Grand Slam of Curling slides into Steinbach

The eyes of the curling world are on Steinbach this week, as the Southeast Event Centre plays host to the Grand Slam of Curling’s Players’ Championship.

The action on the sheets began Jan. 6, but crews were hard at work as early as Jan. 2, preparing the ice inside the arena’s main bowl for curling. Crews put down a layer of paint, add advertising logos and lines before finally laying down some pebble for rocks to curl on.

The Players’ Championship is the final slam of the year, with the Olympics coming up and the GSOC’s new Rock League taking place after.

Jennifer Cram is the director of communications for the Curling Group, which are in their second year of running the GSOC. She said this season, which will end in Steinbach, is the GSOC’s most packed season ever. Normally events run until April, but this season will be done by mid-January.

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The best photos from November and December from the Carillon's Sports Desk

Here's to a great 2026!

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The best photos from The Carillon's Sports Desk from September and October.

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All the best shots from March and April from the pages of The Carillon's Sports Section.

Through our lens: The Carillon’s best sports photos from March/April 2025

The Carillon's best sports shots from March and April of 2025.

Through our lens: The Carillon’s best sports photos from Jan/Feb 2025

The best photos from the Carillon's sports camera in January and February of 2025.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2000: Steinbach Knights stopped in Wesmen Classic final

The Steinbach Junior High Knights turned in a superb performance, only to lose the final game of the Wesmen Classic Junior High Basketball Tournament by five points at the University of Winnipeg Duckworth Centre last week.

According to coach Glenn Hiebert, finishing second in a 16-team draw made up of the best grade nine boys’ teams in the province was a great accomplishment for the Knights.

“The only disappointment was that they led in the final most of the game, only to let it slip through their fingers, losing 47-42 to John Pritchard in the championship game.”

The Knights opened the tournament against Jeanne Sauve and defeated their future Cloverleaf rivals 62-35. Everyone was involved in the scoring, highlighted by Bucky Driedger and Paul Beckman, scoring 10 points apiece.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: 2025 sports year in review

Best reminder that Manitoba remains a curling powerhouse: Seeing all the Manitoba teams at the Olympic curling trials was more proof that we produce some of the best curlers in all the land.

Most important performance by a team: Tie between Team Canada at the 4 Nations and the Blue Jays. One team won and the other team lost, but both unified the country in ways we haven’t seen in many years.

Award for outstanding community service: Paul Dyck deserves boatloads of credit for consistently putting a quality MJHL team on the ice year after year after year. He deserves even more credit for instilling in his players the many benefits of giving back to the community. This noble mindset was formally recognized when Pistons forward Connor Paronuzzi was awarded the prestigious RBC Community Award for his extensive volunteerism.

Best example of sport shutting up Trump: The convicted felon U.S. president (who should be in jail, not in the White House) tried to insert himself into the 4 Nations by threatening to annex Canada and making fun of our Prime Minister. Thanks to Connor McDavid and company, Team Canada shut the criminal’s pie hole.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: The second annual unofficial Carillon Sports awards

Another year at The Carillon sports desk is in the books.

We attended more than 260 events this year, took thousands of photos, wrote countless stories, and looking back, here are some highlights.

I’d love to be able to debate and discuss these (fake) awards with others, but it’s just me here at the Carillon. If you think of something I missed this year, I’d love to hear from you. My email is sports@thecarillon.com.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (local)Cedric Lagasse is why I want to write this column every year. Winning back-to-back championship most valuable player honours in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League is as impressive as it gets to me, and kind of gets lost in the moment.

MJHL announces community ambassadors

Each year, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League recognizes players who have made an outstanding impact in their home team’s community, donating to local schools in their name.

The league’s RBC Community Ambassador team was announced by the league Dec. 18, with Steinbach’s Chris Quizi and Niverville’s Adam Vigfusson representing their respective teams.

“These players transform ideas into action, inspiring positive change in their communities,” RBC Regional Vice President for Agassiz, Kathleen Michaluk said in a league news release.

Players named as ambassadors must show sportsmanship on and off the ice in addition to volunteering.

Jackson Kostiuk returns to Steinbach Pistons

The Steinbach Pistons got a massive boost in firepower Dec. 18, as the team announced Jackson Kostiuk is back in Steinbach.

Kostiuk signed with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League following the NCAA’s rule changes around eligibility late last year. American colleges now allow players who suited up in major junior to play in the NCAA’s top division.

Kostiuk had three goals and an assist in 14 games so far for the Raiders this year.

The 2006-born East St Paul product made his Steinbach debut in the 2022/2023 season, suiting up for a pair of games as an affiliate player while enjoying a standout season at the Rink Hockey Academy for their U18 team.

Field announced for Players’ Championship

As expected, it will be an all star line-up at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Crown Royal Players’ Championship, hosted in Steinbach Jan. 6-11 this year.

The top 12 men’s and women’s teams from the World Curling rankings get berths at the championship, which is the final Grand Slam of the year. If any team decided not to accept the invitation, the next highest ranked team was invited.

Rachel Homan, who earned the right to represent Canada at the upcoming Olympics and is the top ranked team in the world will be there, trying to complete a career Grand Slam. Standing in her way is Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni, who is gunning for her third consecutive Players’ Championship victory.

Seven of the men’s teams and six of the women’s teams are playing at the Olympics, including Canada’s Brad Jacobs.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Dec. 18th edition

Featuring photos from a Steinbach Pistons game Dec. 10, the Pembina Valley Twisters in Morris Dec. 12, the male U18 AAA Eastman Selects Dec. 13 and the Steinbach Huskies Dec. 14.

Canada West claim silver at World Jr A Challenge

For the third consecutive year, Team Canada West has medaled at the World Junior A Challenge.

The team featured two Steinbach Pistons. Brody Green was named to the initial roster and he was joined by teammate Zhenya Miles mid-way through the tournament. Miles was added to the team due to injuries.

Green scored a memorable goal at the tournament, striking with a minute to go during the Canada East/Canada West preliminary round contest to tie the game at 3-3. Canada West would eventually lose 4-3 in a shootout.

Green crashed the net during a massive scramble, and eventually found the puck and flipped it over the goaltenders pad in tight.