The Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s best-of-seven semifinals begin tonight in Steinbach and Portage. The Pistons face the Swan Valley Stampeders at the T.G. Smith Centre and the Terriers meet the Virden Oil Capitals at Stride Place. Steinbach defeated the Winkler Flyers 4-2 Tuesday night in the seventh and deciding game of their opening round series. The Stampeders eliminated the defending Turnbull Cup champion Dauphin Kings four games to two; the Oil Capitals knocked off the OCN Blizzard in six games and Portage eliminated the Niverville Nighthawks four games to one.
Winnipeg Ice general manager Matt Cockell is Western Hockey League’s East Division Executive of the Year. Winnipeg set franchise records for wins (57) and points (115) and also captured the Scott Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular season champions for the second year in a row. The other three nominees are Shaun Clouston of the Kamloops Blazers in the B.C. Divison; Willie Desjardins of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Central Division and Bil La Forge of the Seattle Thunderbirds in the U.S. Division. The Western Hockey League’s Executive of the Year will be announced Wednesday, May 3rd.
The Manitoba Moose gave up four third period goals and lost 5-2 to the Grand Rapids Griffins at Canada Life Centre. Daniel Torgersson and Greg Meireles did the goal scoring for the Moose.
Canada’s Brad Gushue has a 7-3 record and has clinched a playoff spot heading into the final day of round robin play at the 2023 World Men’s Curling Championship in Ottawa. Gushue, Mark Nichols, E.J. Harnden and Geoff Walker defeated Sixten Totzek of Germany 9-4 and lost 6-3 to Bruce Mouat of Scotland. Gushue will face Ugurcan Karagoz of Türkiye at 8 a.m. and Niklas Edin of Sweden at 6 p.m.