The Dauphin Kings are 4-0 to start the season after sweeping a home-and-home with the Neepawa Titans over the weekend.

After spotting Neepawa a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period, Friday in Neepawa, the Kings rattled off four unanswered goals to skate away with a 4-1 victory.

On Saturday in Dauphin, the Kings scored a 3-1 win in a game in which they outshot the Titans, 43-16.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley felt Saturday’s win was ugly.

“We can play a lot better than that. You take it and you get better and learn from it. The fortunate thing is we can learn and still get two points,” he said, adding it is still early in the season, but the first 10 games of any season is so important to a team’s success.

“The better start you get off to, the better work ethic you have. The better energy you have. It just sets the tone for the whole season,” he said.

Neepawa netminder Mason Lobreau kept his team in the game.

Ethan Williment gave the Kings a 1-0 lead with a power-play marker late in the first, but the Kings couldn’t solve the Neepawa tender again until early in the third frame.

“He’s a good goaltender, there’s no doubt about it. I didn’t think we made it tough enough for him. If he sees the puck, he’s going to stop it. We didn’t get a lot of traffic in front of him. We didn’t get a lot of guys going to the net for second shots. Not a lot of rebounds,” Hedley said.

“If there’s one thing he will do is he will give up the odd rebound if you’re going to the paint and trying to get a second shot. There’s things we’ve got to get better at. We know that.”

Hedley feels the top players can be better, but some of the rookies are starting to produce.

Joey Kubas netted his first goal as a King in Friday’s win, while Declan Hoad found the back of the net on Saturday.

The top line of Cayden Glover, Gavin Nemis and Jack Bechard was fantastic in Friday’s win, Hedley said.

“They had a real good game. And the energy that we had there, the forecheck that we had, just a totally different game,” he said, adding the ice conditions may be playing a factor.

“I don’t know what’s going on with the ice here, but it gets awfully bouncy and it gets awfully slow. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s got to get better.”

Dauphin will look to make it five straight wins when they host the defending league champion Winkler Flyers, tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The home stand will continue, Friday, when the Portage Terriers visit Credit Union Place, also at 7:30 p.m.

“Neepawa played very well against Winkler (a 5-4 Neepawa victory, Sept. 24). I think it’s one of those things where we know they’ve got a big hockey club. They play aggressive, they play hard and they really compete. So we’re going to have our A game, no doubt,” Hedley said.

In terms of player movement, Jackson Hofer was reassigned to Fort Knox of the Prairie Junior Hockey League.

The deal with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Flin Flon Bombers, which saw the Kings acquire forward Ashton Paul and futures for defenceman Anthony Bax was completed, last week, with the Kings acquiring 18-year-old defenceman Daniel Helary.

The six-foot, four-inch, 198-pound Calgary native had not played a game with the Bombers this season. He had eight goals and 22 points in 29 games with Prairie Hockey Academy, last season.

The addition of Helary gives the Kings eight defencemen and 17 forwards, plus two goaltenders. Hedley plans to get down to at least 25 players by next week.

The Dauphin Clippers senior boys volleyball team opened the season strong, finishing second at the Brandon University Varsity Boys Tournament, Friday and Saturday in Brandon.

Dauphin opened Friday’s round-robin portion of the tournament with a 25-17 and 25-15 win over Neepawa, then won the split over MBCI of The Pas, 22-25 and 25-18.

Following a 24-26 and 12-25 loss to Brandon’s Vincent Massey, the Clippers again won a split, this time over Carlton, Sask., 25-11 and 24-26.

Dauphin ended Friday’s action with a 25-19 and 25-21 win over Fort Richmond.

The Clippers finished third in their pool setting up a Round of 16 match against Yorkton to begin play on Saturday.

Dauphin won that match 25-19 and 25-20 to advance to the quarterfinals where they beat Weyburn, 23-25, 25-23 and 15-9.

The Clippers then bested Garden Valley, 32-30, 20-25 and 15-12 in the semifinals setting up a date with the Neelin Spartans in the championship match where the Clippers were sunk, 13-25 and 14-25.

Gabriel Beaudin was named to the tournament all-star team.

Clippers coach Taylor Schmidt said it was a great start to the season.

“From where we started the tournament to where ended, we just continued to improve throughout the tournament and making adjustments. The players were working every single match and improving their play, and the team play. It came together at the end in the semifinals,” he said.

Schmidt noted this is the best finish the Clippers have had at this tournament, having previously finished fourth.

A strong start like this will give the Clippers something to build on in the future.

“Having a start like that sets the tone in what we can do and gives us a starting point to work in practice and goals from where we’re at to where we want to go to,” he said, adding it’s a great place to be starting.

The Clippers played against some tough teams, Schmidt said, such as Garden Valley, Carlton, Weyburn and Neelin.

“We were right there. And we were able to beat Carlton and Garden Valley and Weyburn. We beat those strong teams. And Neelin is a strong team. They’re in our interzone, so we’re definitely going to see them again,” he said.

“So the confidence I think the players got from winning and competing tells them that, hey, we’re here to compete with the top teams and beat the top teams. And walking into other tournaments and facing other teams with that confidence that we can compete and beat these top teams is a great place to start.”

The Dauphin Kings are 2-0 to start the 2024-25 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season after sweeping a home-and-home over the Virden Oil Capitals.

The Kings scored a 3-0 victory in the season opener, Friday in Virden, before scoring a 4-2 win in their home opener on Saturday.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley liked the way the team played in Friday’s win.

“I think tonight (Saturday), we had a good second period. I thought we started playing the way we could, just a little bit of structure,” he said.

“The first period we were kind of all over the place in the neutral zone. Didn’t get a lot established on the forecheck. We got probably fortunate we got a couple of breaks on a breakaway to (Ethan) Williment and then another big goal to make it 2-0. But I thought our first period we were fortunate to get out of it up two.”

The Kings were a lot better in the second period of the home opener, Hedley said, adding they probably could have put the game away.

“A lot of oddman rushes, a lot of chances, a lot of opportunities, two-on-ones. Created some opportunities, which was really good. Used our speed to get the puck up ice,” he said.

The third period of Saturday’s game was reminiscent of the preseason encounter between the two teams the week before when Virden controlled the play.

In the preseason, the Kings weathered the storm and eventually won in a shootout.

Saturday, with Dauphin holding a 3-1 lead, Virden scored to make it a one-goal game. But Cayden Glover’s second of the game into an empty net sealed the deal with 1:53 remaining.

“They took it to us in the third period. We got set back on our heels. I think we just thought it was one of those things where we could just coast through it and get it done,” Hedley said.

“The good thing about it is you find a way to get it done. It’s greasy enough, whether it’s a home opener or not. It’s always tough.”

The humidity in Credit Union Place, Hedley said, is not good, which led to poor ice conditions.

“I think they’re working on it, but the ice was really bad toward the last 10 minutes of each period. The puck was bouncing,” he said.

Hedley still has some tough decisions ahead as there are still 28 players vying for a spot on the team.

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

The Dauphin Clippers football team came, oh so close to remaining undefeated in the Rural Manitoba Football League, Saturday in Moosomin.

But a goalline stand on a two-point conversion ended with the Clippers suffering their first loss of the season, a 14-12 decision versus the Generals.

“It was a heartbreaker,” said Clippers coach Gerald Lopez.

Trailing in the dying seconds, 14-6, the Clippers scored a touchdown to pull to within two points. On the two-point conversion attempt, which would have tied the game, Dauphin’s receiver caught the ball and had his feet in the end zone.

“But the ball didn’t break the plane. And the game ended on that note,” Lopez said.

Lopez said the Clippers lost the game due to a couple of reasons.

“Our offence really couldn’t get a rhythm going. And when we tried, we ended up getting into penalty trouble,” he said, adding the two touchdowns scored by Moosomin were aided by penalties.

“At least 50 yards of penalties each drive. And then they scored,” he said.

Ronin Mouck and Julien Lopez had Dauphin’s touchdowns.

There were some positives to take from the game. Lopez said some players showed their leadership skills and helped their teammates hold it together.

“Other times, we just mentally broke down. We did it to ourselves. Moosomin is a tough place to play,” he added.

Lopez said it was a good learning experience for the team.

“We’ll look back at the tape. But I truly believe we are the better team. But the only way our kids can grow from this is to learn from this. And not only from this, it will translate into their own life self-discipline,” he said.

Dauphin, now 2-1 on the season, will look to right the ship when they face the 3-0 Southwest Sabres, Friday in Souris.

Lopez feels the Sabres will be a good match up for the Clippers.

“With all these games, our prime focus is we just forget about it. Acknowledge it, but forget about it. We can’t change the past. We just have to move forward. Learn from what happened. It’s a brand new practice on Monday and go from there. Just like anything else,” he said.

Imagine getting the chance to meet your idol.

For Dauphin’s Marty Isfeld, that chance became a reality when he traveled to Edmonton to participate in the Street Outlaws No Prep Kings (NPK) All Stars vs Canada drag races in July.

In April, just on a whim, Dawn Isfeld sent an email with a picture of husband Marty’s car to the producers of NPK, not thinking they would respond.

“It was just an idea. I didn’t think anything would come of it. And then they invited us to come,” she said.

Isfeld, owner of the Speed Shop in Dauphin, has been drag racing for about 10 years. He and Dawn have been involved with cars their whole lives and eventually got into drag racing, which Dawn said, helps to promote their shop.

Because there are no drag races in the area, the Isfelds usually go to Gimli, as well as Neepawa a couple of times a year, and Saskatoon, which has a large venue.

Two weeks before the event, the producers responded to Dawn’s email with an invitation to the RAD Torque Raceway in Edmonton, to take part in the Street Outlaws NPK All Stars vs Canada drag races, July 19.

Because of the short notice, they had to get ready for the trip in a hurry, which was not as easy as it sounds.

“The engine was still out of the car. We were freshening the engine, so the engine was still out. We had to put the engine back together and get the car running,” Marty said.

They also had to get a crew together as only three people plus the driver were allowed.

Isfeld’s car is a Chevy Nova, the same as the car raced by Isfeld’s idol Shawn Ellington, better known as Murder Nova.

“He’s the OG. He’s the legend,” Dawn said.

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

Anyone dealing with mental health issues will soon have a chance to discuss their problems with others in a group setting.

Eleanor Snitka, a Peer Connections Manitoba counsellor, is looking to start a Stories and Smiles group for people who are living alone or may be full-time caregivers and they need a little break. Hence the name.

“I want to dwell more on mental health than mental illness. And I want to dwell on the positive side of it,” she said.

“People can come and tell their stories and we can sort of celebrate their contributions that they’ve had.”

While she had thought about it before, Snitka said a meeting with a lady who was a full-time caregiver of her husband pushed the idea forward.

During that meeting, the lady started telling Snitka how, when she first left home from a small town in Saskatchewan, she had to take a train with her belongings in cardboard boxes, because she had no suitcases.

“And she went to St. Boniface Hospital to take nurses’ training,” Snitka added.

“She told me that story and she’d been a nurse in our area for many, many years, and I thought, ‘people love to hear those stories and those happy stories and those fun stories.’ So that’s what I want to do rather than dwelling on the negative.”

The meetings, which are open to anyone regardless of age, will be held the fourth Thursday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dauphin Active Living Centre beginning, Sept. 26.

“I think it’s important for people to connect, you know, social connecting. It gives people something to look forward to. It gives them a sense of belonging and wellbeing, because they’re with other people and they’re not always alone,” Snitka said.

Snitka added some people have barriers preventing them from connecting with others, whether it be their age, their physical abilities or lack of transportation.

“So trying to make people feel included and belonging,” she said.

“We just want to have a fun time, a happy time. Because sometimes mental health is not always happy.”

Snitka feels such group meetings are important.

“Because people can share. And it’s still confidential. We still don’t have to share their stories with anybody else. And they can share their hardships they’ve dealt with in life, because all of us, from when we grew up from way back when, life wasn’t always easy. And it doesn’t matter when we grew up,” she said.

For more information, contact Snitka at 431-345-0353.

The Parkland Mavericks season has come to an end with a 36-17 loss to the Winnipeg Wombats, Sept. 7, in Winnipeg.

Oliver Dandeneau, Matt Zurba and Daniel Evans had Parkland’s tries and Evans added a convert.

It was the first playoff game for the Mavericks in more than 20 years and player-coach Shawn Sarkonak said it went well.

“We were in it, especially in the first half. It was really tight. Just a little more experience and a few extra subs on the other team and a couple of unfortunate missed tackles led to the difference in the game,” he said.

Sarkonak felt the Mavericks improved from the start of the season, noting they actually played a full season compared to last year, when there was no league for the team to play in.

“From start to finish there was definite improvement. Just toward the end, we just unfortunately weren’t able to get all our best players together on the field, actually up until the playoff game,” he said.

“Even at that, we were missing guys with some injuries that definitely would have added some depth and would have changed the dynamic of the game, for sure.”

Sarkonak is excited for the Mavericks’ future, noting the team’s younger players have already committed to playing next season.

“The future looks bright, for sure,” he said.

Although the Division 2 season may be over, the Mavericks will host Mavs Fest, Sept. 28, which will include players from the Winnipeg Wasps, Wombats and Winnipeg Assassins.

There will also be some women’s games featuring teams from Saskatchewan.

“The guys were looking at a way to end the season. They had hosted, a number of years ago, a similar thing where the Wasps came down and a team from Regina came in. There was a beer gardens set up. And they wanted to re-do it again,” Sarkonak said.

Girls who want to give hockey a try have the opportunity to learn about the game and to improve their skills, Saturdays throughout the winter.

Starting Oct. 12, the Saturdays Are For the Girls program will hit the ice at Credit Union Place in Dauphin from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Dauphin Minor Hockey Association vice-president Ashley Shaw said they were looking for programs to get as many girls involved in the sport as possible.

“It was brought up at the AGM to see if there was some options of just doing girls’ skates,” she said.

With the help of local businesses Twin Motors and Lee Electrical Engineering to offset some of the costs, the program is ready to get underway next month.

“Everyone seems to be very excited about it,” Shaw said.

The program runs 10 Saturdays over the course of the winter and will feature on-ice instructors. It is open to players ages five to 16.

Female players who have registered with Dauphin minor hockey can also register for the program, Shaw said. But any girls who just want to take part in the program can do so.

“You don’t actually have to play on a Dauphin minor hockey team to participate in this event,” she said.

The majority of the four or five instructors are women who have played the game themselves.

“So it’s going to be great having these individuals out on the ice and will also allow the girls to see that you can go on with hockey. It will be really exciting,” Shaw said.

Players can register by emailing Lindsey Kyle at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There is no registration fee.

“If somebody has a daughter that was thinking about trying hockey, or is interested in taking part, then have them come out and give it a shot. I think it’s just going to be a lot of fun.” Shaw said.

The program will run, Oct. 12 and 19, Nov. 2 and 30, Jan. 4, 18 and 25, Feb. 8 and 15 and Mar. 1.

Dauphin’s Jackson Delaurier’s success on the Male Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) this summer will lead him Down Under in a couple of weeks.

Delaurier will be one of eight Canadians who will travel to New South Wales, Australia, to compete in the prestigious Jack Newton International Junior Classic, Oct. 1 to 4.

Delaurier qualified for the Australia event by winning the MJT tournament in Selkirk in July.

“First, I was put onto a short list for a chance to go, but I didn’t really think much of it, because I knew there’d be a lot of golfers to select from. Then about a week later I got an invite to go to Australia,” he said.

Delaurier was understandably excited to get the invitation.

“Australia is a different part of the world. Just to travel there and golf there will be fun,” he said.

While golf will be the major focus, Delaurier hopes to be able to enjoy some of the sites and sounds of the country.

“Just the experience in Australia. Just seeing what it’s like over there and seeing some of the kangaroo, koala bears that they have over there,” he said.

Besides the win in Selkirk, Delaurier has also had a couple of podium finishes on the MJT.

Delaurier hopes to continue in the golf industry, not necessarily as a golfer, but perhaps, someday as a golf pro at a club.

The need for air conditioning in the Watson Arts Centre has been well known for years, if not decades.

Now the centre will begin fund-raising towards fulfilling that need.

The fund-raising campaign, titled “Make the Watson the Coolest Building in Town”, is looking for donations from area residents.

“Technically, it’s heat pump technology. But it’s been talked about for years, but the costs were just too high. But the technology has progressed so much and the price has come down so much that it’s within doable range,” said Cam Bennet, chair of the Dauphin and District Allied Arts Council (DDAAC).

The council has raised some funds already. They were the beneficiary of a fund-raising barbecue hosted by Westman Communications Group in June and Fusion Credit Union has donated $15,000. Another business has stepped up to the tune of $35,000.

“And we’ve got some reserves from the Roger Watson Fund, the Roger Watson donation from several years back,” Bennet added.

“We would prefer not to dip into the reserves and deplete them completely, which is why we’re doing the campaign. The reserves are there. It’s just a matter of how much are we able to dip into them.”

The campaign’s goal is to raise $12,000 and have the heat pump technology installed in June 2025.

The funds are in place, but the money raised from this campaign will go to taxes and any additional costs that may pop up.

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