The Dauphin Kings have advanced to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final after eliminating the Winkler Flyers in five games.

After winning the first two games of the series at home, Apr. 16 and 17, the series shifted to Winkler for games three and four, last Wednesday and Thursday.

Winkler got back into the series with a 5-4 win in game three, but the Kings rebounded to win game four, 5-2.

With a chance to wrap up the series on home ice in game five, Saturday, the Kings scored a 5-1 win, securing a berth in the league final for the first time since 2014.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley knew the Flyers would come out strong in game three in front of their home fans.

“They came at us. We knew they would in Winkler. They had a full house. They jumped on mistakes,” he said. “They created some odd-man rushes that we don’t normally give up.”

The Kings trailed 3-1 at one point in the first period, but tied the game going into the third, where Winkler tallied a pair early in the frame to regain the lead. Dauphin would add one with more than five minutes left, but could not bury the equalizer.

Hedley was pleased with his team’s response in game four.

“I thought we played very similar to the way we played in Dauphin. Really tough on pucks. We had them in their end. Our forecheck was phenomenal,” he said. “The 50-50 stick battles were outstanding. We got big goals from big guys. A key goal when we were shorthanded from Jayden Jubenvill, who scored a big goal to make it 4-2. Then we scored an empty-netter.”

The Kings won the series four-games-to-one, but Hedley feels the series was a lot closer, noting Dauphin needed an empty-net goal in three of their four wins.

“That’s how tight (the games) were,” he said, adding Winkler losing one of their top players in Jayden McCarthy in game two did not help them. The strength of the Flyers, Hedley said, is their depth. They can roll four lines, he said, and have speed on all four lines, as well. “Our back end is our engine and they definitely delivered,” he added.

The biggest factor in the series win was the team’s compete level. Winkler, Hedley said, is a heavy team and some people thought they would run over the Kings.

“I was really impressed with the way our guys competed. We were maybe lighter than them in certain areas, but we were hard in stick battles, hard on pucks and just didn’t back down,” he said. “The games that we won, two here and one in Winkler, we never quit working and I’m very impressed and proud of the guys for the way they worked.”

The Kings will now await the winner of the series between the Steinbach Pistons and Virden Oil Capitals. Steinbach leads the series three-games-to-two with game six, Monday in Virden. Hedley has no preference as to which team the Kings face.

“It doesn’t really matter who we play. Nobody gets to the league final by not playing well. So I know Virden is pushing Steinbach right now. If it goes seven, that’s great. I’d love to see it go seven. The longer it goes, the better for us, regardless of who we play,” he said.

The Kings took a couple of days off after Saturday’s game five victory and will get back on the ice early this week to prepare for the final.

Kings court:

The schedule for the Centennial Cup in Estevan, Sask., has been released. The MJHL champions will open the tournament, May 20, against the Central Canada Hockey League champion at 11 a.m. The second game goes, May 22, against the Maritime Hockey League, followed by a contest, May 24 against the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Flin Flon Bombers, who gained an automatic entry to the national tournament when they earned a berth to the SJHL final after the Centennial Cup host Estevan Bruins had already advanced to the final. The MJHL’s final round-robin game will go, May 25, against the champions of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The final three round-robin games all begin at 3 p.m.

The Dauphin Kings are two wins away from competing for the Turnbull Trophy as Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions.

The Kings won the first two games of their best-of-seven semifinal series with the Winkler Flyers at Credit Union Place over the weekend.

With the Kings leading 2-1 going into the third period of game one, Saturday, Winkler’s Ryan Monias tied the contest 1:08 into the final frame. Winkler’s jubilation was shortlived as Matthew Rathbone put the Kings back in front to stay, just 19 seconds later as the Kings went on to beat the Flyers 4-2.

In game two on Sunday, Winkler tied the game at one, 10:06 into the second period on a power-play goal from Justin Svenson, who led the MJHL in scoring this season.

But again, the Kings responded quickly, with Rathbone netting what proved to be the winning goal 1:10 later with a power-play marker of his own. Kaden Bryant sealed a 3-1 win with an empty-net goal with 12 seconds left.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley said the team’s overall urgency and compete level was a key to success in games one and two.

“We talked about being harder on pucks and I thought even the last couple of games against Swan, we were very good. And this weekend we were really hard on pucks. We won some races to pucks and we put a lot of pressure on the forecheck,” he said. “We had some good puck management. I just thought the guys all bought into what we do well. We play a fast game, we play with speed and when we do that, we have success and the guys really bought into it.”

The Kings upped their physical play in both games against the Flyers.

“Winkler’s a heavy team and we knew they were going to come at us hard and we had to push back. We may not be the overall heaviest team in the league, but when we use our speed and separate guys from pucks, we can play a physical brand of hockey. And I thought we did very well on the weekend,” Hedley said.

The Kings outshot Winkler both nights, 33-26 in game one and 42-18 in game two. They opened Sunday’s game with 21 shots in the first period alone.

Hedley is pleased with the chances being generated by the Kings.

“We’re creating some good speed through the neutral zone. We’re getting some opportunities on the rush. Our forecheck and our movement in the offensive zone has been very good,” he said. “But in the first period of Sunday’s game I thought we had a lot of real good looks. There are times when you have to bear down and make your breaks count. If there’s anything we could have done was maybe in the first period getting a little more puck luck around the net and bury some.”

Hedley hopes the Kings can keep the momentum going in games three and four, Wednesday and Thursday in Winkler.

“The toughest game to win is going to be the next one. And the first game in Winkler, we’re going to have to bring our A game, for sure, because they’re going to come hard,” he said.

Defenceman Klim Georgiev made his return to the lineup for game one on Saturday after his suspension was reduced to five playoff games. He was suspended for 11 regular season games and seven playoff games after he received a gross misconduct for a racist gesture in a game against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines, Feb. 19.

A local doctor was recently recognized by Doctors Manitoba.

Dr. Trina Mathison was presented with the Medal of Excellence, awarded to recognize those who demonstrate excellence in the medical profession and whose actions are a source of inspiration.

Dr. Mathison learned in early spring that she had been nominated by Dr. Candace Bradshaw, the incoming president of Doctors Manitoba.

“And then I found out a few weeks before it was announced that I would be getting the award,” she said. “I was kind of surprised. It’s not something that I really expected to have happen. It’s sure great to be recognized, because I work in a lot of different areas. So I was just surprised that would even be something that I would get nominated for.”

Dr. Mathison has been practicing in Dauphin since 2001. She enjoys working with the team at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre and Dauphin Medical Clinic.

“It’s a great place to work and we all get along really well. So I think that’s probably what I like the best. And Dauphin is great, too,” she said.

Dr. Mathison was one of eight physicians to be recognized this year by Doctors Manitoba.

“The physicians we are recognizing this year with our awards have one thing in common, their devotion to improving the health of Manitobans,” said Dr. Kristjan Thompson, President of Doctors Manitoba. ​“Some of these extraordinary physicians played a key role in leading our province through the pandemic and some found a way to advance other essential medical priorities despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19.”

A Prairie Mountain Health press release stated as a rural physician, Dr. Mathison has a broad scope of practice including cancer care, inpatient care, emergency medicine and surgical assistance, as well as offering care for the elderly and palliative care. Dr. Mathison has dedicated her career to serving the Parkland community for over 20 years. An active member of the region’s physician leadership group, she is described as a team player by her colleagues and medical learners, is well-loved be her patients and has found time to volunteer her time in the community, coaching all four of her children’s hockey teams.

Currently the site Chief Medical Officer of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, Dr. Mathison has practiced as a general practitioner in oncology, acute inpatient care, emergency medicine, surgical assist, respiratory clinic care and personal care home medicine, as well as working at the Dauphin Medical Clinic. She is the medical lead for the CancerCare community program in Dauphin, with palliative care and care for the elderly being her areas of special interest. She has been known to do home visits for palliative patients and elderly patients. Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Mathison has contributed to Shared Health provincial meetings concerning COVID-19 and the impact on long-term care facilities, as well as a working group for palliative care.

Dr. Mathison admitted it is a little intimidating to be included with the other doctors honoured by Doctors Manitoba.

“They’re all very well known people. So it’s interesting to be included in this group of other physicians that are doing so well,” she said. “It’s just nice that I was thought of in this way to receive such a nice award.”
With most specialists centered in Winnipeg, Dr. Mathison feels it is important to recognize rural physicians.

“I think it’s great that they’re looking outside the Winnipeg boundaries to recognize other physicians, because there are sure a lot of hard working physicians in rural Manitoba,” she said.

A gala awards celebration to honour the winners will be held later this spring.