The Dauphin Kings have hired a new marketing director.

Derrick Brucks joins the Kings after 12 years as a realtor in Saskatoon, Sask.

A native of Meadow Lake, Sask., Brucks played three seasons in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, one with the Saskatoon Titans, which later relocated and became the Kindersley Klippers. He also played two seasons with the North Battleford North Stars.

Following his playing days, Brucks played senior hockey in his hometown for a few years. After an injury ended his playing career, Brucks went behind the bench to become the head coach Meadow Lake’s senior team and also spent time as the general manager for a couple of years.

Brucks’s wife lives in Dauphin and he has been commuting between Dauphin and Saskatoon.

“I was actually excited to get to a smaller community. It’s kind of a closer community connection,” he said. “The city was great, but my roots, my heart is in a smaller place where you have more personal touch with the businesses and people.”

Brucks started, June 6, and has been settling in, acclimatizing himself to the job. There has been a lot to learn, he said.

“I’m just starting getting my feet wet with the job,” he said. “I absolutely love it. I think the businesses, the community here is amazing. I think they give great support to the Kings, but I think all the businesses have great support for Ukrainian Festival, Countryfest, I think for all events.”

One of the challenges Brucks faces in his new job will be to put more people in the stands. Fans, he said, want a game experience, noting there is a lot of entertainment that can be enjoyed at home.

“So I think we’re going to have some great intermission ideas. Maybe some different sponsorship nights to bring people to the game,” he said.

The season ticket drive, Brucks noted, will begin in July and registrations are now open for the team’s skills and development camp, Aug. 15 to 19, at Credit Union Place.

Brucks is looking forward to meeting fans and sponsors and showing off what the Kings will have next season, on and off the ice.

“The Kings are a big part of the community and, hopefully, we can help through the schools and any of the businesses. We want them out there in the public,” he said, adding the sponsorship drive for next season will begin within the next couple of weeks.

“It costs a lot of money to run hockey clubs and we just want to thank all the local businesses again for their amazing support throughout the years. Kings president Ashley Shaw said Brucks will bring a lot to the team and the board is excited he joined the organization. “He’s a great guy. He’s very personable. I think he’s going to be very wonderful in our community,” she said. “He’s going to be somebody that our fans and sponsors can approach at any time. I think he’s going to bring a lot to our organization.”

Local organizers of the proposed Maamawi Park were joined by local dignitaries and supporters for the sod turning ceremony, June 23, at the Brewers diamond where Dauphin’s newest recreation park will be located.

The park, which will include a toboggan run as part of Phase 1, will eventually become an all-season facility that will be free to use for all residents.

The 2021-22 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season was a successful one for the Dauphin Kings, both on and off the ice.

The Kings, of course, won the Turnbull Trophy for the eighth time in team history and reached the semifinals of the Centennial Cup, held in Estevan, Sask.

Off the ice, the team cleared its debt and, as announced at its AGM, last Thursday, reported a profit of $237,754, giving the Kings net assets of $122,919, compared to a deficit of $114,835 a year ago.

The Kings reported revenues of $889,903 plus an additional $8,489 in government subsidies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At $297,927, fund-raising was the largest contributor to the team’s revenues, with ticket sales coming in next at $238,415.

Attendance last season was 17,357 in the regular season, an average of 668. Attendance in the playoffs totaled 9,226, an average of 1,025.

Read the full in depth story in this week's Dauphin Herald!

The DRCSS celebrated its Class of 2022, with its annual convocation, Saturday, which saw 106 students receiving their diplomas.

Sam Kopecky was this year’s valedictorian.

After opening his speech by thanking everyone for joining the graduating class in celebrating their accomplishments, Kopecky called Saturday’s convocation a day all students have been looking forward to.

“Today we are celebrating a new beginning. Today we are celebrating us,” he said. “In the past four years I’ve gained a lot of memories with all of you. Even through the rough times of COVID-19.”

Kopecky spoke about his favourite part of the curriculum when he entered the DRCSS in Grade 9, the vocational rotation.

“Others enjoyed different things in Grade 9, but I think what we have in common is that many friendships and memories were made within these walls,” he added.

Grade 10, he said, started out okay, but took an unexpected turn when with the school closing because of COVID.

“Life can be like that sometimes. You’re going along in one direction, minding your own business and then something happens to make you change direction. How you handle the unexpected is an important part of life,” he stated. “Grade 10 was cut short, but many good times were had. One of my favourite memories is when we almost blew up a battery on Mr. Cassavant’s lawnmower.”

Grade 11 did not start off that badly, Kopecky said, with classes only two days a week.

“But hey, at least we got to come to school,” he said, adding COVID restrictions made a lot of things more difficult. So many rules, so many masks, so much hand sanitizer. “As the year went on, I think we just tried to make the best of it. The best part for me had to be the Fridays I spent in automotive just working on little projects and breaking some bolts with a friend in engines class. Sorry, Mr. Fee,” Kopecky said.

Finally, there was Grade 12, which Kopecky said was the best year of high school.

“At least for me. The COVID restrictions came down and we were able to come to school every day. School seemed more normal. Countless memories were made both in class and out of it,” he said. “The road to get here has been filled with potholes. Some of those potholes have been small, but others have been life changing. As we go out into the world, we will experience more of life’s potholes. We can’t avoid them all.”

Kopecky concluded by thanking all the people who made the day possible and who made such an important impact on the students’ lives.

“We wouldn’t have gotten this far without our families, teachers and friends,” he said. “And always remember life’s a journey, watch out for potholes.”

Thanks to the generosity of local supporters, 42 students were recognized with over 100 scholarships totalling over $90,000.

A list of this year’s scholarship recipients will appear in the next edition of the Dauphin Herald.

Dauphin Kings goalie Carson Cherepak is taking his game to the next level after announcing his committment to play NCAA Division 1 hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, next season.

The Winnipeg native enjoyed an outstanding year in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, posting a 2.21 GAA and .921 save percentage while compiling a 30-7-0 record with the Kings.

Cherepak was named a first team all-star and received the Ed Belfour Award as the MJHL’s top goaltender. In the postseason, Cherepak was named playoff MVP after helping Dauphin win the Turnbull Trophy.

His stellar play continued at the Centennial Cup in Estevan, Sask., where he was named Top Goaltender and MVP of the national championship.

RPI plays in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

In other Kings news, forward Jeriah Shantz was dealt to the Collingwood Blues of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in exchange for defenceman Anthony Bax.

Shantz scored five goals and 16 points in 49 games with Dauphin last season. The Fergus, Ont., native added two goals and five points in 15 playoff contests, helping the Kings win the Turnbull Trophy.

Bax, who stands six-feet, and weighs in at 192 pounds, had one goal and five points in 26 games with the Blues last season. He added one assist in 11 games with the Connecticut Jr. Rangers of the National Collegiate Development Conference.

The Parkhill, Ont., native turns 19 in November.

Collingwood also receives future considerations in the deal.

Above, Aiden Wojciechowski (6) of the Dauphin McMunn and Yates U13 baseball team gets into a run down against the Roblin Stars in the AA provincial qualifier at the U13 regionals in Dauphin, Sunday morning.

Roblin scored a 20-6 win to qualify for U13 provincials in Morden, July 15 to 17.

Below, Bohdi Bloomer of McMunn and Yates slides safely into home before Dauphin Reit-Syd Equipment’s Cameron Carefoot can make the tag in the A provincial qualifier, Sunday afternoon.

McMunn and Yates won the game, 20-19, to qualify for A provincials, July 8 to 10 in Winkler.

St. Paul’s Home Ladies Auxiliary recently held its final meeting due to its aging membership.

The group decided to dissolve at a meeting, Sept. 20, 2021, and the final meeting was held, June 13.

Established in 1981 under the guidance of Sister Jean Zemliak, the auxiliary was a volunteer organization dedicated to assisting residents of St. Paul’s Home by personal involvement with activities and fund-raising for items that would enhance the quality of the residents’ lives.

Betty Stephens, who was with the ladies auxiliary at the hospital at the time, was asked to assist in getting the St. Paul’s group off the ground.

“They asked her to come down and she came down and organized the first meeting. And that’s how it started, way back in 1981,” said auxiliary president Leana Compton.

The group’s major fund-raising event was the annual Strawberry Tea and Bake Sale, as well as a garage sale for two or three days in the facility’s parking lot, not to mention various raffles and donations. In total, the auxiliary raised more than $300,000 over the years, with more than $250,000 worth of items purchased.

“The other $50,000 would be to support birthday parties. We’d buy cake and ice cream. We always came to help the residents’ monthly birthday parties before COVID,” Compton said.

Auxiliary members also took residents to the Strawberry Tea and they assisted with bingos, as well.

There were only six or seven members to start, but Compton said they eventually averaged about 30 members, 20 of whom were active. By the end, there were only six active volunteers, with another six associated members.

“There’s just so many who are in their mid-80s, high-80s. They walk with walkers. And even the associate ones, they still want to get involved if we had a chance to do anything. But right now since COVID, we’re not allowed to come in this building at all,” she said.

Compton has tried to recruit new and younger members and, while there was some interest, none lasted more than a year or two. Compton noted all monies raised have been spent.

Among the items purchased over the years were Century bathtubs, an automatic wheelchair washer, Medichairs, wheelchair weight scale, blanket warmer, 34 electric bed and bedside table sets and overbed tables.

The dining room and activity area received couches, table and chair sets and window coverings.

Donations to the dietary department included dishes, dish heater and insulated food carts.

Items for the activity department included a smart board, karaoke machine, stereos, televisions, video equipment and sound systems and a bingo machine.

Recently the auxiliary furnished the St. Paul’s Visitation Room, a private room where families can get together for coffee and a visit or hold a special party for their loved one.

The group, Compton said, has always followed Sister Jean’s mantra, which states, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Nine-year-old Meredith Cottrell patiently waits for a bite at the Intermountain Sport Fishing’s annual Kids Fishing Day, Saturday, while dad Keith and sister Rachel sit nearby.

The fish were slow to nibble on the bait provided to those who attended, but everyone was treated to hotdogs chips and a drink, courtesy of the Co-op Kids Club.

The Dauphin Junior Jazz Band opened an evening of entertainment, June 7, on the upper stage at Selo Ukraina.

The evening also included performances from the senior jazz band, as well as the DRCSS choir.

A countback was needed to determine the winners of the Dauphin Kings Par 3 Extravaganza, Saturday at the Gilbert Plains Country Club.

The team of Rob Bouchard, Anthony Wiens, Brad Carefoot and Seth Gares combined to shoot a nine-under 45 and beat the team of Steve Desroches, Jake Wiens, Dylan Mills and Brady Perrault on a countback after they also finished with a 45.

Two shots back was the team of Jordan Pernarowski, Mike Pernarowski, Ian Brezden and Blake Bartram.

In off-ice news, forward Kaden Bryant, who led the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with 36 goals and was second in scoring with 75 points, committed to the University of Ottawa Gee Gees of the Ontario University Athletics Association.

For lots more check this week's Dauphin Herald!