The Tiger Hills Hockey League's 2024-25 season begins tonight with a pair of games. The Boissevain Border Kings host the Virden Oil Kings and the Carberry Plainsmen meet the Wild in MacGregor. The league will operate with 12 teams this season. Boissevain, Virden, the Deloraine Royals, Hartney Blues, Melita Bisons and Souris Elks are in the West Division. Carberry, MacGregor, the Killarney Shamrocks, Minnedosa Bombers, Neepawa Farmers and Rivers Jets are in the East Division. The Gladstone Lakers, Pilot Mound Pilots, Wawanesa Jets and defending champion Miniota/Elkhorn C-Hawks have taken a one-year leave of absence.
Dexen Routledge had two goals, and an assist and Cameron Schoonbaert made 37 saves as the Virden Golden Bears defeated Roblin/Grandview/Gilbert Plains 5-2 in the lone Westman High School Hockey League game Thursday night. Reed McGrath, Gage Hadley and Jaden Browning Lozinski also scored for Virden. Carter Johnston and Ryder Newton replied for the Raiders.
Jack Swaenepoel, Carter Hoemsen and Jack Polasek scored two goals each in the Southwest Cougars 10-2 victory over the Norman Northstars in Souris. Jaxsten Hansen-Young, Eric Berger, Lynden Gould and Bryan Laing also scored for the Cougars (7-3) who have won five in a row and moved into a tie with the Winnipeg Bruins and Parkland Rangers for top spot in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League.
The Winnipeg Jets have extended their franchise record season opening win streak to seven games. Nikolaj Ehlers scored 1:26 into overtime to lift Winnipeg past the Seattle Kraken 4-3. Nino Niederreiter had a pair of goals in regulation for the Jets while the other went to Gabriel Vilardi. Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves. Winnipeg is the sixth Canadian team in NHL history to record a season-opening winning streak of at least seven games, joining the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs (10 games), 2015-16 Montreal Canadiens (nine), 1934-35 Maple Leafs (eight), 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers (seven) and 1985-86 Quebec Nordiques (seven). The Jets wrap up their three-game road trip Saturday night when they meet the Flames in Calgary.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have added American defensive back Nick Taylor and American linebacker Cam Bright to the practice roster. The Bombers (10-7) play their regular season finale Saturday afternoon against the Alouettes in Montreal. Winnipeg will clinch first place and a bye to the West Division final with a win over the Alouettes. The defending Grey Cup champions have already clinched top spot in the East Division.
The Canadian men's soccer team is up three positions to number 35 in the latest FIFA world rankings. Canada beat Panama 2-1 earlier this month in Toronto. Canada was ranked 49th in the world when Jesse Marsch took over as coach in mid-May.