Jordyn Boyd of the Portage Terriers has been named the RBC Player of the Month for March. The 20-year-old veteran forward took his offensive game to another level, reflected in 13 points (6-7) in eight playoff games for the Terriers, who have now advanced to the MJHL championship. Boyd, who hails from Winnipeg, has been a key contributor all season for the Terriers, who will also host the RBC Cup final next month. The runners up are 20 year old defenseman Jordan Greig of the Virden Oil Capitals and 19 year old forward Kamerin Nault of the Winnipeg Blues.    Sher-Wood Hockey Defenseman of the Month Jordan Greig, 20, of the Virden Oil Capitals has been recognized for this award in March. A prototypical stay-at-home defenceman, Greig’s defensive play did not go unnoticed. The native of Souris also contributed offensively with 10 points in as many games. The runners up are 20 year old Tanner Jago of the Portage Terriers and 20 year old Landon Cross of the Steinbach Pistons.   MGEU Goaltender of the Month You could call him Mr. Perfect ─ Justin Laforest of the Portage Terriers. The 19-year-old from Carlton Place, Ont., went a perfect 7-0 last month, highlighted by four shutout performances. His GAA was an unbelievable 0.82, while his save percentage was .964. The runners up are 20 year old Nick Deery of the Steinbach Pistons and 19 year old Scott Parson of the Winnipeg Blues.   IBAM Rookie of the Month Colton Veloso of the Steinbach Pistons has more than held his own during the post-season action. The 17-year-old rookie from Winnipeg recorded five points (2-3) in seven games. The runners up are 18 year old forward Maverick Rafter of the Winnipeg Blues and 18 year old defenseman Zack Whitecloud of the Virden Oil Capitals.

By Derek Holtom MJHL Web Correspondent It’s been six years since Portage Terriers’ star forward Eric DeLong was named the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Player of the Year. Tristan Keck is hoping to snap the streak. The Winkler Flyers’ classy veteran is still pinching himself after recently being named the MJHL’s nominee for the Player of the Year award. “It’s pretty big – I honestly didn’t expect it,” said Keck, who hails from Morris. “There are a lot of great guys in the league, and to be nominated from that group is a pretty big honour.” Keck’s Flyers just lost a tough six-game series to the Virden Oil Capitals in the quarter-finals of the MJHL playoffs. And while he would rather still be playing, Keck admits being recognized for this award helps take away some of the sting of being eliminated. “It’s great to get personal success but you just want to win a championship,” he said. “Winning this helps a little bit, but ultimately you want to win that championship more than anything.” Keck did pretty much all in his power to help the Flyers this season. His 43 goals were tops in the league, helping him to be named the league’s most outstanding player. Some of his other major awards from his three years of junior include being named a first-team all star this year, twice being named the team MVP in Winkler, and being named the CJHL and the MJHL rookie of the year. MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis had high praise for the talented forward, who still has one year of junior eligibility remaining. “Tristan is a terrific ambassador for the MJHL,” said Davis. “He’s an outstanding nominee.” Meanwhile, Keck’s goal is to play college hockey.  “I want to play somewhere in the United States,” said Keck. “I’d like to take Architecture.” Keck added his family was excited when they learned of this latest honour.  “It’s rewarding for them to see all that hard work pay off,” he said. Previous nominees for this award include Braeden Ostepchuk of the Selkirk Steelers, Guillaume Naud of the Dauphin Kings, and Jayson Argue of the Swan Valley Stampeders, among others. Previous winners of this national award include a pair of former Portage Terriers – Eric Delong and Junior Lessard. The 2015 CJHL Player of the Year Award will be presented during the festivities at this year’s RBC Cup, which takes place in Portage la Prairie May 9-17.

Former Winnipeg Saint defenceman Travis Hamonic hasn’t forgotten his roots. Now a member of the New York Islanders, Hamonic is determined to make a difference with young people, who reach out to him. Recently, Hamonic was instrumental in making a difference for a 7-year-old boy and his family from PEI who are missing their father and husband, who was murdered last year. Hamonic, who hails from St. Malo, lost his father when he was 10 years old. It’s a memory he’ll never forget, and uses as a motivator in helping others. The story aired on CBC TV. Here’s the link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2661585850/

Former Dauphin King captain Shane Luke is getting frozen: as in playing in the Frozen Four. Luke, 24, is a member of the Providence Friars, who have advanced to college hockey’s version of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Friars play April 9th against Nebraska-Omaha in Boston. Winnipeg Free Press hockey writer Gary Lawless recently wrote an excellent feature about Luke, which we’d like to share with all MJHL fans. Click here to read the Free Press story: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/doing-it-for-dad-298100771.html

  For the 3rd time this season, Portage Terriers’ goaltender Justin Laforest has been named this week’s Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week. Laforest, who hails from Carlton Place, Ontario had an 0.67 GAA, 2 shutouts and .971 save percentage. Terriers are currently up 3-0 in their best-of-seven series against Virden Oil Capitals. The runners-up are 20 year old goaltender Nick Deery of the Steinbach Pistons and 20 year old forward Jordyn Boyd of the Portage Terriers.

The Neepawa Natives announced Sunday that Dwayne Kirkup will not be returning as Head Coach for the 2015/16 season. Natives General Manager, Myles Cathcart, stated that both sides are parting amicably and the organization would like to thank Coach Kirkup for his dedication and efforts.  “Dwayne contacted me late last week. He said that he has enjoyed his two years in Neepawa. It was a positive meeting, but in the end, he has decided not to return next season.” Dwayne is a dedicated coach that had the ability to motivate his players, worked hard involving the players in the community and the organization would like to thank him for that. Cathcart went on to say that “Kirkup was a key contributor in helping to rebuild the franchise to respectability on and off the ice.  The search for a new Head Coach will begin immediately as we want one in place before the annual MJHL draft held in Neepawa at the beginning of June.” For further information regarding the position of Head Coach: Contact the General Manager, Myles Cathcart at nnatives@mymts.net or 204.841.1555c

By Derek Holtom MJHL Web Correspondent   There’s no better way to prepare a team than actual game action. And the intensity level increases 10-fold come playoff time. The stakes are high. A championship is in the offing. Virden head coach Troy Leslie said his team has really been tested as the intensity of their games has been ramped up in the post-season. “The first round was really good for us in terms of (playing in close games),” said Leslie. “We had some young guys who got some valuable experience playing in that round, with four overtime games. “That helps bring your team together, and battled hardens them.” The Oil Caps are now involved in a thrilling best-of-seven series against Portage Terriers. A complete schedule of all games can be seen on the MJHL website. Through seven playoff games, the Virden Oil Capitals have seen six decided by only one goal, including four into overtime. The other game was decided by two goals, and with the final two goals of that contest coming in the final 1:33, it might as well be considered a one-goal game. The trend continued in Game 1 of the MJHL semifinal series versus the Portage Terriers, as the Oil Capitals kept the RBC Cup hosts in check for most of the night, yet still dropped a 1-0 decision. Up and down the bench, players are stepping up their game for Leslie. But one player in particular seems to have elevated his play to a new level – defenceman Jordan Greig, who had eight assists in six games against the Winkler Flyers in the opening round of the playoffs. “Jordan Greig has logged a lot of minutes for us, and provides as lot of offence from the back end for us, and plays in all key situations,” said Leslie. “If we’re going to be a good team, he generally has to be one of our best players.” Leslie said others have followed Greig’s lead, and are playing at a higher level this post season. “Goaltender Sean Kuehn has been very good for us, even going back to the regular season,” said Leslie. “He gives us a chance to win every night, and he’s done that through the playoffs. Even in Game 1 (versus Portage), he gave us a chance to tie the game and get it into overtime. “Lucas Oliver has stepped it up as well, Corey Haverstick has been very good, and the same with Devan Schram – those guys bring it every night.” Adding to the excitement of this playoff run has been the packed arena in Virden. The Oil Capitals continue to be an attendance juggernaut, attracting 1,244 for the Game 6-clinching victory against the Flyers. “We’ve had very good fan support, and being in our third year here, it’s something a lot of people in the community have embraced,” noted Leslie. “They’ve given us a lot of support, from the regular season right into the playoffs. They really provide a great atmosphere for us.” Now facing the top team in the league, the Oil Capitals were effective in limiting their offence. Now they just need to score against a Portage team that’s hasn’t allowed a goal in 240 plus minutes. “We’re going to have to get to their net,” said Leslie. “I thought we had some decent looks in the third period (in Game 1). But we need to get some people to the net as well, and create some havoc. “We knew this would be a tough battle, and I thought we played well in our own end, but maybe spent too much time in our own zone,” he added. “So we need to make sure when we do turn over the puck, that we get scoring chances from them.”  

Tristan Keck of the Winkler Flyers is this year’s MJHL’s nominee for the Canadian Junior Hockey League/RBC player of the year award. Keck, 20, was arguably one of the best snipers in the league this season, scoring a league-high 43 goals in 60 games. “Tristan wants to attend an NCAA school and is looking for the best opportunity in his areas of interest,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said today. “He’s an outstanding nominee. He has ambitions to attend a post-secondary institution and is an outstanding representative of our league. Tristan is an outstanding person, student and hockey player.” Keck was selected by voting conducted by the MJHL head coaches. A native of Morris, Keck hopes to one day study architecture or history. On the ice, he lists Tampa Bay sniper Steven Stamkos as his favourite NHL player. “I believe that it is best to lead by example,” Keck said.  “I try as hard as I can, and work as hard as I can on and off the ice. I try to encourage my teammates as well—to be the best they can be, to work hard, and to believe in themselves.” Recently, Keck was named the MJHL’s most valuable player, in addition to his selection to the MJHL’s first all-star team. Keck is now one of 10 Junior A nominees eligible for the CJHL/RBC Player of the Year Award which is awarded annually at the RBC Cup (hosted by Portage in May). Manitoba’s last national winner was Portage Terriers’ star Eric DeLong, who won the national award in 2009.

Steven Phillips, has recently secured a commitment with St. Norbert Green Knights.  St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin, which currently enrolls about 2,160 students. Throughout the Green Knights history they have had an abundance of success.  St Norbert is amongst the most successful NCAA Division III colleges, having appeared in 15 NCAA Division III Tournaments since 1997, highlighted by nine Frozen Four appearances – and winning the national championship in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014 while placing as national runner-up in 2004, 2006 and 2010. The Knights where consistently nationally ranked in the top ten of NCAA Division III hockey all season. The 2014-2015 team had a 20-6-2 record and made it to the NCHA Harris Cup final before succumbing to Adrian College. Phillips, 20, a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, was a key leader who provided an abundance of offense and physicality last year for the Natives. The skilled forward was second in club scoring with 22 goals in 58 games and was one of two import players to break the 20 goal mark in our league.   Steven reflected upon his time in Neepawa stating that it was a great place to play and develop, “I would like to thank all of the staff and teammates of the Natives’ organization”.  He shared his enthusiasm in his recent signing stating, “I chose St. Norbert because it is close to home and they have a long tradition of winning”.  “I am excited to be a part of their club next season”. Phillips plans on majoring in Business and working hard to contribute to the success of the Green Knights next season.   The Natives organization would like to wish Steven and St. Norbert Green Knights success next season. The club feels that Phillip’s character and offensive skill will contribute to the success of the Green Knights for the years to come.

Getting hot at the right time has earned forward Lucas Oliver of the Virden Oil Capitals this week’s Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week honour. Oliver, 20, recorded five points (3-2) in three playoff games for the Oil Capitals, who now take on Portage Terriers in a best-of-seven, semi-final series. The runners up are 19 year old goaltender Sean Kuehn of the Virden Oil Capitals and 19 year old forward Cam Whyte of the Winkler Flyers.  

  March 25th     Virden Oil Capital @ Portage Terriers     7:30 pm March 27th     Portage Terriers @ Virden Oil Capitals     7:30 pm March 29th     Virden Oil Capitals @ Portage Terriers     6:30 pm March 31st     Portage Terriers @ Virden Oil Capitals     7:30 pm April 2nd     Virden Oil Capitals @ Portage Terriers     7:30 pm (if necess) April 4th     Portage Terriers @ Virden Oil Capitals     7:30 pm (if necess) April 6th     Virden Oil Capitals @ Portage Terriers     7:30 pm (if necess)  

SECOND ROUND PREVIEWS   (1)    PORTAGE TERRIERS vs. (5) VIRDEN OIL CAPITALS    The Virden Oil Capitals are back into the second round of the MJHL Playoffs and much like last year, they’ll face another very strong team. However you could say this year’s Portage Terriers are on a different level than last year’s Dauphin Kings. The good news for the Oil Capitals is they were able to beat the Terriers earlier in the year. Portage owned the season series, going 5-0-1. But if you dig a little deeper and throw the first two meetings (Right at the start of the season) out the window, you’ll notice that three of the four final meetings between the two teams in the regular season were settled by one goal games. Overall the Terriers outscored the Oil Capitals 25-11, but take out Virden’s 9-0 home opener loss and it changes to 16-11. This series could end up being closer than some may think…   PLAYOFF STATS SPECIAL TEAMS (Out of the four remaining teams) Power Play: Terriers – 42.86% (1) / Oil Capitals – 15.15% (3) Penalty Kill: Terriers – 95.65% (2) / Oil Capitals – 91.67% (4) TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS Terriers: Shawn Bowles (4G & 4A for 8PTS in 4GP (T3rd in MJHL)) Oil Capitals: Jordan Greig (0G, 8A for 8PTS in 6GP (T3rd in MJHL)) GOALIES Terriers: Justin Laforest 3-0, 0.33 GAA, .985 SV% & 2 SO / Zac Robidoux 1-0, 0.00, 1.000 SV% & 1 SO Oil Capitals: Sean Kuehn 4-2, 2.18 GAA & .921 SV%     (2)    STEINBACH PISTONS vs. (3) WINNIPEG BLUES   For the third straight season the Steinbach Pistons meet the Winnipeg Blues in the MJHL Playoffs. Last year it was the Blues beating the Pistons in six games. The year previous it was the exact opposite as Pistons got by the Blues in six. Ironically enough, both teams went on to beat the Dauphin Kings in the MJHL final. However, the similarities continued at the Western Canada Cup where both groups failed to make it past the round robin stage of the five team tournament. When it comes to this year’s MJHL campaign, Steinbach controlled the season series, going 5-1-0 against Winnipeg and outscoring them 26-16. Take it for what it’s worth, but these two teams have only played each other once since the Trade Deadline.   REGULAR SEASON STATS   SPECIAL TEAMS (Out of the four remaining teams) Power Play: Pistons – 0.00% (4) / Blues – 33.33% (2)  Penalty Kill: Pistons – 100% (1) / Blues – 94.74% (3)   TOP SCORERS Pistons: Dustin Loeppky (3G & 2A for 5PTS (T18th in MJHL)) Blues: Brett Brooks (4G, 6A for 10PTS (1st in MJHL)) GOALIES Pistons: Nick Deery 4-0, 1.69 GAA, .941 SV% & 1 SO Blues: Scott Parsons 3-0, 2.33 GAA & .909 SV% / Brian Archibald 1-0, 3.00 GAA & .842 SV%

The march towards the Turnbull Trophy continues. Dates have now been confirmed for the best-of-seven semi-final series between Winnipeg Blues and Steinbach Pistons.   March 25th     Winnipeg Blues @ Steinbach Pistons     7:30 pm March 27th     Steinbach Pistons @ Winnipeg Blues     7:30 pm March 29th     Winnipeg Blues @ Steinbach Pistons     7:30 pm April 1st     Steinbach Pistons @ Winnipeg Blues     7:30 pm April 2nd     Winnipeg Blues @ Steinbach Pistons     7:30 pm (if necess) April 4th     Steinbach Pistons @ Winnipeg Blues     7:30 pm (if necess) April 6th     Winnipeg Blues @ Steinbach Pistons     7:30 pm (if necess)  

Former Winnipeg Blue forward Zach Franko has been named to the CIS all-rookie team. The Winnipegger, who turned 22 earlier this month, had an excellent freshman season with University of Acadia Axemen. The left winger recorded 30 points (12-18) in 28 CIS games. Franko played for the Blues in the 2009-10 MJHL season before moving on to the Western Hockey League.

Portage Terriers continue their domination in the post-season, thanks in large part to their goaltender Justin Laforest, who has been named this week’s Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week. Laforest, 19, posted a perfect 2-0 record (one shutout) in post-season play. The native of Carlton Place, Ont., had an incredible 0.50 GAA and .977 save percentage. Terriers are currently up 3-0 in their best-of-seven series against Waywayseecappo Wolverines. The runners-up are 20 year old goaltender Nick Deery of the Steinbach Pistons and 20  year old forward Brett Brooks of the Winnipeg Blues.

By Derek Holtom MJHL Web Correspondent   Three teams have 3-0 leads in their best-of-seven series, following the first three games of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League quarter-finals. The Portage Terriers lead their best-of-seven series 3-0 over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. The Terriers, who will host the RBC Cup this spring, have out-scored the Wolverines 24-1 in the first three games of this series. Shawn Bowles and Jordan Boyd each have seven points in three games for the Terriers, who don’t appear to be letting their foot off the gas against a Wolverines’ team known for its strong defensive play. The second-seeded Steinbach Pistons also lead their series 3-0 after a 4-0 shutout win over the Selkirk Steelers Sunday night. The game was the first shutout of the  series – the first game went into overtime, while the second game was decided by just one goal. Despite the shutout, Selkirk’s Adam Wowryk continues to lead all MJHL playoff scorers with nine points (including seven goals). The Steelers, like the Wolverines, played in the survivor series to advance to the final eight, and have played more playoff games than the top six seeds. Another interesting series has the Winnipeg Blues up 3-0 on the Swan Valley Stampeders in the three-versus-six matchup. While down in the series, the Stampeders have enjoyed leads at stretches this series, and each game was decided by an empty net goal. The Stampeders feel they have been in every game, and like the Wolverines and Steelers, are hoping to stretch their series past four games with a win on home ice this week. The final series looks as though it might go the distance. The fourth-seeded Winkler Flyers lead the Virden Oil Capitals 2-1, with the Flyers winning both of their games in overtime. Only four points separated these two teams in the regular season, so it’s no shock they are playing it so close so far. Winnipeg and Steinbach continue their series on Tuesday (March 17), while Portage and Wayway return to the ice on Wednesday.

Portage Terriers’ veteran Zach Waldvogel was presented with the Mike Ridley Trophy Wednesday night by MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis. Waldvogel, 20, topped all MJHL scorers with 28 goals and 78 points in 60 games. A native son of Portage, Waldvogel and his teammates are now in a best-of-seven playoff series against Waywayseecappo Wolverines. In May, Portage and the Terriers will be hosting the national junior A championship, the RBC Cup. The top scorer trophy is named after MJHL alumni Mike Ridley, who starred with the St. Boniface Saints before going to an impressive NHL career.

Waywayseecappo Wolverines made franchise history this past weekend when they beat Dauphin Kings in their best-of-three ‘Survivor Series’ playoff. It was the first time in team history that they had won a playoff series. “I was really proud of our organization, all the players who played for this organization, and the guys who are with us now,” GM/Head Coach Barry Butler said. “This is really good for our confidence and I’m very proud of everyone who was, and is associated with the team.” Butler is very much the team’s unofficial historian. Now in his 12th season with the Wolverines, he’s seen his share of adversity, challenges, disappointments and finally……success. But, the Wolverines won’t have much time to bask in their glory. On deck: the CJHL’s No. 1 ranked team, Portage Terriers. “Beating the Kings has certainly given us confidence as we look towards Portage,” said Butler. “We know we’ll have our work cut out for us. They were No. 1 in the nation for practically all season. “They are a tremendous team. Balanced in all areas. Lots of depth, and lots of weapons. We have to keep the game as simple as we can. Simple and tight.” Despite the daunting task of facing the Terriers, Butler admits the series victory will pay dividends in the future: particularly when it comes to recruiting players and building on the team’s history. “We’re not a big-budget team,” said Butler. “We don’t do a lot of transactions. We go with the guys who are with us in the fall. We work with them, and build from there. It was a proud moment for us to have won that playoff series. “It was our first ever. I know I’ll remember it for a long time.”

FIRST ROUND PREVIEWS   (1)    PORTAGE TERRIES vs. (8) WAYWAY WOLVERINES   The Terriers begin their drive towards the RBC Cup which starts May 9th at the PCU Centre in Portage. First up is a best-of-seven series with the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Wayway beat Dauphin 2-0 in their Survivor Series. When it comes to head to head Portage was 6-0-0 against the Wolverines. However in their last meeting Wayway almost pulled out a victory, but ended up losing at home in a shootout (4-3). The Terriers outscored the Wolverines 30-13 in the regular season series.   REGULAR SEASON STATS SPECIAL TEAMS Power Play: Terriers – 22.85% (2) / Wolverines – 20.26% (4) Penalty Kill: Terriers – 88.61% (1) / Wolverines – 86.13% (2) TOP SCORERS Terriers: Zach Waldvogel (28G & 50A for 78PTS (1st in MJHL)) Wolverines: George Splichal (25G & 32A for 57PTS (13th in MJHL)) GOALIES Terriers: Justin Laforest 31-3, 2.13 GAA, .911 SV% & 3 SO / Zac Robidoux 5-1, 1.77, .927 SV% & 1 SO Wolverines: Mitch Wiebe 20-22, 3.02 GAA, .905 SV% & 2 SO / Branden Holtby 3-9, 2.86 GAA & .908 SV%     (2)    STEINBACH PISTONS vs. (7) SELKIRK STEELERS   Steinbach heads into the playoffs on a strong run and will take on the Selkirk Steelers who beat OCN 2-0 in their Survivor Series. Steinbach has won nine of their last 10 coming into this series. In that stretch they hammered Selkirk 5-1. Overall the season series between Selkirk and Steinbach was controlled by the Pistons, they went 3-1-2 against the Steelers who won two of their games in the shootout. Steinbach doubled Selkirk in the goal totals, outscoring them 26-13. That includes a 9-0 win at home in November. REGULAR SEASON STATS SPECIAL TEAMS Power Play: Pistons – 22.86% (1) / Steelers – 16.00% (5) Penalty Kill: Pistons – 85.20% (3) / Steelers – 83.39% (6) TOP SCORERS Pistons: Tyler Penner (31G & 35A for 66PTS (4th in MJHL)) Steelers: Ty Kraus (17G, 34A for 51PTS (22nd in MJHL)) GOALIES Pistons: Nick Deery 30-15, 2.27 GAA, .922 SV% & 5 SO / Mario Petit 9-6, 2.63 GAA, .907 SV% & 2 SO Steelers: Teegan Sacher 16-14, 2.97 GAA, .913 SV% & 1 SO / Hayden Dola 13-15, 3.47 GAA, .899 SV% & 2 SO     (3) WINNIPEG BLUES vs. (6) SWAN VALLEY STAMPEDERS   The Winnipeg Blues will begin their defence of the MJHL Championship on home ice as they take on the Swan Valley Stampeders. It was a good season for both clubs, but when it came down to face to face Winnipeg went 4-2-0 against Swan Valley, outscoring them 25-14. A concern for the Stampeders was the fact they lost twice to Winnipeg in their final two meetings of the season, both by the same score of 6-1. REGULAR SEASON STATS SPECIAL TEAMS Power Play: Blues – 20.77% (3) / Stampeders – 14.62% (9) Penalty Kill: Blues – 83.59% (4) / Stampeders – 77.89% (10) TOP SCORERS Blues: Kamerin Nault (33G & 38A for 71PTS (2nd in MJHL)) Stampeders: Tristen Mullin (24G & 28A for 52PTS (19th in MJHL)) GOALIES Blues: Scott Parsons 23-17, 2.63 GAA, .903 SV% & 3 SO / Brian Archibald 10-2, 2.70 GAA, .906 SV% & 1 SO Stampeders: Graham Hunt 23-25, 3.07 GAA, .915 SV% & 4 SO / Lasse Petersen 5-7, 3.40 GAA & .912 SV%     (4) WINKLER FLYERS vs. (5) VIRDEN OIL CAPITALS   After dominating the season series early on, the Virden Oil Capitals stumbled against Winkler late in the campaign to take the set, going 4-2-0 against the Flyers. Late in the year Winkler beat Virden twice (3-1 & 5-1). If there was a series out of the first four you’d pick to go seven games, this would likely be the one. Virden edged out Winkler in goals for between the two clubs by picking up 22, Winkler had 18. Home ice advantage may turn out to be critical in this best-of-seven. REGULAR SEASON STATS SPECIAL TEAMS Power Play: Flyers – 13.49% (10) / Oil Capitals – 14.87% (7) Penalty Kill: Flyers – 83.41% (5) / Oil Capitals – 82.18% (8) TOP SCORERS Flyers: Tristan Keck (43G & 20A for 63PTS (6th in MJHL)) Oil Capitals: Soren Frederiksen (31G & 28A for 59PTS (10th in MJHL)) GOALIES Flyers: Dasan Sydora 26-15, 2.61 GAA, .921 SV% & 3 SO / Devon Fordyce 9-22, 3.01 GAA, .913 SV% & 3 SO Oil Capitals: Sean Kuehn 21-16, 2.65 GAA & .903 SV% / Cameron Pateman 8-8, 3.12 GAA, .876 SV% & 1 SO

Getting hot in the playoffs has earned Adam Wowryk of the Selkirk Steelers this week’s Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week. Wowryk, 18, went on an offensive blitz, recording 10 points (6-4) in three playoff games for the Steelers, who won their best-of-three ‘Survivor Series’ against OCN Blizzard. Wowryk, who hails from Winnipeg, will now prepare to face Steinbach Pistons in a best-of-seven series which begins Wednesday in Steinbach. The runners up are 20 year old goaltender Mitch Wiebe of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and 18 year old forward Devin Muir of the OCN Blizzard. The complete playoff schedule is now available on the MJHL website.

With the winners of the ‘Survivor Series’ now official, it’s now on to the next round of playoff action. The Selkirk/Steinbach series will start on Wednesday, March 11 in Steinbach. The remaining dates have yet to be confirmed. The entire series will be announced on Tuesday. In the meantime, the remaining series are as follows: SERIES A –  WAYWAYSEECAPPO vs PORTAGE TERRIERS Mar 11 Waywayseecappo at Portage Terriers 7:30 pm Mar 13 Portage Terriers at Waywayseecappo 7:30 pm Mar 15 Waywayseecappo at Portage Terriers 6:30 pm    Mar 18 Portage Terriers at Waywayseecappo 7:30 pm Mar 20 Waywayseecappo at Portage Terriers (if necess) 7:30 pm    Mar 22 Portage Terriers at Waywayseecappo (if necess) 7:30 pm Mar 23 Waywayseecappo at Portage Terriers (if necess) 7:30 pm   SERIES D – VIRDEN OIL CAPITALS vs WINKLER FLYERS Mar 11 Virden Oil Capitals at Winkler Flyers 7:30 pm Mar 13 Winkler Flyers at Virden Oil Capitals 7:30 pm Mar 15 Virden Oil Capitals at Winkler Flyers 7:30 pm   Mar 17 Winkler Flyers at Virden Oil Capitals 7:30 pm Mar 19 Virden Oil Capitals at Winkler Flyers (if necess) 7:30 pm Mar 21 Winkler Flyers at Virden Oil Capitals (if necess) 7:30 pm Mar 22 Virden Oil Capitals at Winkler Flyers (if necess) 7:30 pm   SERIES C –  SWAN VALLEY STAMPEDERS vs WINNIPEG BLUES Mar 11 Swan Valley  at Winnipeg Blues 7:30 pm Mar 13 Winnipeg Blues at Swan Valley 7:30 pm Mar 15 Swan Valley at Winnipeg Blues 6:30 pm Mar 17 Winnipeg Blues at Swan Valley 7:30 pm Mar 20 Swan Valley at Winnipeg Blues (if necess) 7:30 pm Mar 22 Winnipeg Blues at Swan Valley (if necess)  6:00 pm Mar 23 Swan Valley at Winnipeg Blues (if necess) 7:30 pm

March 4, 2015   A homegrown product of Swan River, Cody Ellingson grew up watching the Swan Valley Stampeders and knows just how important the team is to the town and surrounding area. As an active volunteer in his community, the Swan Valley Stampeder forward has been named the MJHL Manitoba Pork Peak Performer for February. Ellingson, 18, understands the importance of giving back to the community as he has been active in community events such as Swan Valley Minor Hockey Day, the Tiger Fire Special Olympics Game, Swan Valley Youth Activity Evenings and is a volunteer minor hockey coach. “Cody exemplifies the influence junior hockey players can have in their community and the positives they bring to the community,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of Ellingson.  “Together with his community work and playing Junior 'A' hockey, he attends Swan Valley Regional Secondary School and is completing grade 12 while working around a demanding hockey schedule.”   January   An active volunteer in his community, Jake Stilwell of the Winnipeg Blues has been named the MJHL Manitoba Pork Peak Performer for January.   Stilwell, 20, was honoured for his off-ice volunteerism in promoting the game of hockey. He is a volunteer at Winnipeg’s Harrow Elementary School and reads to students from Nursery through grade-six.   Stilwell, who hails from Jamestown, ND., also volunteers his time with the school's Hockey Discovery Days program.   “Through this program,  Jake works mentoring students who have never had an opportunity to play hockey before,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of Stilwell.   “He has a great rapport with the students and is an excellent  role model. He provides mentorship and academic support as a 'buddy' to two EAL students with unique needs.”   Stilwell also volunteered for Harrow School's Culture Day, where student diversity was celebrated.   “Jake epitomizes what the MJHL is all about: community involvement, making a difference and showcasing his hockey talents,” said Davis. “Congratulations on behalf of the Manitoba Pork Council and the MJHL.”     December   Connor Martin of the Steinbach Pistons has been named the Manitoba Pork-MJHL Peak Performer of the Month of December.   A newcomer to Steinbach, the affable Martin has quickly immersed himself into the community. The rookie defenceman attends local schools several mornings a week assisting teachers and working with students.   “Connor is also an assistant coach for his billet family’s sons minor hockey team,” Pistons’ GM/Head Coach Paul Dyck says of Martin, who hails from Owatonna, MN. “In addition, he has volunteered with the Helping Hands: Drive Away Hunger campaign.   “As a role model in the community, Connor understands and respects the opportunity to make a difference with area youth.”   The MJHL Manitoba Pork Peak Performer award recognizes the volunteerism of an MJHL player who is making a difference in their community.   “Connor epitomizes what the MJHL is all about: community involvement, making a difference and showcasing his hockey talents,” said MHL Commissioner Kim Davis. “Congratulations on behalf of the Manitoba Pork Council and the MJHL.”     November   Brian MacKenzie of the Selkirk Steelers has been named the MJHL Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month of November.   MacKenzie, who hails from Winnipeg, has made the commitment to raise cancer awareness among both his teammates and the community of Selkirk. Recently, the MJHL family was saddened to hear the news that former player Cole Hamblin had lost his battle against cancer.   MacKenzie, a former teammate and friend of Cole, decided he was going to be a difference maker ─ starting with the popular “Movember” movement of cancer awareness.   “MacKenzie, and his Steelers teammates participated in raising funds through a Movember Brunch hosted by Roxi’s on the Red Uptown Café and On the Rocks Bar and Night Club in the Selkirk Motor Hotel,” said Steeler’s GM Dave Obirek. “Through this event, and further donations from players, staff and fans, a total of $1,100 was raised in support of Movember Canada and men’s health.”   MacKenzie, who is the Steelers’ captain, was also instrumental in having the Steelers’ don ‘CH 13’ decals on their helmets ─ in honour of Cole, who wore number 13 with the Steelers.   “Brian took his captaincy to the next level,” said Obirek. “Having suffered the loss of a friend and former teammate, he took it upon himself to bring awareness to ‘Movember’ and men’s health. We are all very proud of him.”   “Brian epitomizes what the MJHL is all about: community involvement, making a difference and showcasing his hockey talents,” said MHL Commissioner Kim Davis. “Congratulations on behalf of the Manitoba Pork Council and the MJHL.”     October   Daylon Creasy of the Swan Valley Stampeders has been named the Manitoba Pork – MJHL Peak Performer of the Month for October.   Creasy, 18, has been involved in a variety of community activities this season, including the Terry Fox Run, Taylor School BBQ and Swan Valley Minor Hockey Breakfast Club.   “Daylon’s involvement in his community is all encompassing,” said MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis. “He’s has become involved with Communities that Care, Haunted House project for Spooktober fest.   “In addition, Daylon is participating in the Swan River 'Chop the Top' for cancer awareness where he may have to endure a buzz-cut at center ice during a game in November.”   Creasy, who hails from Carberry, is also passing on his hockey expertise to young players, serving as a guest coach with Swan Valley Pee Wee teams.   “Daylon epitomizes the community involvement of the MJHL,” said Davis. “This award couldn’t have gone to a more worthy recipient.”   September   Zach Whitecloud of the Virden Oil Capitals is committed to making a difference in his community. And it’s that quality which earned the rookie defenceman the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for September.   Whitecloud, 18, excels both on the ice and in the community. He volunteers his time with the Virden Minor Hockey school and assisted during local peewee tryouts.   “While Zach is a newcomer to the community of Virden, that didn’t stop him from getting involved quickly,” MJHL Kim Davis said of Whitecloud’s contributions.   “ Zach, along with his teammates, recently participated in the Virden Junior High Terry Fox Run/Skate. Zach will also be speaking in local schools as part of WE Day Celebrations. He’s doing all of this community work while dealing with the pressure of being a rookie in the MJHL.”   Whitecloud, who hails from Brandon, plans to speak to the WE Day audience about his path to the Oil Capitals, and his experience playing for Team Manitoba at the North American Indigenous Games in Montreal.   “Zach epitomizes what the MJHL is all about: community involvement, making a difference and showcasing his hockey talents,” said Davis. “Congratulations on behalf of the Manitoba Pork Council and the MJHL.”   Archive 2013-2014   March   The Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for March is Steinbach Pistons goaltender Zach Rakochy.   Zach spent over 60 hours volunteering in Steinbach schools assisting teachers, spending time with students, and was also involved in minor hockey during the month of March. "Zach has made a tremendous impact with youth in Steinbach and has set the bar extremely high when it comes to giving back to the community,” said Pistons Head Coach & GM, Paul Dyck. “I am often approached by parents with a son or daughter in one of the schools where Zach volunteers and they always comment on the positive influence he has been on their child. Zach understands the opportunity he has as a Junior hockey player to make a difference in the lives of people and he selflessly gives his time."   Congratulations Zach as this month’s Manitoba Pork Peak Performer!     February   For his tireless community service efforts, Clay Van Diest of the Portage Terriers has been Manitoba Pork Peak Performer for the Month of February.   Van Diest, 20, is a firm believer in giving back to his community and the fans of the Terriers.   “Clay is active in the community and has participated in the Terry Fox Run, volunteered for Manitoba Heart and Stroke Association, United Way, Cancer Care Manitoba and the Portage Jingle Bell Breakfast,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of Van Diest’s selection.   “Clay truly understands what it means to give back to the community. Clay has also volunteered to read at schools in surrounding communities such as Austin, Treherne and MacGregor, as well as nearby Hutterite communities and schools in Portage la Prairie.”   Van Diest, who patrols the blueline for the Terriers, hails from Helena, Mt. His community efforts have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.   “Clay sets a very good example for his younger teammates as well as for all youth in the community,” said Davis   “Clay is a true ambassador of the Terriers and the MJHL. He’s a worthy winner of this award. The MJHL and Manitoba Pork Council congratulate Clay on his award.”     January   Cody Nelson of the Virden Oil Capitals has been Manitoba Pork Peak Performer for the Month of January.   The 20-year-old forward has been recognized for his outstanding leadership skills both on and off the ice.   “Cody volunteered as an instructor at the Southwest Peewee Development Camp, sharing his passion and knowledge of hockey with the young players,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of Nelson’s selection.   “The Camp included two speaking sessions where Cody addressed the players and their parents about his work ethic and daily routine and what it took to become a Junior ‘A’ hockey player.”   Nelson, who hails from Brandon, has demonstrated strong public speaking skills and a willingness to share his personal experiences with others.   “Recently, Cody spoke in front of the entire Virden Collegiate student body at their WE Day event and is a tremendous ambassador for the Oil Capitals,” said Davis.   Nelson was a Peak Performer on the ice as well, recording six points (3-3) in the month of January.   “Cody is a true ambassador of the Oil Capitals and the MJHL,” said Davis. “He a worthy winner of this award. The MJHL and Manitoba Pork Council congratulate Cody Nelson on his award.”   December   The Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for December is 18 year old forward Kamerin Nault of the Winnipeg Blues. Kam is in his second year with Blues and has been active in giving back to the community. Kam participated in a Kal-Tire-MJHL BBQ helping to promote the MJHL and the Blues. Kam has volunteered his time coaching with the AA Titans (northwest) girls hockey team and participates with Seven Oaks Middle School helping out students in their Physical Education program in the afternoon and on-ice in the mornings.   November   Read More Riley Hillis of the Neepawa Natives is full of energy both at the hockey rink and within the community. And it’s that quality which earned the talented forward the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for November.   Hillis, 18, volunteers his time at an early morning hockey clinic helping young players work on their skills before school. The Winnipegger is also enjoying a strong season, reflected in 14 points (10-4) after 27 games.   “Riley also volunteered at local schools and with the Salvation Army in support of their annual food donation drive for the food bank,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of the selection.   “Riley is a good example of community volunteerism at its best. He’s combining a very busy hockey schedule with helping others in Neepawa.”   The MJHL and Manitoba Pork are proud of the contribution Hillis has made to his community.   October   For his outstanding volunteerism in the community, Max Provencher of the Swan Valley Stampeders has been awarded the MJHL Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for October.   Provencher, 20, hails from Montreal and is fully bilingual ─ a language he’s putting to good use in Swan River and area.   “Max is a volunteer French tutor for Swan River and area students,” Commissioner Kim Davis said of Provencher’s selection. “He also volunteers his time at the local Animal Protection Agency and has supported the Swan Valley Communities That Care (SVCTC) Youth Initiative.”   Provencher, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward, has also enjoyed a strong season to date, reflected in 13 goals and 22 points for the Stamps, who sit fourth in the Sher-Wood Division.   The Manitoba Pork Council and the MJHL congratulate Max on his outstanding achievements in the community and on the ice.     September   Adam Vander Linden of the Winkler Flyers believes in making a difference in his community. And it’s that quality which earned the rookie goaltender the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for September.   Vander Linden, 18, has been honoured with this award for his unconditional commitment to his community and unselfish volunteerism.   “Ty is a newcomer to the community of Winker, but that didn’t stop him from getting involved quickly,” MJHL Kim Davis said of Vander Linden’s contributions.   “He is contributing to the community by volunteering in the Canadian Tire ‘I Love to Skate’ program which provides skates and encouragement to new immigrant children who have never skated on ice before. This year in Winkler, 25 kids are learning to skate as a result of the efforts of Canadian Tire and people like Adam."   “He did all of this community work while preparing for several Manitoba Junior Hockey League games and all the while moving to his new town,” Davis said of Vander Linden, who hails from Winnipeg.   Vander Linden and some of his teammates also volunteered with the Winkler Horticultural Club who had the task of removing flower pots from various locations in the city to prepare for the upcoming winter season.   On the ice, Vander Linden has also contributed over his first two games, reflected in stopping 72 of the 76 shots he faced for an outstanding .947 save percentage and a 2.0 goals against average.   The MJHL and Manitoba Pork are proud of the contribution Vander Linden has made to his community.     2012/2013   March   Jordan Neduzak of the Swan Valley Stampeders has been named the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer for March.   Neduzak, 20, has demonstrated a tireless work ethic both on and off the ice. Throughout the season, Neduzak has been a strong ambassador for his hockey club. He mentored young minor hockey players during on-ice practice sessions and also visited local schools in Swan River to read to students and be a positive role model.   A native of Morden, Neduzak became a tireless volunteer while a member of the Winkler Flyers. He continued his volunteerism this season with his new team and community.   “It’s this type of selfless volunteerism which embodies the spirit of our league,” said MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis. “While moving to a new community, Jordan was determined to give back to his adopted community.”   “Jordan is a fantastic ambassador for both the Stampeders and our league,” said Davis.   February   Justin McDonald of the OCN Blizzard has been named the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer for February.   McDonald, 20, has demonstrated a tireless work ethic both on and off the ice. The Blizzard goaltender has been a tremendous ambassador for the organization, volunteering at various community events such as reading to youths at local library nights, in addition to signing autographs at school pancake breakfasts.   “Justin has been very steady throughout the year and has been a huge part of the regular season success,” said Blizzard Head Coach Clay DeBray. “Justin strives everyday to be the best that he can be on the ice and especially off the ice. He comes from a great family and being raised on a farm, he learned that hard work will make you a better person in life and in sports.”   McDonald was raised on a farm near Turtleford, Sk., which is located near North Battleford. A strong believer in giving back to his community, McDonald also tutored young goaltenders in the minor hockey system. A highlite for him this season was attending a number of events staged at the iconic Trappers Festival in The Pas.   “Justin is a fantastic ambassador for both the Blizzard and our league,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of McDonald’s selection.   January   Kyle Bodnaruk of the Winnipeg Blues has been named the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for January.   Bodnaruk, 20, believes strongly in making a difference in his community. The Blues’ captain recently organized an event at Siloam Mission, where his teammates served food to patrons, assisted with laundry duties and organized much-needed clothes for pick-up.   Bodnaruk’s community involvement is far-reaching. He’s also befriended two autistic young men and on a regular basis takes them to lunch or a Blues’ game/practice.   “Kyle and his teammates felt good about helping the community and realized the good fortune they have in their lives compared to others,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of Bodnaruk’s selection.   “Good works like these make solid contributions to the community at large. Manitoba Pork and the MJHL are proud of the efforts of Kyle Bodnaruk.”   December   Zach Rakochy of the Steinbach Pistons has been named the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for December.   Rakochy was involved significantly in local fund raising with a focus on charities that support men’s mental health. After a recent home game, Zach and teammate Kyle Rous shaved their heads publicly in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association and Prostate Cancer Awareness, respectively.   Between the two players, they raised about $2,000 for the local charities.   The hair-cutting project started growing after Rakochy was deeply impacted when a former hockey teammate took his own life.   “We had played junior together. He was a good buddy of mine,” said the Pistons’ goaltender, who hails from Canora, Sk. “He suffered from depression. When he took his life it really hit me hard. I wanted to make a difference after that.   “When I was getting my hair cut I was thinking about him. It was very emotion for me. It really felt unreal knowing I was helping and making a difference.”   Rakochy, 19, has also been actively involved in minor hockey and has worked one on one with several minor hockey goalies to develop their skills. In December he also packed food hampers that were distributed to needy families. In addition to all these activities he also made four school appearances and spoke to students at local schools.   “The MJHL and Manitoba Pork are proud of the citizenship displayed by Zach,” said MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis.   November   Bryce Lipinski of the Portage Terriers has been named the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for November.   Lipinski, 19, is not only a hard-worker on the ice, but is also a tireless volunteer away from the rink.   “Bryce has volunteered in the community with various events including the Terry Fox Run, United Way, as well as assisting his teammates at a fund raiser for the Terriers’ former home, the Centennial Arena,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said of Lipinski’s selection of Manitoba Pork Peak Performer.   “Bryce understands the benefits for kids to stay active with sports and the importance in keeping the old arena in operation in Portage. He leads by example and is a very good role model for his younger teammates and youth in the community.”   Lipinski, who was acquired in the off-season from the North Bay Trappers, plays alongside his twin brother Lyndon. Bryce has nine goals and 14 points in 23 games for the Terriers, who sit third in the Addison Division with 13 wins and 29 points.   “The MJHL and Manitoba Pork are proud of the citizenship displayed by great young men like Bryce Lipinski of the Portage Terriers,” said Davis.   October   Jeff Archibald of the Dauphin Kings is hands-on when it comes to making a difference in his community. And it’s that quality which earned the veteran forward the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for October.   Two nights per week Archibald spends quality time with Jonathan Foster, the special needs trainer for the Kings. As a result of this one-on-one bonding, both have become good companions.   “Jeff’s contributions don’t stop at the rink,” Kings’ GM/Head Coach Marlin Murray says of Archibald. “During the month Jeff played road hockey on several occasions with local school children, as well as teaching hockey skills with the Timbits minor hockey program.”   Archibald, a Kings’ assistant captain, is having a good season thus far, reflected in 12 points (5-7) after 12 games. He and his King teammates also recently put smiles on the faces of many a youngster in Dauphin.   “Jeff and some of his teammates dressed up and passed out candy to local children on behalf of the hockey club,” said Murray.   The MJHL and Manitoba Pork are proud of the contribution Jeff Archibald has made to his community.   September   Even though he is new to the Town of Virden, Grade 11 student Ty Edmonds has made a huge community contribution. 16 year old goaltender, Ty Edmonds of the Virden Oil Capitals has been named the Manitoba Pork Peak Performer of the Month for September.   For two full weeks in September Ty has worked on the ice with goaltenders in the Virden Minor Hockey School. He did all of this community work while preparing for several Manitoba Junior Hockey League games and all the while moving from Winnipeg to a new town and new high school.   The MJHL and Manitoba Pork are proud of the contribution Ty Edmonds has made to his community.

March 4, 2015   Submitted by Christian Laughland MJHL Web Correspondent     (7) SELKIRK STEELERS vs. (10) OCN BLIZZARD Mar 05 – OCN Blizzard @ Selkirk Steelers, 7:30 p.m. Mar 07 – Selkirk Steelers @ OCN, 7 p.m. Mar 08 – OCN Blizzard @ Selkirk, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)   In six games against each other this season the OCN Blizzard and Selkirk Steelers each picked up a few wins against each other. But it was the Steelers coming out on top, going 4-2-0 against the Blizzard. OCN wasn’t far off though, they went 2-2-2. In a high scoring season series Selkirk outscored OCN 26-21. That’s an average of 7.83 goals per game between both clubs. Series Key: GOALTENDING.   REGULAR SEASON STATS   SPECIAL TEAMS   Power Play:   Steelers – 16.00% (5) / Blizzard – 14.86% (8)   Penalty Kill:   Steelers – 83.39% (6) / Blizzard 82.83% (7)   TOP SCORERS   Steelers – Ty Kraus (17G, 34A for 51PTS) / Blizzard – Devin Muir (22G & 29A for 51PTS)   GOALIE STATS   Steelers: Teegan Sacher 16-14, 2.97 GAA, .913 SV% & 1 SO / Hayden Dola 13-15, 3.47 GAA, .899 SV% & 2 SO   Blizzard: Brody Claeys 11-21, 3.83 GAA, .886 SV% & 2 SO / Brandon Dillon 0-1, 9.91 GAA & .718 SV%       (8) WAYWAY WOLVERINES vs. (9) DAUPHIN KINGS   Both Survivor Series in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League will no doubt be fun to watch, but the one between the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and Dauphin Kings might be the closest matchup of the two. In the regular season both the Wolverines and Kings went 3-2-1 against each other. In that season series Dauphin outscored Wayway 13-10, a big difference from the other Survivor Series between OCN and Selkirk. Dauphin and Wayway combined for 3.83 goals per game in the campaign. Series Key: SPECIAL TEAMS.   REGULAR SEASON STATS   SPECIAL TEAMS   Power Play:   Wolverines – 20.26% (4) / Kings – 15.16% (6)   Penalty Kill:   Wolverines – 86.13% (2) / Kings 81.23% (9)   TOP SCORERS   Wolverines – George Splichal (25G & 32A for 57PTS) / Kings – Chance Thomas (17G & 28A for 45PTS)   GOALIE STATS   Wolverines : Wiebe 20-22, 3.02 GAA, .905 SV% & 2 SO / Holtby 3-9, 2.86 GAA & .908 SV%   Kings: Martyniuk 9-21, 3.52 GAA, .892 SV% / Shaw 9-6, 2.99 GAA, .907 SV% & 1 SO      

March 4, 2015   By Derek Holtom MJHL Web Correspondent   The MJHL playoffs are now upon us, and with a new balanced schedule and a survivor series component factored in, this will be a new experience for all teams involved. A couple of significant changes: the elimination of the former Addison and Sher-Wood Divisions, and a best-of-three ‘Survivor Series’ for the teams placing seventh to 10th. Winners move on through to best-of-seven series, while losers pack bags and head home. The balanced schedule means each team will have faced each other the same amount of times (six). It will also mean there are some intriguing first-round playoff matchups which have never been seen before (for example, Swan Valley versus Winnipeg, or Virden versus Winkler). The ‘Survivor Series’ concept came into effect last years with the fourth and fifth seeds from the Addison and Sher-Wood (or, perhaps, a crossover team) played best-of-three series to determine the fourth seeds for the two divisions. With the balanced schedule, the seventh through 10th seeds now battle for the final two spots in best-of-seven playoffs. This year, the top six seeds are automatically into the first round of the playoffs. The fourth seed will face the fifth seed, and the third seed will take on the sixth seed. The first and second seeds will have to wait for the best-of-three survivor series to wrap up before they’ll know who they are to face. The seventh-seed will meet the 10th seed in one series, while the eighth and ninth seeds will also clash for a chance to get into the playoffs. This year the seventh seed will be Selkirk, while the 10th seed will  be OCN. Waywayseecappo has home ice home-ice advantage on Dauphin in the eighth-versus-ninth series. “Last year we started this a little bit, and this year this (new format) makes things quite exciting,” said Barry Butler, head coach of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. “We’re not only battling for playoff spots, but also home-ice advantage in the survivor series. “And things can change from the eighth spot to the sixth spot pretty quick, so that makes things interesting for the fans, the players, and the teams involved.” Last year the Winnipeg Blues won their survivor series, and kept winning until they won the MJHL title. That might be a stretch this year with Portage dominating as the RBC Cup hosts, but the possibility still exists. “That’s a tremendous thing for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League to see what the Blues did last year,” said Butler. “You can also see that in other leagues – I think the L.A. Kings are a great example of that.”

March 3, 2015   Tristan Mullin of the Swan Valley Stampeders has been named the RBC Player of the Month for February. Mullin, 18, was the model of consistently in recording 21 points (11-10) in 12 games for the Stamps, who are now preparing for the upcoming MJHL playoffs. Mullin, who hails from Cartwright, sits atop the Stamps’ scoring race with 23 goals and 50 points in 57 games. The runners up are 19 year old forward Kamerin Nault of the Winnipeg Blues and 19 year old forward Hayden Goderis of the Steinbach  Pistons.   Sher-Wood Hockey Defenseman of the Month Brady Keeper of the OCN Blizzard has recognized for his steady, outstanding play along the blueline, being named the top D-man for February. The 18-year-old rookie from Cross Lake also contributed offensively for the Blizzard with five goals and 12 points in 12 games. The runners up are 20 year old Mack Heisinger of the Winnipeg Blues and 20 year old Tanner Jago of the Portage Terriers.   MGEU Goaltender of the Month Goaltender Nick Deery of the Steinbach Pistons, who was a runner-up for this award in January, took his game to another level in February, reflected in a heady 6-2 record, highlited by a pair of shutouts. Deery, 20, posted an outstanding 1.50 GAA and .952 save percentage. The runners up are 20 year old Dasan Sydora of the Winkler Flyers and 20 year old Brian Archibald of the Winnipeg Blues.   IBAM Rookie of the Month While Connor Shaw is a rookie with the Dauphin Kings, he played like a seasoned vet in February. Hailing from Dauphin, Shaw had a 5-2 record last month, with a 3.14 GAA and .908 save percentage. The runners up are 18 year old forward Devin Muir of  the OCN Blizzard and 17 year old forward Gianluca Esteves of the Winnipeg Blues.

March 3, 2015   MJHL Power Rankings for March 2nd Portage Terriers – (53-3-4) (Last Week: 2nd ) – Portage may have already clinched first in the standings a couple months ago, but they picked up a big win in Steinbach last week. They beat the Pistons 2-0 and seem to be back on track after a bit of a bumpy stretch in February. The Terriers conclude the regular season on the top of the CJHL Rankings. Schedule this week: Regular season complete Steinbach Pistons – (38-14-7) (Last Week: 1st) – A loss at home to Portage is just a minor blemish to the Pistons considering the way they’ve been playing. Steinbach already has the tiebreaker for second, so their game Tuesday in Virden is a meaningless one. Steinbach is an Honourable Mention on this week’s CJHL Top 20. Schedule this week: vs Virden on Tuesday Winnipeg Blues – (38-15-7) (Last Week: 3rd) – Winnipeg finds themselves in third place with their 2014-15 schedule completed. The Blues enter the post season with wins in four of their last five. Winnipeg is an Honourable Mention on this week’s CJHL Top 20. Schedule this week: Regular season complete Winkler Flyers – Winkler Flyers (31-16-12) (Last Week: 4th) – A win and a loss last week for the Flyers was good enough to clinch fourth in the MJHL. Winkler has won two of their last three going into their final game of the season Tuesday. Schedule this week: @ Selkirk on Tuesday Virden Oil Capitals – (30-19-10) (Last Week: 5th) – The Virden Oil Capitals had a shot at catching the Winkler Flyers for fourth in the standings, but could never really get anything going. They’ll meet the Flyers in Winkler for game one of their series next week, but first they’re in Steinbach to close out the regular season Tuesday. Schedule this week: @ Steinbach on Tuesday Swan Valley Stampeders – (27-26-6) (Last Week: 6th) – Swan Valley is a team that has a very meaningful game on Tuesday. A win will clinch them sixth in the standings, a regulation loss combined with a Selkirk win in Winkler would mean the Steelers would pop up to sixth and the Stampeders would slip to seventh. Schedule this week: @ Neepawa on Tuesday Selkirk Steelers – (28-29-2) (Last Week: 7th) – Selkirk is in a must win situation Tuesday when they host the Winkler Flyers. The Steelers must win at home and get some help from Neepawa in order to catch and pass Swan Valley for sixth in the standings. Schedule this week: vs Winkler on Tuesday Waywayseecappo Wolverines – (24-31-5) (Last Week: 9th) – Waywayseecappo went on a run to close out the regular season, they jumped up from tenth to eighth in the standings and will have home ice in their best of three Survivor Series against the Dauphin Kings. Schedule this week: Regular season complete Dauphin Kings – (23-31-6) (Last Week: 8th) – Two straight losses for the Kings as they head into the post season. Their Survivor Series with Wayway should be a very interesting one, the two teams went 3-2-1 against each other this season. Schedule this week: Regular season complete OCN Blizzard – (20-35-5) (Last Week: 10th) – The OCN Blizzard aren’t quite sure of their opponent for the Survivor Series just yet, but they do know they’ll start the post season on the road. OCN concluded their season with wins in two of their last three. Schedule this week: Regular season complete Neepawa Natives – (14-41-2) (Last Week: 10th) –The Neepawa Natives will try and play the spoiler roll on Tuesday for their final regular season home game. They’ll host the Swan Valley Stampeders. A regulation win could put a dent in the Stampeders hopes to finish sixth and avoid the Survivor Series. Schedule this week: vs Swan Valley on Tuesday  

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March 2, 2015   Robert Briem of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines has been named this week’s Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week. The 19-year-old forward displayed his scoring prowess, recording seven points (3-4) in four games for the Wolverines, who are preparing for their upcoming best-of-three ‘Survivor Series’. Briem, who hails from Cross Lake, sits second in the Wolves’ scoring race with 23 goals and 40 points in 54 games. He’s been particularly effective while on the powerplay, having scored 13 goals via the man advantage. The runners up are 18 year old defenseman Brady Keeper of the OCN Blizzard and 20 year old goaltender Teagan Sacher of the Selkirk Steelers.

March 2, 2015   By Derek Holtom MJHL Web Correspondent   The Winkler Flyers are a much improved team this year. They’re poised to enjoy home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, have a winning record with more than 30 wins to date. If only the Portage Terriers weren’t having a record-setting season for fewest losses, the Flyers might have been in contention for first place, and not battling Steinbach and Winnipeg for spots two through four. Such is hockey. In the wake of Portage’s dominance, Winkler head coach and general manager Ken Pearson sees a positive to the Terriers’ outstanding season. He says that Portage has forced every team to step things up this year, and that’s helped the Flyers push themselves all season long. “I think every year you strive to be the best, and the way the cycle’s gone, this was a year for us to be on the upswing,” said Pearson. “And with Portage hosting the Royal Bank Cup, it’s forced us to be that much better too. “I think it’s been a good thing for the whole league to strive to be that much better, with the hopes of winning the league, and playing in the RBC.” The Flyers are strong in all aspects of their game this year, especially in goal, where Dasan Sydora – a nominee for goalie of the year – has been nothing short of stellar. “We’re getting good goaltending – Dasan Sydora has been with us from Day 1 and he’s been very good,” said Pearson. “And the addition of Devon Fordyce has provided us with two veteran goaltenders back there.” Offensively, the Flyers have the only 40-goal man in the MJHL in Tristan Keck, provided them with a game-breaking type of player. “When you look up front, Tristan Keck’s had a great season for us so far, and he’s been a big part of our success,” said the Winkler bench boss. “But we also finally have three lines who we can count on to score goals for us, and that’s a big reason for our success as well.” The Flyers also had the challenge of playing most of January on the road (including practices) as their arena was transformed into a curling rink for the Manitoba Scotties. Pearson admits that was a tough grind but hopes that adversity can pay dividends come the playoffs. “It created some challenges, but at the same time, it was an opportunity for us to do different things as a team, like keeping the guys busy with other events,” he said. “It is a distraction being away from your arena for three weeks, and it disrupts routines that guys are into, but overall we came out of it with almost a .500 record. “Hopefully that situation will make us that much better in the playoffs.” Speaking of the playoffs, which are fast approaching, Pearson said he wants to fine-tune a few things before the second season starts, likely with a date against the Virden Oil Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. “Consistency – I’d like to see us playing full games for the remainder of the stretch to prepare ourselves for the playoffs,” said Pearson. “We battled consistency all season long, where we’d play three really good games and then maybe have one or two off, but I think we’ve turned the corner on that in the last month. “We also want to make sure our work ethic is where it needs to be.”

February 20, 2015   Tristan Keck of the Winkler Flyers has been named the MJHL’s most valuable player, Commissioner Kim Davis announced today.  Currently, the 19-year-old from Morris tops all MJHL goal scorers with 40 in 55 games. Keck was one of five major award winners announced today, joining three members of the Portage Terriers who were also recognized for their outstanding season. The MJHL also released its all-star teams today. “Every player should be commended for their outstanding performance over the regular season,” said Davis. “Coaches of the league vote and make the selections. These selections are extremely difficult to make. The talent level our league is reflective in how difficult it was to select these respective teams.”   MVP ─ Steve “Boomer”  Hawrysh Award Tristan Keck, Winkler Flyers                         Rookie of the Year – Vince Leah Trophy James Shearer, Steinbach Pistons   Hockey Ability – Lorne “Windy” Lyndon Trophy Brad Bowles, Portage Terriers   Top Goaltender Nick Deery, Steinbach Pistons   Top Defenseman – Brian Kozak Trophy Tanner Jago, Portage Terriers   Coach of the Year – Portage Terriers “ Muzz McPherson” Award Blake Spiller, Portage Terriers   Click here to see photos of Award Winners     1st All Star Team         Goal Nick Deery Steinbach Pistons Defense Tanner Jago Portage Terriers Defense Jordan Greig Virden Oil Capitals Forward Tristan Keck Winkler Flyers Forward Zack Waldvogel Portage Terriers Forward Brad Bowles Portage Terriers   Click here to see photos of All Stars     2nd All Star Team         Goal Graham Hunt Swan Valley Stampeders Defense Landon Cross Steinbach Pistons Defense Ryan Bittner Winnipeg Blues Forward Drake Lindsay Neepawa Natives Forward Tyler Penner Steinbach Pistons Forward Jackson Keane Winnipeg Blues       Rookie All Star Team         Goal Hayden Dola Selkirk Steelers Defense Brady Keeper OCN Blizzard Defense James Shearer Steinbach Pistons Forward Kirklan Lycar Dauphin Kings Forward Devin Muir OCN Blizzard Forward Rylee Zimmer Wayway Wolverines     Each all-star winner will receive their award at their home rink over the next two weeks. The MJHL’s top scorer, who will be decided upon season’s end, will receive the Mike Ridley Trophy, named after the prolific goal scorer who starred with the St. Boniface Saints.

February 28, 2015   By Derek Holtom MJHL Web Correspondent Building a championship team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League takes some good drafting, some key acquisitions … and local talent. With those auto-protect spots, teams have the option annually to lock up to two young stars and make sure they play for the hometown team. And often times, those players can make a huge difference. And for the Swan Valley Stampeders, the future looks bright indeed with a pair of local players who have come through the minor hockey system to take on important roles with the junior A team this season. Tristan Langan, who with his late birthday is barely 16 years old, has already put up 10 goals to go along with 12 assists this year, for an average of .4 points a game. Though he’s the youngest player in the entire MJHL, the 6’0, 170 pound forward is eighth in team scoring. The other local rookie this year is Cody Ellingson. He’s battled through some injuries, but is also scoring at a pace of .4 points per game. The 18 year old, who like Langan hails from Swan River and also has a December birthday, has four goals to goal along with eight assists this season. Langan, who had 45 points in 44 games last year with the Parkland Rangers (including 17 goals), has made a smooth adjustment from midget to junior A. “It’s been fine this year,” said Langan. “The biggest difference has been the size and speed of the players. This is way faster.” Ellingson also had a strong year with the Rangers last year, scoring 24 goals and 43 points in 44 games, while also scoring his first-ever MJHL goal as an AP with the Stampeders in six games played. He’s really enjoying a full-time stint on the Stampeders this year. “It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s been interesting, getting used to junior hockey.” Ellingson said the only downside has been the injury bug, but added he hopes that’s behind him. “In the game after the Christmas break, I ended up separating my shoulder,” he said. “I was out for a month, and that wasn’t fun having to watch every game.” Ellingson said he’s had a couple of concussions in hockey before, but said now that he’s healthy he’s looking to the future. In fact, he scored in his second game back from injury, helping the Stamps to a big extra-time win over the powerhouse Portage Terriers, serving notice all four lines on the Stampeders can produce.  Langan grew up watching the Swan Valley Stampeders, and he always looked up to some of the local players who went on to have important roles with the Stampeders. “I used to watch the Stamps a lot as a kid – I really enjoyed watching the Stampeders back then,” he said. “I really liked watching Darcy Riddell and Patrick Leask.” Ellingson adds perhaps a few years down the road, he and Langan will be the inspiration to young players coming up wanting to play junior A hockey in the Valley. “It was always a dream to grow up and play for the Stamps,” he said. “I always had fun watching them as a kid.  Hopefully I can inspire some other kids to play for the Stampeders.” As for how their season has gone this year personally, both players say it’s been OK so far, but they hope to continue to improve. “It’s been good so far,” said Langan. “I didn’t really have any goals in place, I just wanted to put some numbers on the board this year.” Ellingson said he’s in a different role than last year, and knows he’s not expected to put up point-a-game numbers. But he has been contributing offensively and in other ways, and is happy to play the role the coaching staff has laid out for him. “I’m in that fourth line, grind kind of role this year, but happy to score some goals and put up some points too,” said Ellingson. “The adjustment has been fine, as I’ve always played some strong defensive hockey as well. And I like to throw the body around and grind in the corners, that kind of stuff.” No shock, as he’s already 6’1 and 190 pounds. As for playing in the Valley as opposed to playing junior away from home, Langan says he’s right where he wants to be. “I actually like playing at home – it’s way better playing in front of family,” he said. “I like it.” Both Ellingson and Langan said they’re poised to make some noise in the playoffs, and they’re not content to just make the post season. “I think we can lock down sixth place,” said Ellingson. “Hopefully we can go up against Winkler or Winnipeg, and give them a good run for their money, and go as deep as we can. “I think we’re going to clinch sixth place, but if we have to play in the survivor series, so be it,” echoed Langan.

February 27, 2015     Q: Your hometown is Gimli. Next to you, who is the second most famous person from there? A: Probably my grandfather, Bobby Leiter. He played in the NHL and for the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA.     Q: Favourite NHL team? A: Pittsburgh Penguins.   Q: Favourite NHL player? A: Sidney Crosby   Q: Any superstitions? If so……how about listing a few? A: Keep my sticks away from the goaltender’s stick. Also, I don’t like my stick touched after I tape it.    Q: Best thing about being a Swan Valley Stamp?  A: Definitely my teammates.   Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would that be? A: Sidney Crosby for sure!   Q: Favourite songs on your IPod? A: Elizabeth Motts, Ethan Galloway ─ Moving Mountains; 5 Hours Deorro, Keys n Krates dum dee dum   Q: Favourite pre-game meal? A: Chicken and any kind of pasta.   Q: Excluding Swan Valley, favourite rink to play in? A: I like playing in Virden.   Q: Are you a back of the bus kind of guy? Middle? A: Towards the back.   Q: If they made a “Carter Johnson” movie, would it be Action/Adventure? Comedy? Romantic? Mystery? A: Action/adventure.   Q: If they ever made a “Carter Johnson” movie, which actor would play you? A: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson   Q: Who would be the leading lady in your movie? A: Margot Robbie   Q: Last movie you went to? A: Dumb and Dumber To (2)   Q: Next to hockey, what other sports do you like? A: I like football, baseball and I played volleyball when I was in high school.   Q: Top 3 things on your bucket list? A: Play college hockey; get a degree; play professional hockey.   Q: When your hockey career is over, what are your career aspirations? A: Be involved in hockey.   Q: Best verbal jab aimed at you? (No profanity, please.) A: “Your hair looks stupid”.   Q: Best jokester on the Stamps? A: A tie between (Michael) Fortin and (Daylon) Creasy   Q: Best dresser on the Stamps (excluding yourself)? A: Graham Hunt has some pretty good style.   Q: Biggest influence in your hockey career? A: My parents. They are always supporting me.   Q: Your most memorable game? A: Probably when I got a hattrick, scoring my third in double overtime last year in the playoffs in Virden.      

February 25, 2015   MJHL grads Travis Hamonic (Winnipeg Saints), Dale Weise (Winnipeg South Blues), Ryan Garbutt (Blues) and Jordin Tootoo (OCN) make up 864 CJHL grads currently playing in the NHL, AHL, ECHL and CHL. Today, the CJHL issued a news release, reporting that review of team rosters in professional and major junior hockey shows that 864 Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) alumni are currently playing in the National Hockey League (NHL), the American Hockey League (AHL), the ECHL and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The study showed that 129 current players in the NHL are alumni of the CJHL. This accounts for 19% of all NHL players or an average of 4.3 players per team.   In addition to the NHL, there are 383 players currently playing in the AHL and ECHL, with another 352 CJHL alumni playing in the CHL. Below is the number of former CJHL players competing at the professional level across North America (% of all players in parenthesis): ·         National Hockey League – 129 (19%) ·         American Hockey League – 202 (23%) ·         ECHL – 181 (36%) ·         Canadian Hockey League – 352 (25%) “We are proud of the fact that a significant number of CJHL go on to play  hockey in the NHL, AHL, ECHL and CHL, including having players drafted by NHL teams directly out of our leagues," stated CJHL President Kirk Lamb.  “It is a testament to the success of our ten Junior A leagues and their  ability to provide opportunities for players to develop their skills in a high-performance setting year after year.” The AHL is the top development to the NHL and it currently has 202 CJHL alumni, which is up from 177 a year ago.  This accounts for 23% of all AHL players and almost 6.7 CJHL alumni per AHL team.  The other minor professional hockey league in North America, the ECHL, currently has 181 former CJHL players on their rosters.  This accounts for 36% of the ECHL players and equates to an average of 6.5 CJHL alumni per ECHL team. 352 CJHL former CJHL players are currently playing in the CHL.  The number of players has increased over last year by 8% and accounts for 25% of CHL’s rosters.  The CHL is comprised of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.   About the CJHL – The Canadian Junior Hockey League is a national organization comprised of all 10 Junior A hockey leagues in Canada. The CJHL represents more than 129 teams and 2,900 players and has 2,902 alumni furthering their hockey careers at the professional, major junior and college levels across North America.  For the latest CJHL news and features, visit www.cjhlhockey.com and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cjhlhockey or @cjhlhockey.

February 24, 2015   MJHL Power Rankings for February 23rd Steinbach Pistons – (37-13-7) (Last Week: 2nd) – The Steinbach Pistons may not be on top of the CJHL Top 20 like Portage (Honourable Mention this week), but they’ve won seven straight and that includes a victory over the Terriers last week. The two teams will meet again in Portage this weekend, should be a great game. Schedule this week: vs. Portage on Saturday & @ Neepawa on Sunday Portage Terriers – (51-3-4) (Last Week: 1st) – Portage is home and cool when it comes to first place in the standings, but the RBC hosts have hit some turbulence over the last couple weeks. In their last three, they've lost two. The Terriers remain first on the CJHL Top 20. Schedule this week: @ Wayway on Thursday & @ Steinbach on Saturday Winnipeg Blues – (37-15-6) (Last Week: 3rd)) – Three straight wins for the Winnipeg Blues. They’re right there when it comes to the battle for second place and they’re in the midst of a season ending four game home stand. Schedule this week: vs. Dauphin on Friday & vs. Winkler on Saturday Winkler Flyers – (30-15-12) (Last Week: 4th) – A mixed bag for the Flyers last week, but the southern Manitoba team is still grabbing points when they can. A couple more wins and Winkler will clinch home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Schedule this week: @ Winnipeg on Saturday & vs. Swan Valley on Sunday Virden Oil Capitals – (29-17-9) (Last Week: 5th) – Virden enters this week with losses in three of their last four contests. If they want to catch Winkler for fourth in the standings they’ll need to win most of their remaining games and hope for some help. Schedule this week: @ Wayway on Tuesday, vs. OCN on Wednesday, vs. Dauphin on Saturday & vs. OCN on Sunday Swan Valley Stampeders – (26-25-6) (Last Week: 6th) – Swan Valley went .500 last week with a win at home and on the road. The Stamps need a couple more wins to clinch sixth and avoid the survivor series. Schedule this week: vs. Neepawa on Friday & @ Winkler on Sunday Selkirk Steelers – (26-28-2) (Last Week: 7th) – The rough road continues for the Selkirk Steelers. They’ve dropped five of their last six and are just four points ahead of Dauphin for seventh place. The good news for the Steelers is they have a game in hand, but a game in hand doesn’t necessarily translate into points. Schedule this week: @ OCN on Friday & @ Wayway on Saturday and Sunday Dauphin Kings – (22-29-6) (Last Week: 8th) – The Dauphin Kings are quietly picking up the pace in the MJHL standings. They’ve won four of their last five and are starting to appear in the rear view mirror of the Selkirk Steelers. However, time is becoming a key factor. Schedule this week: vs. OCN on Tuesday, @ Winnipeg on Friday & @ Virden on Saturday Waywayseecappo Wolverines – (22-30-4) (Last Week: 9th) – Like the Kings the Waywayseecappo Wolverines are rolling along. They’ve won two straight, but a busy week lies ahead with four games on tap. All of them are at home. Schedule this week: vs. Virden on Tuesday, vs. Portage on Thursday & vs. Selkirk on Saturday and Sunday OCN Blizzard – (18-34-4) (Last Week: 11th) – Thanks to a Neepawa loss in Steinbach the OCN Blizzard clinch the final post season spot in the MJHL last week. The bad news for OCN is they’ve lost four straight. Schedule this week: @ Dauphin on Tuesday, @ Virden on Wednesday, vs. Selkirk on Friday & @ Virden on Sunday Neepawa Natives – (14-41-2) (Last Week: 10th) – The Neepawa Natives failed to make the post season for the fifth straight year. Neepawa has three games left in their season. Schedule this week: @ Swan Valley on Friday & vs. Steinbach on Sunday  

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February 23, 2015   Thanks to an undefeated record last week, goaltender Nick Deery of the Steinbach Pistons has been named the Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week. One of Deery’s three wins was a 2-1 victory over powerhouse Portage Terriers ─ only the third loss in regulation time for the Terriers. Deery, 20, sported outstanding numbers during his three-win week ─ GAA of 1.33 and save percentage of .954. It’s been a whirlwind of good news for the product of La Crosse, Wis., who recently committed to University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs The runners up are  20 year old goaltender Brian Archibald of the Winnipeg Blues and 19 year old forward Carter Johnson of the Swan Valley Stampeders.

February 20, 2015   Team Name Arena Location Dates Contact         Dauphin Kings Dauphin CUP April 10-12 dauphinkings@hotmail.com Neepawa Natives Yellowhead Arena Mar 27-29 nnatives@mymts.net OCN Blizzard GLMC – OCN April 10-12 ocnblizz@mymts.net Portage Terriers Portage CU Centre April 17-18 fwahard@mymts.net Selkirk Steelers East Selkirk Arena April 25, 26 ken@selkirksteelers.com Steinbach Pistons T. G. Smith Centre Mar 27-29 rob.smith@steinbachpistons.ca Swan Valley Centennial Arena April 3-5 erik@stampedershockey.com Virden Oil Capitals Tundra Oil & Gas Pl. April 10-12 troy@oilcapshockey.com Waywayseecappo TBA TBA wolver@inetlink.ca Winkler Flyers Winkler Rec Complex April 10-12 coach@winklerflyers.com Winnipeg MTS Iceplex May 1 – 3 dmacgill@mymts.net          

February 18, 2015   Flyers D Jon Carlson (94) has committed to the Fredonia State University Blue Devils (NCAA Div III) for the 2015-2016 season. The Fort Francis, Ontario native is set to graduate from Junior Hockey after this season after spending the last four years with the Fort Francis Lakers (SIJHL), Portage Terriers (MJHL) and the Winkler Flyers. Carlson was acquired by the Flyers in an off-season trade with the Portage Terriers before the 2014-2015 season and quickly took over as one of the club leaders on the blue line and in the dressing room. Carlson was named an assistant captain this season. To date, Carlson has played in 216 regular season games for Fort Francis, Portage and Winkler and has 87 points (31 goals – 56 assists). He has also played in 35 playoff games over the past three seasons, recording 16 points (9 goals – 7 assists). The Fredonia State Blue Devils play in the SUNYAC division of NCAA Div III Men’s Hockey, and are based out of Fredonia, New York, USA. The Flyers would like to congratulate Jon for his decision to continue his hockey career and education at FSU.

February 17, 2015   MJHL Power Rankings for February 16th   Portage Terriers – (50-2-4) (Last Week: 1st) – Congratulations to the Portage Terriers for getting to the 50 win plateau. The Terriers also remain at the summit of the CJHL Top 20 Rankings. Schedule this week: vs. Steinbach on Friday & @ Selkirk on Sunday Steinbach Pistons – (34-13-7) (Last Week: 3rd) – Steinbach is rolling, they’ve won four in a row overall and have taken over second place in the standings after a win Monday in Selkirk. This week is another busy one for the Pistons. Steinbach is an Honourable Mention on the CJHL Top 20! Schedule this week: vs. Neepawa on Wednesday, @ Portage on Friday & vs. Swan Valley on Saturday Winnipeg Blues – (34-15-6) (Last Week: 2nd) – A couple losses last week for the Blues. Winnipeg came up short to Dauphin and Steinbach but beat Selkirk. The Blues will conclude a three game road swing on Tuesday before kicking off a four game home stand to close out the season. Schedule this week: @ Winkler on Tuesday, vs. Selkirk on Saturday & vs. Swan Valley on Sunday Virden Oil Capitals – (29-16-8) (Last Week: 4th) – A tough loss at home Sunday moved Virden down the Power Rankings briefly. But after a big OT win against Portage on Monday the Oil Caps jumped back up. They’re three points back of the Winkler Flyers for fourth in the standings and have a game in hand.  Schedule this week: @ Selkirk on Friday & @ Winkler on Saturday Winkler Flyers – (29-14-11) (Last Week: 5th) – A big road win for the Flyers on Sunday in Virden as they continue to battle with the Oil Capitals for home ice in the first round of the playoffs. They beat them 3-1 and have taken four of their last five. Schedule this week: vs. Winnipeg on Tuesday, vs. Swan Valley on Friday & vs. Virden on Saturday Swan Valley Stampeders – (24-23-6) (Last Week: 6th) – The month of February has been a mixed one for the Swan Valley Stampeders. They’ve dropped four of seven overall. Last week they went 1-2-0. Schedule this week: vs. OCN on Tuesday, @ Winkler on Friday, @ Steinbach on Saturday & @ Winnipeg on Sunday Selkirk Steelers – (25-26-2) (Last Week: 7th) – The struggles continue for the Steelers as they go into a busy weekend. Selkirk has lost three straight and are falling behind Swan Valley for sixth in the standings. Schedule this week: vs. Virden on Friday, @ Winnipeg on Saturday & vs. Portage on Sunday Dauphin Kings – (20-28-6) (Last Week: 8th) – The Dauphin Kings have three huge games this week when it comes to standings implications. The good news is they seem to be playing well as they go into the seven day period; they’ve won two of their last three. Schedule this week: @ Wayway on Tuesday, @ OCN on Friday & @ Neepawa on Saturday Waywayseecappo Wolverines – (20-28-6) (Last Week: 8th) – A tough shootout loss in Dauphin on Saturday has the Wolverines two points back of the Kings for eighth place. They’ll get a shot at revenge Tuesday when they host the Kings in Wayway. Schedule this week: vs. Dauphin on Tuesday & @ OCN on Saturday Neepawa Natives – (14-39-2) (Last Week: 10th) – Neepawa kept their dim playoff hopes alive with a win against Dauphin on Friday. With five games left in their season the Natives need to win out and hope for some help. Schedule this week: @ Steinbach on Wednesday & vs. Dauphin on Saturday OCN Blizzard – (18-31-4) (Last Week: 11th) – OCN was able to snap out of their losing streak last week with a win in Selkirk but they still haven’t clinched the MJHL’s final playoff spot. The Blizzard have won just two in their last 12. Schedule this week: @ Swan Valley on Tuesday, vs. Dauphin on Friday & vs. Wayway on Saturday

February 16, 2015   The Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 15 is 19 year old forward Hayden Goderis of the Steinbach Pistons (2 goals, 5 assists in 3 games played).  Goderis currently sits with 45 points – 17 goals and 28 assists in 51 games played.  The runners up are 19 year old forward Scott Rowswell of the Winnipeg Blues and 18 year old forward Scott Gall of the Winkler Flyers.

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February 13, 2015   Nominees for the MJHL’s six major awards were announced today. Not surprisingly, four members of the Portage Terriers ─ No. 1 ranked team in the CJHL ─ have been nominated for awards. “Each nominee should be extremely proud of their accomplishment and their excellence on the ice,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said today. “The MJHL member clubs nominated players in each of the award categories. The voting for each award was done entirely by the head coaches.” Winners will be announced next week, with the players being honoured at a home game later this month.   MVP Award – Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh Memorial Trophy Tristan Keck      Winkler Flyers Tanner Jago      Portage Terriers Graham Hunt     Swan Valley Stampeders   Rookie of the Year Award – Vince Leah Trophy Dylan Thiessen            Virden Oil Capitals James Shearer             Steinbach Pistons Rylee Zimmer             Waywayseecappo Wolverines   Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship Award – Lorne “Windy” Lyndon Memorial Trophy Soren Frederiksen       Virden Oil Capitals Brad Bowles               Portage Terriers Jackson Keane           Winnipeg Blues   Top Goaltender Award Graham Hunt     Swan Valley Stampeders Dasan Sydora     Winkler Flyers Nick Deery        Steinbach Pistons   Top Defenseman Award – Brian Kozak Memorial Trophy Tanner Jago     Portage Terriers Ryan Bittner     Winnipeg Blues Jordan Greig     Virden Oil Capitals   Coach of the Year Award – Portage Terriers “Muzz McPherson” Award Paul Dyck                   Steinbach Pistons Don MacGillivray          Winnipeg Blues Blake Spiller                Portage Terriers   The MJHL’s other major award, Top Scorer  – Mike Ridley Trophy ─ will be announced upon the end of the regular season.

February 12, 2015   Dale Weise has re-launched his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens after being traded by Vancouver Canucks. A former Winnipeg South Blue, Weise later played in the WHL before moving on to the greatest hockey league in the world: the NHL. Weise’s former coach with the Blues, Ken Pearson, sent us this link to a great story in the Montreal Gazette. We thought we would share it with our MJHL fans. And thanks again to Ken for sending this article our way. Enjoy the read: http://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/montreal-canadiens/dale-weise-living-a-dream-with-the-canadiens

February 11, 2015   WINNIPEG, MB: MJHL Commissioner, Kim Davis, and Assistant Commissioner Kevin Brosseau, Commanding Officer of the RCMP, are pleased to announce a new community relations partnership agreement between the MJHL and the RCMP & RCMP Foundation. “The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) boasts teams in 11 communities across the province and these areas are also served by RCMP detachments,” said Davis. “RCMP officers and MJHL players are role-models in the community and our partnership will be focused on promoting positive choices for youth.” Comprised of over 275 players ages 16-20, the MJHL reaches a wide audience province-wide, including a large following from Aboriginal communities. Two MJHL teams are located on First Nations – the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Blizzard and the Waywayseecappo First Nation Wolverines. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Manitoba’s Provincial Police Service and provides policing services to approximately 98% of the geography of Manitoba and half of its population. “The RCMP and MJHL share values of teamwork, fair play and giving back to the community”, said Brosseau. “This partnership will focus on promoting healthy lifestyles for youth in Manitoba.”  The community relations partnership will include RCMP officers and MJHL players delivering positive messages to students and youth in schools and community centers. “The MJHL is excited about the partnership and we thank the RCMP and RCMP Foundation for their vision, leadership and support,” said Davis.   Shown in picture: (top from left) Dave Shuttleworth, RCMP; Kamerin Nault, Winnipeg Blues; Brian MacKenzie, Selkirk Steelers; Scott Kolody, RCMP (sitting from left) Kim Davis, MJHL; Kevin Brosseau, RCMP

February 11, 2015   This Friday (Feb. 13) will be a very special day for the MJHL, and its former commissioner Frank McKinnon, who will be officially welcomed to the Member of the Order of Canada. You can watch it live on www.gg.ca. Feb. 13th at 10:30am EST. Earlier this summer it was announced that Mr. McKinnon had been selected to this prestigious group. McKinnon served as commissioner for 10 years (1992-2002) and was known for his charisma and vast knowledge of MJHL history. “This is a tremendous honour for Frank,” said MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis. “We are all very proud of him. After leaving the office of commissioner Frank always followed our league closely. He’s a true gentleman and deserving of this honour.” McKinnon served two decades on the executive of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (now Hockey Manitoba), including five as president in the 1970s. He was also president of the Carman-Dufferin Minor Hockey Association. He also left his mark beyond Manitoba. As a trustee, he helped create the Centennial Cup (now RBC Cup) in 1971. He was a member of the congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation and part of the committee that organized the first IIHF World Junior Championship in 1974. In 1979, McKinnon became the first chairman of the board of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (now Hockey Canada), a post he would hold until 1982. His contributions to growing the game at the grassroots levels weren’t unnoticed. In 1981, he was awarded the Gordon Juckes Award for efforts in developing amateur hockey at the national level. Two years later he was named Hockey Canada’s Volunteer of the Year. He received a third award from Hockey Canada, the Order of Merit, in 1991. McKinnon also made a difference beyond hockey, serving two years as director of the Sports Federation of Canada and four years as vice-president of the Canadian Olympic Association. In 1993, McKinnon was named a Life Member of Hockey Canada. He’s also been made a Life Member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Manitoba, and been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association Hall of Fame. To see a full list of other Canadians named to the Order of Canada go here: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/

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February 10, 2015 MJHL Power Rankings for February 9th Portage Terriers – (49-2-3) (Last Week: 1st) – Two wins in three games for Portage. With their victory on Sunday over the Dauphin Kings, the Terriers the 100 point plateau, they enter this week with 101. They'll go for their 50th win of the season on Sunday. Portage remains first on the CJHL Top 20. Schedule this week: vs Swan Valley on Sunday Winnipeg Blues – (33-13-6) (Last Week: 2nd) – Three for three were the Winnipeg Blues last week. Winnipeg has separated themselves from the pack and control their own destiny when it comes to finishing second in the standings. The Blues are an Honourable Mention this week on the CJHL Top 20. Schedule this week: vs. Dauphin on Thursday, @ Selkirk on Friday & @ Steinbach on Saturday Steinbach Pistons – (30-13-7) (Last Week: 3rd) – Steinbach picked up a win and a loss over the last seven days. They’re now five points back of Winnipeg for second, but they may need to start paying more attention to what’s coming up behind them in the standings. Schedule this week: vs. Neepawa on Wednesday, vs. OCN on Friday & vs. Winnipeg on Saturday Virden Oil Capitals – (27-15-8) (Last Week: 4th) – The Virden Oil Capitals won their only game of the week last week and are getting set to kick off a two game home stand on Thursday. The Caps have won three straight. Schedule this week: vs. Wayway on Thursday & vs. Winkler on Sunday Winkler Flyers – (27-14-10) (Last Week: 5th) – After a shaky start to the month of February Winkler has started to pick thing up again. They enter this week on a modest two game winning streak. Schedule this week: vs. Neepawa on Tuesday, @ Swan Valley on Saturday & @ Virden on Sunday Swan Valley Stampeders – (23-21-6) (Last Week: 6th) – An impressive weekend for Swan Valley. They forced OT with Portage Terriers on Friday and then beat the RBC Cup hosts in a shootout on Saturday. A tough finish after that though, they lost 6-1 to the Winnipeg Blues on Sunday. Schedule this week: @ Wayway on Wednesday, vs. Winkler on Saturday & @ Portage on Sunday Selkirk Steelers – (25-23-2) (Last Week: 8th) – That four game losing streak in late January is in the distant past for the Steelers. Selkirk has now won three in a row and are in a tight battle with Swan Valley for sixth in the standings. Schedule this week: vs. OCN on Thursday & vs. Winnipeg on Friday Dauphin Kings – (18-27-6) (Last Week: 7th) – Three losses over the weekend has pushed the Dauphin Kings losing streak to four games. They’ll go out for another three-in-three later this week. Schedule this week: @ Winnipeg on Thursday, @ Neepawa on Friday & vs. Wayway on Saturday Waywayseecappo Wolverines – (19-29-3) (Last Week: 9th) – Wayway continues to slowly climb the standings. They enter this week just one point back of Dauphin for eighth overall. Schedule this week: vs. Swan Valley on Wednesday & @ Virden on Thursday Neepawa Natives – (13-37-2) (Last Week: 11th) – Neepawa’s playoff hopes may be on their last leg, but they did win a big game against Wayway last week. With eight games left in their campaign there is still a shot at the post season, but the Natives need points. They’re 10 back of OCN. Schedule this week: @ Winkler on Tuesday, @ Steinbach on Wednesday & vs. Dauphin on Friday OCN Blizzard – (17-30-4) (Last Week: 10th) – The MJHL’s longest losing streak is currently being held by OCN. The Blizzard have dropped seven in a row. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier. They’re on the road for their next three. Schedule this week: @ Selkirk on Thursday & @ Steinbach on Friday  

February 9, 2015   Tristen Mullin of the Swan Valley Stampders went on a scoring blitz last week, earning him the Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week honour. Mullin, 18, led all MJHL scorers with six goals and 11 points in four games for the Stamps. A highlight for Mullin and the Stampeders was a shoot-out win against the Portage Terriers, who are ranked the No. 1 team in the CJHL. Mullin, a native of Cartwright, also sits atop the Stampeders’ points race with 18 goals and 39 points in 48 games. The runners up are 19 year old forward Kamerin Nault of the Winnipeg Blues and 20 year old goaltender Dasan Sydora of the Winkler Flyers.  

February 9, 2015   We thought you might want to see the action up close and on the ice. Thanks to Christian Laughland (Sports director of CKDM/Dauphin), he sent us this very cool look from ice-level. The game was recently held in Dauphin between the Steelers and Kings. Enjoy the view! And again, thanks to our pal Christian! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvzi5OfR1sM

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