Despite winning just one of three games last week, the Dauphin Kings remain in sole possession of second place in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s MGEU West Division.

Even while recording 64 shots on net, the Kings fell 4-0 to the Swan Valley Stampeders, Feb. 3, in Dauphin.

The Kings then embarked on a short two-game road trip, beginning Friday in Virden, where the Oil Capitals scored three times on the power play in a 7-5 win over the Kings.

On Saturday, it was Dauphin’s turn to put the power play to good use as they scored three times on the man advantage to beat the Winnipeg Monarchs, 5-1, in Winnipeg.

“You have to start wondering what the hockey gods were thinking,” Kings head coach Doug Hedley said of the loss to Swan Valley.

“We played well. We’d be in their end for a long time and then they’d have one opportunity and they’d score. We’ve got a great group. The coaching staff and everybody still believes the fact that we can get things going.”

Hedley said it is just a matter of time for the team to start scoring again.

“And once they do it will become regular and consistent. Our work ethic is there. The battles are there. A lot of areas are really good. We just have to, at crucial times in the game, step up and find a way to get it done,” he said.

Virden took advantage of some undisciplined play by the Kings, getting seven power plays in the game to Dauphin’s three.

Hedley felt the Kings played well at five-on-five, but the special teams need to get better.

“We’re capable of doing it. It’s just a matter of finding ways,” he said.

Dauphin’s power play moved the puck well against the Monarchs, which resulted in three goals in six chances.

“We changed a few things up. Right now it’s really tough because of injuries to (Rylan) Gage and (Kurtis) Kinoshita. And now (Wyatt) Dyck is out with a shoulder. So there’s three guys out of the lineup that would be regulars on special teams,” Hedley said, adding he was pleased with the younger players who stepped up and played well against Virden.

“They got a couple goals. Second shots, actually, by going to the paint. They’re definitely very positive and they’re stepping up and finding ways. Then they played very well in Winnipeg. That’s definitely a good sign for now and the future,” he said.

The Kings have three games this week against some of the league’s weaker teams.

The host the Northern Manitoba Blizzard, Tuesday, with the Monarchs visiting, Friday, with both games starting at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the Kings return to Winnipeg for a date with the Blues at 7:30 p.m.

The Kings will then travel to Waywayseecappo for a game with the Wolverines on Louis Riel Day.

Hedley said these will be big games for his team.

“It’s a chance for us to get some consistency. It’s a chance for us to get some swagger back and get on a roll. We have a seven-game segment coming up and every game is winnable. So we’re looking forward to a good one,” he said.

Kings court: Defenceman Aiden Murray has committed to the Division 1 Niagara Purple Eagles, which plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

The Dauphin Clippers varsity girls won their home tournament this past weekend, winning all three games.

Dauphin opened the tournament with a 68-31 victory over the Gilbert Plains/Grandview Trojans, followed by a convincing 83-46 win over the Steinbach Christian Flames.

They clinched the tournament title with a 57-21 win over the Neepawa Tigers, Saturday morning.

Clippers coach Natasha Nepinak was pleased with the team’s play throughout the tournament.

“This weekend, the team played with great energy. Everyone was stepping up and taking shots with confidence, and that’s exactly what we want to see,” she said.

As well as the Clippers played, there are still some aspects of the game they need to work on.

“We’re continuing to grow our offensive plays, learning how to create better looks and make sharp passes,” Nepinak said.

Winning their home tournament, Nepinak added, will give the team added confidence and momentum as they head into the zone playoffs, Feb. 17 in Dauphin.

The Clippers varsity boys were in Winkler for the Nighthawks Invitational.

They opened the tournament with a narrow 56-54 loss to the host Northland Parkway Nighthawks.

Dauphin rebounded to beat the Steinbach Christian Flames, 54-51, placing them in the third-place game, where they defeated the Léo-Rémillard Renards, 75-58.

The Clippers will be in Neepawa for a tournament this weekend.

The Clippers JV girls were in Neepawa, this past weekend, where they finished third.

Dauphin opened the event with a 66-31 win over the Margaret Barbour Spartans of The Pas, before dropping a 56-44 decision to Northlands Parkway.

In the third-place game, the Clippers defeated Ste. Rose, 54-31.

All four Dauphin Clippers basketball teams were in action over the weekend, seeing various levels of success.

The varsity girls were in Sanford, where they finished in second place.

Dauphin opened the tournament with a 42-38 win over the Linden Christian Wings in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Clippers upended the Neelin Spartans, 43-35 to advance to the final, where they lost to the host Sanford Sabres, 58-30.

Clippers coach Natasha Nepinak was pleased with the team’s play over the course of the weekend.

“We beat two ranked teams and we’re not ranked right now. We just kept telling them that defence wins games and they did what they had to do,” she said.

In the final, the Clippers faced a strong Sanford team, which featured two great players, one of which has committed to Brandon University for next year.

“So just trying to get stops and trying to stop them defensively,” Nepinak said, adding this finish will give the team added confidence going forward.

“I’m hoping that the games for the rest of the season, they keep playing and keep pushing. Where we’re at right now, we can’t let off the gas,” she said.

The Clippers will host the Clipper Classic, Friday and Saturday, featuring the Neepawa Tigers, Steinbach Christian Flames and Gilbert Plains/Grandview Spartans, with the top two teams in the round-robin meeting in the final.

“The girls are excited. We have a couple of practices coming up this week, but I think they’re ready to go,” Nepinak said.

The varsity boys were in Winnipeg for the Hoops for Hope 2026 tournament, hosted by Linden Christian.

After opening with a 59-55 win over the St. James Jimmies, Dauphin scored a 77-76 win over Thompson’s R.D. Parker Trojans in the semifinals.

In the championship game, the Clippers fell 94-69 to the Lorette Scorpions.

Clippers coach Josh Marshall was pleased with the team’s play in the two wins.

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

The Dauphin Clippers hockey team extended their winning streak to five games with a sweep of a three-game home stand over the weekend.

The Clippers opened the weekend, Friday, with a 6-0 win over the Reston/Melita/Hartney/Souris Renegades.

Wil Busby, Hayden Shtykalo, Ethan Zalischuk, Brandon Wood, Henry Roth and Cody Zurba provided the offence for Dauphin, while Joe Tabin stopped all 16 shots he faced.

Cameron Schoonbaert made 41 saves in taking the loss.

On Saturday, Zalischuk had three goals and three assists and Shtykalo scored twice and added a pair of helpers in leading the Clippers to an 8-1 win over the Hamiota/Rivers/Elton Huskies.

Thomas Schmidt, Josh Yakielashek and Layne Wolfenden also scored for Dauphin.

Corbin Munz had the Huskies’ lone goal.

Ben Miner picked up the win in goal, with 38 saves, while Nicolas McDuff made 37 saves.

In a makeup game on Sunday, Shtykalo scored four times to lead the Clippers to a 9-1 win over the Sandy Bay Badgers.

Shtykalo now leads the Westman High School Hockey League with 42 goals.

Yakielashek, Zurba, Busby, Garret Sahulka and Josh Beyette  had Dauphin’s other goals.

Jarome Starr scored for Sandy Bay.

Tabin made 16 saves to record the win, while Peter Flett and Carlson Kolisnyk combined to make 47 saves for the Badgers.

Clippers head coach Drew Kulcheski said his team is playing with confidence right now and it shows on the scoreboard.

“The whole 200-feet of the ice, we’re playing confident, we’re playing our game. We’re dialed in to our systems. We’re playing Clipper hockey right now,” he said.

Coming off a weekend like this and having won seven of their last eight games, Kulcheski said the team’s confidence has never been higher.

“All throughout the lineup, we’re confident. We’re playing with skill. We’re playing with speed. And they feel unstoppable right now,” he said.

As well as the Clippers are playing, Kulcheski noted there is some fine tuning that can be done.

“There’s always little fine things that we can tune up on and play a little bit more of our structure and a little more consistent. But overall, I can’t complain,” he said.

The Clippers will play their fourth game in five days when they host the Birtle/Shoal Lake/Rossburn Falcons, Tuesday at 1:45 p.m.

They embark on a three-game weekend road trip, beginning Friday in Boissevain against the Broncos. On Saturday, the Clippers visit the Virden Golden Bears and on Sunday, they are in Glenboro to play the Wildcats.

The Rural Municipality of Dauphin council held its first regular meeting of the new year, Jan. 13.

Accounts and finances

Council approved 22 cheques, as well as payroll and online payments in the amount of $156,793.28.

Correspondence

Council received correspondence from the Parkland Chamber of Commerce regarding upcoming events.

There was also a discussion about possibly joining the Northern Woods and Water Highway, which extends from Winnipeg north to The Pas and then east to Vancouver. Council refered the correspondence to its budget deliberations.

Transportation

Public Works foreman Ryan Jenkins told council graders have been busy plowing snowdrifts and cutting ice off roads.

The sanding truck, Jenkins added, has also been busy sanding intersections and corners.

Crews have also been out to ridge bad areas.

Meetings

Councillor Ken Shewchuk attended the grand opening of the Dauphin Court House, noting there were a couple of provincial ministers in attendance, as well as various dignitaries.

Shewchuk also attended a Dauphin and District Handivan Association meeting.

Find the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

The club volleyball season is under way and the Parkland Vipers 14U squad opened its season at a tournament in Winnipeg this past weekend.

The Vipers went 0-2 in  their first two round-robin matches on Friday, losing a couple of close games.

A win over Impact put the Vipers in third place in their pool and they advanced to the A-side of the draw with a straight sets win over Taika.

In the playoffs, the Vipers lost to a strong Big Sand Red team in three sets.

The Vipers eventually ran out of gas and finished eighth out of 20 teams.

Vipers coach Taylor Schmidt said the girls have been working hard in practice, leading up to the tournament, which was hosted by the Bandits at the Dakota Sportsplex in Winnipeg.

“We were excited to just go and play. A 20-team tournament, we saw some of the top teams in the 14U division and the girls really played well. They showed improvement in every set and every match as we went along in the tournament,” he said.

“Just by the end there on Saturday, into our fourth match of the day, the girls were working hard and just ran out of gas.”

Seeing an improvement from the start of a tournament to the end is something coaches look for early in the season and that is what Schmidt saw from the Vipers.

“Myself and my assistant coach, Brenda Livingston, before the tournament started, that’s what we talked about as a team. All we want to see for this tournament is continued improvement in individual play and team play. We’ll let the rest come out of that,” he said.

“It’s a long season, but it’s a very promising start for the girls to have a successful first tournament.”

The Vipers will be in Virden this weekend for a tournament hosted by Club West.

The Dauphin Clippers hockey team has won five games in a row, with the fifth win coming, Sunday, against the Minnedosa/Erickson Chancellors.

Hayden Shtykalo scored three times and added an assist and Ethan Zalischuk had two goals and two assists to lead the Clippers to a 9-0 victory over the shorthanded Chancellors, which dressed just 13 skaters.

Josh Yakielashek chipped in with two goals and one assist, with Cale Morrison and Noah Myhre adding singles.

Ben Miner stopped all 19 shots he faced to record the shutout. Parker Soltys made 30 saves in taking the loss.

The game Friday night against the Birtle/Shoal Lake/Rossburn Falcons was postponed due to the extreme cold and has been rescheduled to Feb. 3, at 1:45 p.m.

It was the second game postponed in recent weeks.

Clippers head coach Drew Kulcheski said postponements are to the team’s benefit, because they are always prepared to play.

“We’re ready to go every single game. Like we’ve talked about, we’re a resilient group. I think we show up coming to the rink, whether it’s practice or games, we’ve got our work boots on,” he said.

“I’ve got to praise our leadership group. They keep everybody humble, keep every ready to go on time. We’re just playing with confidence right now and we’re buzzing.”

The Clippers scored four goals in the opening frame, taking advantage of the shortened Minnedosa bench.

“I think when we have character wins like this, when we play our style, we play north and south. We play heavy when we need to play heavy, but when we need to play with skill, we play with skill,” Kulcheski said.

“The boys are really confident right now and it shows on the ice.”

The Clippers host the Reston/Melita/Hartney/Souris Renegades, Friday at 7:30 p.m., before the Hamiota/Rivers Huskies pay a visit to Credit Union Place, Saturday at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, the Sandy Bay Badgers visit the Clippers at 12:30 p.m.

The Parkland Rangers sit in seventh place in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League after a successful weekend.

The Rangers began the week with a 5-2 loss to the Yellowhead Chiefs, Jan. 13, in Shoal Lake.

Parkland then earned a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Interlake Lightning, Friday in Dauphin.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Rangers were in Morden for a pair of games against the Pembina Valley Hawks, with the two teams sitting tied with 37 points.

After a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday and a 5-3 victory, Sunday, the Rangers are now three up on the Hawks and tied with Southwest for sixth place.

Rangers head coach Rick Freese was pleased with the team’s play against the Hawks.

“We showed up with that fire and that work ethic and we worked. We worked and we didn’t watch. Our neutral zone was real good, because we worked. And we worked in that containment mode. I was real happy with the weekend. The players played extremely well,” he said.

Although disappointed not to get the win against Interlake, Freese noted the Lightning’s record does not reflect how well they can play.

“And I know for a fact that if we played against Interlake the way we played against Pembina Valley, that we would have gotten those two points, for sure,” he said, adding the Rangers were missing several key players from the lineup and dressed four APs for Sunday’s game.

“We had five of our top players out of the lineup on Sunday and some of those young kids really stepped up and were working. So it’s good to see,” he said.

“We’re going to go with the guys that want to work and the guys that want to do what we want them to do.”

Sweeping the two games against the Hawks will show the Rangers how successful they can be when they work hard, especially in the defensive zone.

“I think that they see when we don’t watch in the D zone and we’re anticipating and our neutral zone is plugged up and we’re steering properly, I think that these guys see what we’re capable of,” Freese said.

“We’re tied for sixth place. Everything is so tight in our league right now, one hiccup weekend puts you down in eighth. We want to stay up in that five, six area and I think we’re on our way to playing that way.”

Freese added he is pleased with the fire and passion the players displayed in the two wins over Pembina Valley.

“We out worked them, plain and simple. That’s how we won those games,” he said.

“Our goaltending, too. Carter Sigurdson played real well on the weekend. When we’ve got 20 guys playing a team game, from the goaltender out, it just makes that much of a difference.”

The Rangers hit the road this weekend for a twinbill in Teulon against the Lightning, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Freese said the team is looking forward to these two games with an eye on winning both.

“We want to keep climbing. We’ll do some video here on Tuesday, three practices this week and then we’ll get back to it this weekend,” he said.

The Dauphin Clippers are riding a four-game winning streak after posting three wins last week.

After scoring a 6-2 win over the Roblin/Grandview/Gilbert Plains Raiders, Tuesday in Dauphin, Hayden Shtykalo scored both goals in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Sandy Bay Badgers, Wednesday in Sandy Bay.

On Saturday, Dauphin made it four straight wins with an 8-3 triumph over the Crocus Plains Plainsmen.

Sunday’s home game against Sandy Bay was postponed due to poor travel conditions and has been rescheduled to Feb. 1 at 12:30 p.m.

The Clippers now sit in fourth place in the Westman High School Hockey League, with an 11-5-0-1 record for 23 points. They trail the third-place Virden Golden Bears by one point, with three games in hand.

Clippers head coach Drew Kulcheski said the players got their confidence back after struggling coming out of the Christmas break and it showed on the ice.

“We’re all kind of gelling together right now and I’m pleased with how we’re playing. We’re playing as a five-man unit every time we’re our on the ice and it’s bringing us some success,” he said.

The offence produced 14 goals in two of the games, and won a close game against Sandy Bay. Being able to win playing any style of game is something that pleases Kulcheski.

“It’s really nice to know that no matter what the situation we’re in, we either have a chance to come back and win one late or tie one up late or take the lead late or we can start the offence off early,” he said.

“There’s not a lot of quit in this group. It’s quite the resilient group we have here. So it’s very comfortable knowing my team can play any style of hockey throughout 60 minutes.”

The Clippers have two home games this week, hosting the Birtle Falcons, Friday at 7:30 p.m., before the Minnedosa/Erickson Chancellors visit Credit Union Place, Sunday at 7 p.m.

Kulcheski is confident the Clippers can continue it’s strong play of late.

“Hopefully we can keep playing confident. When we’re playing with confidence, we seem to have our success. So just trying to let the boys know to play our game, play with confidence and we’ll be alright,” he said.

The Rural Municipality of Dauphin council held its first regular meeting of the new year, Jan. 13.

Accounts and finances

Council approved 37 cheques, including a voided cheque which had the wrong amount, as well as payroll and online payments in the amount of $256,518.03.

CAO report

CAO Grady Stephenson told council he met with Environment and Climate Change staff, where some concerns were expressed. Some improvements are coming for some things, he said, along with clarifications on other issues.

Stephenson added staff is starting to work on some budget items.

Transportation

Public works foreman Ryan Jenkins informed council graders have been busy keeping roads open during the recent snowfalls and in between plowing, they have been out ridging to protect against winds.

The municipality, Jenkins added, is currently training seasonal staff to plow snow in keeping with succession planning.

Public works staff has been planning projects for the upcoming construction season.

Staff are also currently monitoring and dealing with a natural spring run that is starting to flood a ditch in the south and threatening to go over the road making for dangerous driving conditions.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.