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Thunderbirds sweep Bobcats out of men’s volleyball playoffs

Thomas Friesen 3 minute read Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

The Brandon University Bobcats are now forced to hope rest prevails over rust.

They came out flat for a second straight night, falling 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-17) to the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver late Friday.

UBC swept the Canada West men’s volleyball quarterfinal series 2-0, earning a trip to Winnipeg for the semifinals against the Alberta Golden Bears.

The top seed and host Wesmen face the winner of Saturday’s third match between Trinity Western and Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, with the three medallists earning trips to the Wheat City for the U Sports championship on March 21-23.

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Wheat Kings drop Hurricanes in shootout

Perry Bergson 7 minute read Preview

Wheat Kings drop Hurricanes in shootout

Perry Bergson 7 minute read Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

Jaxon Jacobson had a pair of goals in regulation and Nick Johnson scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the first time this season with a 4-3 victory in Western Hockey League action at Westoba Place on Friday.

Brandon (32-18-4-3) received a single from Nolan Flamand, with Kash Andresen, Brayden Edwards and Leo Braillard replying for Lethbridge (37-19-2-2) in front of a crowd of 2,650.

“I think it was really a playoff-style game,” Jacobson said. “I thought we glimpses of a lot of good plays out there and we had a couple of times when we were in our zone for a bit but we persevered really good tonight and showed what we’re about.”

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said his club did some things well and had goalie Carson Bjarnason there to bail them out in the tougher moments.

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Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

Brandon Wheat Kings’ Marcus Nguyen fires a shot on net from in between Carsen Adair, left, and Kooper Gizowski of the Lethbridge Hurricanes during WHL action at Westoba Place on Friday evening. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
Brandon Wheat Kings’ Marcus Nguyen fires a shot on net from in between Carsen Adair, left, and Kooper Gizowski of the Lethbridge Hurricanes during WHL action at Westoba Place on Friday evening. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Captain Kasprick takes Titans to playoffs

Matt Packwood 7 minute read Preview

Captain Kasprick takes Titans to playoffs

Matt Packwood 7 minute read Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

Neepawa’s Cooper Kasprick is carrying a lot of responsibility for his hometown team this season, but he’s loving every second of it.

As a 19-year-old team captain that plays a fun style of hockey for the Titans, you can certainly see why.

On paper, he’s the team’s third-line winger, a notnundersized but certainly not huge player who thrives in all scenarios on the ice and off.

He’s mostly out there to play a 200-foot, responsible game and take advantage of his opportunities, but in reality, he’s a lot more than that.

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Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

Neepawa’s Cooper Kasprick is carrying a lot of responsibility for his hometown team this season, but he’s loving every second of it. (Matt Packwood/The Brandon Sun)
Neepawa’s Cooper Kasprick is carrying a lot of responsibility for his hometown team this season, but he’s loving every second of it. (Matt Packwood/The Brandon Sun)

U18 PLAYOFFS: Brandon matches U18 league record

Perry Bergson 5 minute read Preview

U18 PLAYOFFS: Brandon matches U18 league record

Perry Bergson 5 minute read Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

The Brandon Wheat Kings have achieved a little bit of Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League history this season.

By finishing in first place in the regular season for the fourth year a row, Brandon matched a mark set only one other time in the league’s 40-year history by the Winnipeg Wild from the 2016-17 to 2019-20 seasons.

Brandon had seven U18 regular-season titles previous to the current streak.

“It’s incredible,” Wheat Kings head coach Travis Mealy said. “It says a lot about where our program is trending. I think a big part of that is just the extra work they’re putting in, whether it’s here or at different extra skates. They’re definitely working hard, and there’s no off-season. They’re literally taking four weeks off and they’re hard at it.”

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Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

Under-18 AAA Brandon Wheat Kings head coach Travis Mealy, shown during practice at J&G Homes Arena early this season, said the foundations of his team’s success started long before the players hit the U18 level. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)
Under-18 AAA Brandon Wheat Kings head coach Travis Mealy, shown during practice at J&G Homes Arena early this season, said the foundations of his team’s success started long before the players hit the U18 level. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)

U18 PLAYOFFS: Eastman poses high-scoring challenge for Brandon

Perry Bergson 4 minute read Preview

U18 PLAYOFFS: Eastman poses high-scoring challenge for Brandon

Perry Bergson 4 minute read Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

The Brandon Wheat Kings find themselves in a familiar position as the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League playoffs begin on Saturday night.

The Wheat Kings (40-5-3) will have the top seed for the fourth year in a row as they face off against the eighth-place Eastman Selects (23-20-5) in their best-of-five quarterfinal series.

Brandon head coach Travis Mealy said despite the disparity in the standings, Eastman is a dangerous opponent.

“For an eighth-place team, they have the second best power play,” Mealy said. “They put a lot of pucks to the net. They’re fourth in the league for goals for.

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Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jonah Lemoine (29), right, shown celebrating his goal against the Kenora Thistles with teammate Ethan Stanley (14) during Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League action at J&G Homes Arena on Jan. 26, is hoping he and his teammates have more to celebrate against the Eastman Selects as the playoffs begin. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)
Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jonah Lemoine (29), right, shown celebrating his goal against the Kenora Thistles with teammate Ethan Stanley (14) during Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League action at J&G Homes Arena on Jan. 26, is hoping he and his teammates have more to celebrate against the Eastman Selects as the playoffs begin. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)

Sports Looking Back: March 1, 2025

1 minute read Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

IN LOCAL HISTORY

• 60 YEARS AGO — Western Manitoba athletes came up with good performances in indoor track meets but Nelson Bunn of Birtle topped them all. Bunn became the first Manitoba high school student to run the 880 yards in under two minutes as he covered the distance in 1:58 at the college all-star indoor meet in Winnipeg.

• 50 YEARS AGO — The Neepawa Natives rallied with six unanswered goals to come from behind and defeat Foxwarren 7-3 in a Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association Intermediate-A playoff game. The Natives received two goals from Bob Jaska while singles came from Dennis Person, Martin Bidzinski, Bruce Mitchell, Don Martin and Pat Angers.

• 40 YEARS AGO — Departed netminder Pokey Reddick was named Brandon Wheat Kings’ player-of-the-year by the Western Hockey League club. Reddick left the team to join the Fort Wayne Comets of the International Hockey League.

Avalanche land Lindgren, Wild net Nyquist, Panthers acquire Jones in busy day of NHL trades

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Avalanche land Lindgren, Wild net Nyquist, Panthers acquire Jones in busy day of NHL trades

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press 4 minute read 12:56 AM CST

Defencemen Seth Jones and Ryan Lindgren and forward Gustav Nyquist were on the move on Saturday as three Central Division teams got a jump on the NHL’s looming trade deadline.

The Colorado Avalanche got the ball rolling with another splash by acquiring Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey in a trade with the New York Rangers. The Minnesota Wild answered hours later by acquiring pending free agent forward Gustav Nyquist.

And the last-place Chicago Blackhawks shipped out another veteran, sending Jones to the defending champion Florida Panthers. 

The NHL trade deadline is on Friday.

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12:56 AM CST

FILE — New York Rangers defenceman Ryan Lindgren (55) brings the puck up the ice during the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals against the Florida Panthers, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)
FILE — New York Rangers defenceman Ryan Lindgren (55) brings the puck up the ice during the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals against the Florida Panthers, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

Tigers blank listless Wheat Kings

By Perry Bergson 7 minute read Updated: 12:17 AM CST

The Medicine Hat Tigers did everything to the Brandon Wheat Kings but steal their lunch money and give them a wedgie in a 5-0 victory at Westoba Place on Saturday.

Oasiz Wiesblatt, Mathew Ward, Ryder Ritchie, Liam Ruck and Marcus Pacheco scored and Harrison Meneghin made 26 saves for Medicine Hat (40-17-3-1) as they simply outworked and out chanced Brandon (32-19-4-3), which was playing its third game in four days against Central Division opponents.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said it wasn’t pretty.

“It was two teams kind of in similar situations playing with 10 forwards and six D, and they travelled last night so you have to give credit to them,” Murray said. “They outworked us and were first to pucks and they wanted it more. There are a number of goals where they just had second and third efforts on pucks and they ended up in the back of the net. We didn’t get it done.

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Yeboah’s goal helps Minnesota United beat CF Montreal 1-0

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Yeboah’s goal helps Minnesota United beat CF Montreal 1-0

The Associated Press 1 minute read Yesterday at 10:26 PM CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kevin Yeboah scored a goal in the 69th minute to help Minnesota United beat CF Montreal 1-0 in Major League Soccer action on Saturday night. 

Tani Oluwaseyi flicked a header from the centre of the box toward the goal and Yeboah tapped it in from point-blank range to open the scoring.

Montreal had 63 per cent possession but was outshot 14-3, 6-0 on target, by Minnesota. 

Jonathan Sirois made five saves for winless Montreal (0-2-0). 

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Yesterday at 10:26 PM CST

Minnesota United forward Tani Oluwaseyi (14) and CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman, centre left, battle for possession during the first half of an MLS soccer match in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota United forward Tani Oluwaseyi (14) and CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman, centre left, battle for possession during the first half of an MLS soccer match in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Panthers acquire defenceman Seth Jones in trade with Blackhawks

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Panthers acquire defenceman Seth Jones in trade with Blackhawks

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:23 PM CST

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Seth Jones wanted to join a contender. He wound up going to the champions.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers acquired Jones in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night, landing him and a 2026 fourth-round pick for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick in next year's draft.

The Blackhawks also are retaining 26 per cent of Jones’ salary, which works out to about US$2.5 million annually. Florida next plays on Monday, at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It is another huge acquisition for Florida, which already has key players such as Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling locked up for at least three more seasons after this — and now lands a top-line defenceman in Jones, who is under contract through 2030.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:23 PM CST

FILE — Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Seth Jones (4) looks to pass the puck to a teammate during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe, File)
FILE — Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Seth Jones (4) looks to pass the puck to a teammate during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe, File)

OHL roundup: He nets hat trick as IceDogs beat Knights 6-4

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 9:46 PM CST

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Captain Kevin He had three goals and an assist and the Niagara IceDogs knocked off the visiting London Knights 6-4 in Ontario Hockey League action on Saturday at the Meridian Centre.

Ethan Czata, Ryan Roobroeck and Ivan Galiyanov also scored for the IceDogs (28-24-3-4), who were outshot 44-32.

Sam Dickinson, Kasper Halttunen, Denver Barkey and Sam O'Reilly also scored for the Midwest Division-leading Knights (46-9-2-0), who led 2-1 after the first period but trailed 3-2 heading into the third.

The IceDogs went 2-for-3 on the power play, while the Knights went 2-for-5.

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