game in Ste Anne March 5, an Eastman Selects U18 AAA game in Steinbach March 5, and the Fire on Ice races in Gimli March 7.

Gab-Roy/PDC hockey team finishes strong debut season in MWHSHL

Though their season ended in disappointing fashion with a playoff series loss on home ice, the Gabrielle-Roy/Pointe des Chenes Cavaliers are celebrating an outstanding first season in the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League.

The Cavaliers earned a berth in the top division playoffs after finishing in fourth place in their conference in a combined division regular season but were swept in consecutive games by top seeded Vincent Massey. The Winnipeg-based Trojans only lost three regular season games this year.

“For us to make division one was fantastic,” head coach Kevin Lansard said after a 5-0 loss in Ste Anne March 5 ended the team’s season.

“The girls were pushed to the max and the limit. It helps us as a staff for next year… It’s tough to see us lose that way, but we’re very proud of (the players) and we’re looking forward to the future.”

Team South tops medal standings at Manitoba Games

It was a busy week in Thompson, as the northern community hosted the Manitoba Winter Games.

Athletes from across the region participated, bringing home plenty of hardware.

Steinbach’s Brooklyn Wiebe carried the opening ceremonies flag for Team South, with Oakbank’s Connor Kent representing Winnipeg Gold. Bennett Mead was selected to represent Team East. All three athletes participated in curling events at the games.

Kent would go on to skip his team to a gold medal finish.