It was as good a start as you could get for the Dauphin Clippers hockey team.
Forrest Karlson opened the scoring with his first of three on the night just 1:25 into the game to spark the Clippers to a 5-0 victory over the Glenboro/Carberry/Baldur Wildcats in the season opener, Saturday in Dauphin.
Karlson added an assist to give him a four-point night and Xander Perih made 17 saves to earn the shutout.
On Sunday in Boissevain, Brayden Budolowski scored twice and added an assist and Ben Miner stopped all 20 shots he faced in a 5-0 victory over the Boissevain/Deloraine/Waskada/Pierson Broncos.
Clippers coach Drew Kulcheski said the Clippers are starting to see some pieces being put together after playing just three preseason games.
“Guys were starting to gel and play some meaningful games together. It was nice to see a full buy-in from the group,” he said.
The team’s resiliency showed in the two contests, with Kulcheski noting the Clippers got into some penalty trouble, Saturday.
“Guys were able to rally around each other. And then Sunday, we were down a few bodies guys were able to have a next-man-up mentality and we picked up where we left off on Saturday,” he said.
“Everybody is playing for the logo on the front of the jersey and it’s starting to bleed into our games.”
Kucheski was pleased with the team’s defensive play, allowing just 37 shots in the two games.
“That was one of our keys going into the season. We had set a standard for ourselves to be under about roughly 23 shots a game. That’s where I would like to be,” he said.
“Not that we don’t have trust in our goalies, but I would like them to face as little shots as possible and just buy into that team defence. If we can get the back end going, it just makes everything on the front end easier.”
Kucheski was grateful for the fan support in Saturday’s season opener.
“It was good to see a lot of people in the rink to support the Clippers to start the year,” he said.
Dauphin plays just one game this week, heading back out on the road Friday, to play the Falcons in Birtle at 7:30 p.m.
Kulcheski expects more of the same kind of effort he saw this past weekend.
“I think we have more to give. I know we’re coming off of back-to-back 5-0 wins, but I think we’re still a ways away from where we need to be,” he said.
“Some guys can get some confidence going into this weekend and start going from there.”

It was another week of mixed results for the Dauphin Kings, last week.
Bryson Yaschyshyn made 42 saves in helping the Kings to a 2-1 win over the Swan Valley Stampeders, Tuesday in Swan River.
On home ice Friday, Yaschyshyn was pulled after allowing four goals by the 5:30 mark of the second period as the Winnipeg Monarchs skated to a 5-3 win.
Kings head coach Bryan Kromm said he wouldn’t make any excuses for the mistakes that happened following Friday’s loss.
“We get what we get. The results are what they are,” he said.
Yaschyshyn has the Stampeders’ number in Swan River, having stopped 96 of 99 shots in two games up north.
“He played very, very well. We saw his game or what I thought he could do. We were waiting for that to come to fruition and it did on Tuesday, for sure,” Kromm said.
Kromm feels the Kings are starting to improve play in the offensive game.
“I think we had some good possession tonight and some good looks tonight. So I think that side of the game is something that’s positive and so we’ve just got to keep building on that,” he said.
Most of the team’s goals have come from Quentin Fisk, Brody Green and Bennett Muller, who have scored 24 of the Kings’ 40 goals.
So Kromm would like to see increased secondary scoring.
“I think it will come. I think there’s some new guys in the lineup that once they get comfortable with us, they’re going to start to produce that secondary scoring for us,” he said.
The Kings dealt forward Kurtis Kinoshita to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard last week in exchange for Renat Nahnieiev, a native of Kremenchuk, Ukraine.
The 20-year-old forward picked up his first point Friday, assisting on Fisk’s goal 48 seconds into the game.
Dauphin also added 17-year-old Tegan Kurtz, who was with the Niverville Nighthawks, and had two assists, Friday.
Kromm was impressed with their play on Friday.
“They were good. They’re exactly what we were hoping they would be. They’re bringing in more of an offensive punch to our game, so I’ve liked what I’ve seen in the first little bit since they’ve gotten here,” he said.
Kurtz, who doesn’t turn 18 until Dec. 3, had been dealing with back issues the last two years and Friday’s game was his first since the 2024-25 season when he was with the Winnipeg Wild.
“It was good to see him back on the ice finally,” Kromm said.
Kromm said there may be another trade or two to come, but that’s about it.
The Kings host the Steinbach Pistons, Friday at 7 p.m., for Ladies Night.
With that the only game this week, the focus in practice will be to get everybody on the same page.
“Obviously, we’ve talked about the newcomers. They have to start to get a feel for the guys and what we do five-on-five. I’m really looking forward to the practice time and getting us all on the same page for Steinbach,” Kromm said.

The Dauphin Clippers hockey team won the Glenboro Wildcats Preseason Tournament, this past weekend.
The Clippers opened the tournament with a 5-2 win over the St. Thomas Aquinas of Kenora, Ont.
Ethan Zalischuk with two, Riley Durston, Josh Beyette and Forrest Karlson scored for Dauphin, while Ben Miner picked up the win in goal.
In the semifinals, Dauphin beat Boissevain, 9-0, behind a three-goal effort from Brayden Budolowski.
Samson Bourgouin added a pair, while Loden Campbell, Larson, Brandon Wood and Carter Smigelsky had singles. Xander Perih earn the shutout in goal.
Dauphin clinched the title with a 6-2 win over the host Wildcats.
Budlowski led the way with three goals, with Wood, Jordan Height and Axel Dunning adding singles. Miner earned the win in goal.
Clippers coach Drew Kulcheski felt the Clippers were strong in all aspects of the game.
“Even when we had a little bit of adversity in some of the games, we were able to rally around each other and find a way every shift to create some energy and make something happen,” he said.
Kulcheski feels there is a lot of potential for this team, noting they are working on new systems.
“But I think once we get going and we develop later in the season, we’re going to be a team to look out for,” he said.
The Clippers open the season, Saturday, when they host Glenboro at 8 p.m.
Noting the tournament final was Glenboro’s second game of the day, Kulcheski expects a much tougher game from the Wildcats.
“I’m expecting them to come out with a little bit more energy than they did (Saturday). But our guys are also going to be playing on a little bit bigger ice and I think they’re going to have the chance to use their speed and their skill and create a lot of opportunities for themselves and keep the momentum going all the way to March,” he said.
The goal for the season is simple.
“Given the last couple seasons we’ve had, I think it’s championship or bust,” Kulcheski said.
“We’ve got a team here that’s really hungry to win. We’ve got some Grade 12s that have lost in back-to-back finals and they don’t want to lose three. We’ve got a couple new guys that really want to have a winning season behind them. I think it’s finals or bust for us this year. That’s our expectation. That’s what the players want. That’s what the coaches want. So we’re looking forward to it.”
Dauphin will complete the opening weekend by traveling to Boissevain, Sunday, to play the Broncos at 3 p.m.

After forfeiting a game in Moosomin, the previous weekend, the Dauphin Clippers football team returned to the gridiron to host the Virden Golden Bears, Sunday afternoon.
In a defensive battle, the Clippers fell 21-14, dropping their record to 2-3 on the season.
Given the blustery weather conditions, Clippers head coach Nathan Thacker felt neither offence would have much of a passing game.
“You’re going against the wind, you’re going to have to run the ball and teams wanted to throw the ball a little more with the wind,” he said.
Both of Dauphin’s touchdowns came from the defence when Virden tried throwing into the wind.
The forfeit was due to a lack of players.
“We were short enough bodies and had enough health issues that we couldn’t take a chance on going,” Thacker said, adding the Clippers are sharing athletes with the Gilbert Plains and Grandview volleyball teams, as well as some hockey players.
The Clippers end the regular season in Souris against the Southwest Sabres, Saturday, at 1 p.m.
Thacker hopes to continue to see the Clippers grow as a team.
“Despite the loss, our defence played so solid and our offence had the best series late in the game. The growth of a bunch of young players is what we’ve been aiming for all year. And we’ve got a chance here, if we can perform against Southwest, to potentially host a playoff game on the consolation side,” he said.
“And that’s something that I think is a great thing for our kids to get extra games, no matter if they’re on the A-side or the B-side, would go so much towards their development.”

The Parkland Rangers played some of their best hockey of the young Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League season, but the wins are still proving to be elusive.
Parkland lost, 4-1, to the Winnipeg Bruins, Friday, before getting swept in a doubleheader with the Interlake Lightning, 6-3, Saturday night, and 6-2, Sunday afternoon.
This came on the heels of a pair of losses to the Pembina Valley Hawks, 7-2, Oct. 3, and 9-1, Oct. 4.
All games were in Dauphin.
Rangers head coach Landon Russell felt the team’s compete level was better on the weekend, adding it was the best its been all year against the Bruins.
“It put faith in the group. That group showed what they can do. They can win on any night if they want to work. And that’s the thing. There’s still going to be mistakes in a hockey game. We, obviously, have got to clean those up, but for a majority of the weekend, I was happy with our compete level and how we actually came out and worked for a majority of the game,” he said.
In a sign of things to hopefully come, the offence got on the scoreboard, with six different players hitting the scoresheet.
“The offence is there. It’s good to see guys get their scoring back. Obviously, it’s going to come. We’re still waiting on a couple guys to break out. But it’s going to happen. It’s still early,” Russell said.
Even if the results weren’t there this weekend, Russell feels the effort will give the team confidence going forward.
“In the eyes of the coaching staff, it puts a lot of belief. The results weren’t there, but the process is getting better. We’re focused on the process. The results will come after that,” he said.
“I hope the group takes it as we’re taking that next step. We’re still climbing the mountain. It’s still early.”
While the Rangers got tougher in the corners of the defensive zone, there are still areas the team has to work on.
“It’s a big change going against bigger, faster, stronger guys. But our guys are capable of it. I thought when we were really effective in the D zone, we were winning our stick battles. We were winning races. That’s just what it takes. It’s every shift, every night. That’s how it’s going to have to be,” Russell said.
Parkland’s nine-game home stand comes to an end next weekend when the Rangers host the only other winless team, the Kenora Thistles, Friday and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., both nights.
Saturday’s game is the annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night, with all proceeds going to Parkland hospital cancer wards.
There will be a $10,000 shoot to score, as well as three large raffle prize packages and a 50-50.
“It will be a great weekend for us. It’s going to be a good test, but it’s a test that we’re able to step up and be ready for,” Russell said.
“Obviously, it’s a big night with the Hockey Fights Cancer Night. It’s going to be loud in the rink and hopefully, it will get this bench going.”

With points in their last five games, the Dauphin Kings are one of the hottest teams in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
The week began with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Winkler Flyers, Tuesday in Winkler.
On Friday, Quentin Fisk had the only goal in the shootout to lift the Kings to a 5-4 victory over the Neepawa Titans in Neepawa.
Then Brady Green had a goal and and two assists, Fisk scored twice and Tate Barnaby made 33 saves to help the Kings beat the Steinbach Pistons, 3-2, Saturday in Steinbach.
Kings head coach and general manager Bryan Kromm feels the team is starting to play the type of hockey he envisioned.
“It was nice to see that transpire over the weekend,” he said.
There was some controversy over Winkler’s winning goal in overtime, last Tuesday, as the puck was clearly kicked in.
But Kromm stated the MJHL adopted the Western Hockey League rule where a player can direct the puck into the goal as long as the puck is outside the crease.
“When I go back and watch the video, obviously, it’s tough to tell. But there’s also no review on those plays either, so in real time, it’s up to the refs to make that call,” he said.
“That’s the call they made and that’s what happened on that night.”
The power play has started clicking, going seven for 23, a 30.4 per cent rate.
Kromm admitted he put special teams on the back burner to focus on the team’s five-on-five play.
“So we slowly started to work in some special teams now and, obviously, we can see the results there,” he said.
For the most part, the Kings have also been staying out of the penalty box, giving up just 17 power play chances to the opposition, allowing just two goals against during the points streak.
“I think there were a couple calls that were deserved. I think we can control our sticks a little bit better. Some tripping and slashing calls. But other than that, we’ve been pretty disciplined that way,” Kromm said.
Saturday’s game in Steinbach saw a crowd of 2,023 take in the action, the second largest of the season.
Games in front of such crowds are easy to get up for Kromm said,
“It was definitely a fun atmosphere and a good experience for our group,” he added.
Kromm made a deal to acquire goaltender Adam Courchesne from the Virden Oil Capitals in exchange for a player development fee.
The 18-year-old played one game for Virden this season, beating the Pistons, 7-5, Sept. 26.
Kromm said the deal was made with an eye towards next season.
“More about protecting some of our assets. With Tate being so young, there’s a chance that he moves on to a higher level, so I just needed to find a piece for next season,” he said.
The Kings have three games this week, beginning, Wednesday, when they visit the Oil Capitals at 7:30 p.m.
On Friday, Dauphin returns to Winkler for a rematch with the Flyers, also at 7:30 p.m.
The Kings then return home, Sunday, to host Virden at 4 p.m.
Kings court: With eight goals on the season, forward Quentin Fisk is tied with Virden’s Tyson Draper and Swan Valley’s Trace Langan for second in goals scored, one behind league leader Matthew O’Sullivan. Tate Barnaby’s shutout streak was snapped, Saturday, when Rohan Gueverra scored at the 9:11 mark of the first period. The streak lasted 178:38, almost three full games. Barnaby still leads the league with a 0.93 GAA and .966 save percentage.

For the first time in team history, the Parkland Mavericks are Rugby Manitoba’s Division 2 champions.
The Mavericks claimed the title with a 32-29 win over the Winnipeg Assassins, Saturday in Winnipeg.
Willi Budzinski, Matt Shewchuk, Julien Lopez, Daniel Evans and Riley Keith had Parkland’s tries, while Ronin Mouck chipped in with two converts and a penalty kick, which decided the game.
Mavericks captain Jordan Campbell said the team was excited and happy to come away with the victory.
“It was a big emotional day. A couple downs, but a lot more ups,” he said.
After watching video of the win later in the day, Campbell said every player did his part throughout the game.
“All our important pieces played the game that we needed to play. We had lots of steals in the rucks and our young guys got us a lot of yards,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing is when we were running our systems within their 22, we were able to capitalize and actually score. We decided to go for points on a kick and that’s what won us the game at the end.”
The Assassins had eight Division 1 players dressed as substitutions and 31 players on the sidelines, while the Mavericks only had 19 players available.
“In the second half, they were bringing guys that had clean jerseys and I was like, ‘what is going on here?’ We had no subs and we really won the game in the last two minutes,” Campbell said.
“It was the most intense, nail-biting game. They had a try called back. They also lost in the premier game, so it was a bad day to be an Assassin.”
Campbell hopes the win will give the club more exposure and help to build the program in Dauphin and the Parkland, noting Rugby Manitoba would like to see two teams here, one in each division.
But Campbell pointed out the Mavericks started the season with 37 players, but ended with 19 due to injuries and life circumstances.
Campbell appreciated the large contingent of fans who showed up to cheer on the team in the final.
“Our fans were chanting against their fans. The VEO was live, so everyone was watching the game on the VEO livestream,” he said.
“People were literally crying on the sidelines. It was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever been a part of.”
Budzinski was named Player of the Match and playoff MVP for the Mavericks.
“He did everything right and he really led us. It was a good game and it was good to see Bundy (Shawn Sarkonak) go up there and grab the trophy.”

Backed by the solid goaltending of rookie Tate Barnaby, the Dauphin Kings won two of three games in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, last week.
The week began in Waywayseecappo, with a 4-1 loss to the Wolverines, a game in which Barnaby stopped all 19 shots he faced in the final 40 minutes of play.
Making his first start of the season on Friday, the Winnipeg product stopped 21 shots in helping the Kings to a 5-0 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Blues.
On Sunday in Portage, Barnaby, who turns 17, Oct. 18, had another 19 save performance in a 4-0 triumph over the Terriers.
Barnaby currently has a shutout streak of 169:27 and leads the league with a 0.60 goals against average and a .976 save percentage, to go along with his two shutouts.
Dauphin’s record is now even at 3-3-1-0 and they sit in fifth place, three points out of first place.
Kings head coach and general manager Bryan Kromm said Barnaby was lights out in his three games last week.
“For how old he is and for him to be so calm, cool and collected is really remarkable, in my opinion,” he said.
“He’s got a very, very high ceiling. There’s always things that guys need to work on, but he seems to understand the position really, really well. He has a head for it. So I was happy for him, but I can’t say I was necessarily surprised with the outcome when we put him in.”
Kromm liked how the team responded after the loss to the Wolverines.
“I think Wednesday, we didn’t get to our game, really. So I came at the guys pretty hard on Thursday and Wednesday night and to see them respond on Friday and then do it again on Sunday was really, really good for our group,” he said.
The team’s defensive play over the weekend limited the number of opposition shots, something the Kings have been focusing on.
“We’ve been working hard at our D zone coverage and I think a lot of it is just our willingness to block shots. To see the amount of sacrifices, its just an indicator of our team and how close everybody is. They’re willing to put their bodies on the line and play hard defensively for each other. That was nice to see,” Kromm said.
Special teams are slowing improving, with the power play scoring in both games on the weekend, while the penalty kill was perfect in six chances.
Kromm said the first power play unit looked really good on both nights and players are in the right spots and doing the right things on the penalty kill.
“It’s looked a lot better than it did when we first started,” he added.
Kromm made a couple of player moves with local product Jake Myhre and defenceman Beckham Garchinski no longer with the team.
“Jake was tough with him being a local. We just felt like for his development it maybe wasn’t the best situation for him to be with us in the organization,” he said.
“And Beckham ended up not being really a fit for our club, so we’re in the process of trying to move him on somewhere else.”
The Kings continue their six-game road trip, tonight, Oct. 6, with a game in Winkler against the Flyers at 7 p.m.
On Friday, they visit the Titans in Neepawa at 7:30 p.m., then travel further south to Steinbach to face the Pistons, Saturday, at 7 p.m.
Kromm hopes to see the Kings keep their momentum going.
“We’re just taking it one day at a time. We’ll focus on today (Monday) and getting a good practice in today and focus on tomorrow when that comes. And just take it one day at a time and see what happens,” he said.
While some players are banged up, forwards Kurtis Kinoshita and Kale Pratte and defenceman Declan Andrews are expected to return to the team sometime after Thanksgiving.

A Canadian paralympic world record holder spent the last two weeks at Northgate Trails, helping to assure the trails are wheelchair accessible.
When she was 14, Lisa Franks was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, a condition that caused clusters of blood vessels to prevent blood from properly passing by her spinal cord. As a result, Franks lost the use of her legs.
But that didn’t keep her down, as Franks began training as a Paralympian and went on to set world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m, and marathon events, winning six gold medals and one silver medal in her career.
Prior to her spinal injury, Franks was active in sports.
“And when I was going through rehabilitation, I actually met a bunch of Paralympians and got to try out different sports. And wheelchair racing, it turns out I had some skills in wheelchair racing,” she said, adding she participated in two Paralympic Games in 2000 and 2004.
After her success in wheelchair racing, Franks decided she needed a different challenge and turned her attention to wheelchair basketball, making Team Canada in 2006 and competing in the Paralympics in 2008.
“I would have kept going with that, but I had a pretty severe injury at the end of 2008 and just couldn’t. I had four shoulder surgeries and wasn’t competitive at that same level anymore. And then I discovered outdoors, and that’s been my new passion,” Franks said.
Franks is willing to do anything when it comes to outdoor activities, but her favourites are mountain biking, surfing, kayaking and hiking.
“I’ll try anything, like sky diving, paragliding, zip lining, snowmobiling, downhill skiing. I’m always looking for something new to try,” she said.
Franks was contacted by Parks Canada through Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) to assist with the trail system in partnership with Northgate Trails.
“A few people with Parks Canada had heard me speak at a conference in the spring and it was all about accessible experiences and facilities are just better for the community overall,” she explained.
“And they were wonderful. They just realized that could really benefit the new trail system they were working on, so they asked me to come out and view the trails as an adaptive mountain biker and adaptive wheelchair user and see what advice I could give and what insights I could offer. I’m really excited that they’re being really inclusive right from the start. It makes their job that much easier in the long run.”
Franks rode the Northgate trails with the trail designer and volunteers using her own mountain bike, which gave them an idea of the capability of her equipment.
“They’re going to apply a lot of what they saw going into that. There’s an organization that has an adaptive mountain bike standard that they can fall back on,” she said.
Most of the trails are already wheelchair accessible, with a couple of areas that just need some tweaking.
“The boardwalks were pretty narrow, but I could make it across them, but don’t have much room for error on those. But it’s very much meeting in the middle between what the equipment we ride can do and what the trails offer. And when you get that in sync, there’s usually minimal changes that need to be done to make it more inviting,” she said.
Franks was impressed with the trails she has been on, noting a lot of upkeep has been done to rework some of the older trails in RMNP.
“I went to the Boreal Trail and then the bog trail or the boardwalk in there. It’s amazing that they’re just even thinking about it and trying to be more inclusive,” she said.
Franks used her regular wheelchair on the family loop at Northgate, which was flat and easy.
“But still a workout, just because you can add length with the different segments on it,” she said.
Franks has one wheelchair for every day use, with accessories that can be added to make it easier to use on the trails.
“There are lots of options for hiking wheelchairs. I just can’t travel with them all at the same time. In the summers I have my personal bike,” she said, adding she lives in a camper van, which is outfitted around her bike.
“I also have another bike on the outside on a bike rack that I let other people ride.”
Franks encourages anyone with disabilities that require them to use a wheelchair to get out and use the trails, especially the family loop.
“That family loop is really neat. There’s a lot of these different little nodes where you can see little things. There’s one clearing that has all these beautiful little tree houses. And even just getting out to the firepit in the communal area and watching everybody ride around or cook some hotdogs. It’s been a neat experience,” she said.
Franks sent a video of the Northgate Trails to people who work on trails in and around her hometown of Moose Jaw, Sask., to showcase what the Northgate trails are like.
While regular wheelchairs can be used on the family loop, more specialized wheelchairs would be needed for other trails.
Franks pointed out Parks Canada has a hiking wheelchair that people can borrow to use on the trails and enjoyed her time at Northgate.
“It’s wonderful Everyone here has been so excited about inclusion. What benefits myself might also benefit someone with a stroller or towing their kids in a trailer behind their bike. The wider boardwalks and things like that would also benefit everybody, I think,” she said.

The Parkland Mavericks have already had a historic season, posting the best record in team history. Now they are on the verge of capping it off with the club’s first ever championship.
Joseph Lopez had two tries and Ronin Mouck had a try and three converts to lead the Mavericks to a 43-14 win over the Winnipeg Wanderers, Saturday, in the Manitoba Rugby Union Division 2 semifinal.
Daniel Evans had a try and one convert, while Matt Keena, Julien Lopez and Shawn Sarkonak also had tries.
The Mavericks had to overcome penalties in the early going, but Mavericks captain Jordan Campbell felt most of the team played a disciplined game.
“Everyone knows their role on the team. The veterans won us the game. Even though our speed got us a lot of tries, the veterans made the plays on defence to get us the ball back. It was really well played,” he said.
Playing as a unit was key to the team’s success, with every player sticking to the plan.
“Knew where they were supposed to be on offence and on defence. Guys were sacrificing their bodies. I’ve never seen Bundy (Sarkonak) so beat up before. Willi Budzinski, he was banged up,” Campbell said.
“It’s been a long season. We’re a hurting group of guys. We had 37 registered this season and right now we’re down to 20 guys that are able to play.”
The Mavericks will need all 20 players when they travel to Winnipeg, Saturday, to face the Winnipeg Assassins in the final at 11:30 p.m.
The Assassins upset the first-place Winnipeg Wombats, 43-7, to advance to the final.
“The guys that are coming are going to be ready,” Campbell said.
“I’m super proud of this group. A lot of guys put their egos aside. Coming off the bench sometimes isn’t easy. Sometimes coming off the field isn’t easy. But everyone was willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the team.”