Icebreaker in Morris featured star-studded finals

The action inside the Morris Curling Club was as hot as the weather last weekend, as the club hosted their annual Manitoba Curling Tour “Icebreaker Challenge” event, attracting teams with Olympic dreams.

The tournament drew some of the game’s rising stars, with 2026 world junior champions Team Hebert defeating fellow American rink Team Dunnam in the men’s final Aug. 30.

A four-point outburst in the third end after Dunnam’s final stone of the end slid to the back of the house was more than enough for the Eau Claire, Wisconsin based rink to take home top prize.

Hebert was aggressive from the beginning, throwing early guards in each end before the big breakthrough in the third.

CARILLON SPORTS SECOND SHOTS: Aug. 27th edition

Featuring Steinbach Pistons and Niverville Nighthawks prospects camp and the Eastman Raiders "Bark at the Park" event.

Providence ends Junior Pilots program

Providence College Athletics has put an end to their Junior Pilots program, announcing the move Aug. 25. The Junior Pilots were a club program for athletes before they graduated high school.

A news release from the school said the decision to close the program was because of Providence’s recent financial challenges. The college sold their Winnipeg campus after getting hit hard due to changes in international student rules in Canada.

“The closure of the Junior Pilots Club is a result of the broader financial circumstances facing Providence and should not be viewed as a reflection of the quality of the program, its coaches, or the athletes who participated,” the release reads.

Providence announced it would be vastly reducing their club presence earlier this summer, but the recent announcement ended to the whole program.

Pistons tap Cairns to captain team this season

The Steinbach Pistons have announced their captain for the upcoming season.

Cole Cairns, a fourth year player from Winnipeg will wear the ‘C’ for Steinbach this season. The forward has played 129 games in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in the regular season and playoffs combined.

In the 2023/2024 season he split time between Steinbach and the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League.

Last season he scored 18 points in 39 regular season games as Steinbach battled injuries all year. Cairns was part of the 2022 MJHL draft and was selected by Portage in the fifth round. The MJHL last held a player draft in 2024.

Pistons release promotional schedule for 2026/2027 season

The Steinbach Pistons are bringing the Teddy Bear Toss to the Southeast Event Centre.

The game Nov. 20th against the Winnipeg Blues is one of 18 promotional nights the Pistons will be hosting this season.

Everything from superheros and princesses night (Nov. 1) to country night (Oct. 17) is on the schedule.

Jamie Roy, Steinbach’s director of sales and marketing said the team looks to balance cultural, community and fun when putting together their schedule of special events.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1983: Pacers repeat provincial win

The Steinbach A&W Pacers turned aside challenges from Winkler and Pine Falls to earn the right to represent Manitoba in the national junior men’s fastball championships for the second straight year.

The Steinbach Pacers hosted both the provincial championship in junior men’s fastball and the Manitoba elimination championship for a berth in the junior men’s nationals in Prince Edward Island in August.

Steinbach edged Winkler 3-2 in the opening game of the tournament and were assured of the spot in the nationals, when Pine Falls followed with a 2-1 win over their western rivals. That victory eliminated Winkler and set up a best-of-three between Steinbach and Pine Falls for the provincial junior crown.

Pine Falls is ineligible to play out of the province because they do not have a Level One coach, but were allowed to challenge for the provincial title nevertheless. Back-to-back victories by scores of 3-0 and 11-5 for the Pacers settled the provincial title as well.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: Way too early MJHL season predictions

Just over 100 days after the Niverville Nighthawks lifted the Centennial Cup in Summerside, P.E.I., the Manitoba Junior Hockey League pre-season will kick off.

The media survey asking for picks went out already, so here are some of my pre-training camp thoughts based on last year’s rosters.

(I do reserve the right to change these opinions after seeing a few weeks of training camp.)

Last season all it took was to look at Niverville’s roster of returning players to realize they were due for a historic season. There likely won’t be a Niverville this season, but I do like what Virden could bring.

Former Piston Amsbaugh signs pro deal in ECHL

Ian Amsbaugh has turned a late-season stint in the ECHL into a full-time contract.

The 23-year-old forward joined the Tulsa Oilers after the end of his final collegiate season, recording a plus-five victory while scoring his first professional goal with the franchise.

The Oilers picked up Amsbaugh after the end of the Adrian College season, where Amsbaugh finished with 108 career points.

“It is always great for players to get a taste of the pro game at the end of the season,” head coach Rob Murray said in a Tulsa news release.

MJHL prospects hit the ice in Niverville and Steinbach

The region’s two Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams were hard at work last weekend, hosting their annual prospects camp.

The Niverville Nighthawks combined skates with their main camp as four teams of 18 2011-born players took to the ice alongside four teams of returning veterans and potential rookies for a total of 144 players.

Returning stars like Marlen Edwards played alongside up-and-coming locals like William Mateychuk on a team.

In Steinbach, the Pistons took a different track, putting together two teams of 20 players between the 2010s and 2011s. The scrimmage between the two teams the morning of Aug. 22 had plenty of competitiveness, with players battling both during play and after whistles.

Grenier bringing dodgeball league to SEC

Nick Grenier is hoping to turn dodgeball into the region’s biggest new sport.

The Ile des Chenes resident owns Dodgeball Winnipeg. The organization is setting up a rec league inside Southeast Event Centre this year, with signups underway.

“The goal is not to be competing at the highest level, it’s another activity people can play with their friends and get some exercise in,” he said.

“Over the winter months, when it gets cold and there’s less to do outside it’s a good opportunity to get some exercise indoors with some friends and play a game we used to play in gym class and everyone always enjoyed.”

CARILLON SPORTS SECOND SHOTS: Aug. 20th edition

Featuring photos from a Carillon Sultans WSBL home playoff game Aug. 12, the U13 AAA and 14U Girls Western Canada Baseball Championships in Ile des Chenes Aug. 14 and an Eastman Raiders Bantam game at A.D. Penner Aug. 15.

Eastman Flames heading to Southeast Event Centre

The Southeast Event Centre is the new home for the Eastman Flames Special Olympics track team.

The team had been training inside the hallways of Steinbach Regional Secondary School, but will now be using the SEC’s walking track every Monday evening starting in October.

“All of our athletes and coaches are so grateful for this opportunity,” Eastman Flames head coach Lisa Zdrill said in a SEC news release.

“We want to say a huge thank you to the Southeast Event Centre and surrounding community for making this possible. We cannot wait to start training in October and will see you on the track.”

La Broquerie golfers punch ticket to national championships

Eight players from La Broquerie will be representing the province, as they earned spots at the upcoming PGA Scramble National Final, which will be hosted at Cabot Links Golf Course in Nova Scotia this fall.

Paul Gauthier, Leo Laramee, Steve Hildebrand, Mitch Tetrault and PGA Professional Elijah Durksen had the low gross score at the event. That team qualified through Quarry Oaks Golf Course.

A team of Rejean Carrière, Derrek Funk, Claude St. Hilaire, Alain Beauchamp and PGA Professional Colwyn Abgrall posted the low net score of the tournament, qualifying through Carman Golf Course.

Local qualifiers are played under the traditional scramble format, where every player gets a chance to hit on every hole, with each member of a team needing to contribute three tee shots across the 18-hole round.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1984: Saints defeat Sultans in all-Hanover final

The Ste Anne Saints came back from a five-run deficit to edge the Friedensfeld Sultans 6-5 in the final game of the 1984 Manitoba Intermediate ‘A’ Fastball championships in Steinbach.

The Sultans came back up the ‘B’ side of the draw after a 6-4 loss to the Saints in the ‘A’ side final.

Friedensfeld appeared to be on their way to a victory and another chance at the Saints in the A-B final, as they scored a run in the first inning, added one in the second and went ahead 5-0 in the third.

The Saints started their comeback in their half of the third, when they got two runs to trail 5-2 at that point.