Doug Zywina
Kings grab early series lead over Winkler
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.
Local artisan using her talents to aid innocent victims of Russian aggression
A local resident has come up with a unique way to raise money for Ukrainian relief efforts.
Irene Yarema-Whitwell has been decorating cookies using a Ukrainian motif. She did it for her family last year, but after seeing the events unfolding in Ukraine over the last few weeks, she decided to do it again, this year as a fund-raiser.
“I was glued to the TV, watching everything in Ukraine because our family still has relatives in Ukraine. I message with them every couple of days to see how they’re doing,” she said. “It’s consuming my time. I just couldn’t stand that I’ve done nothing and they were busy making those Molotov cocktails, feeding people at the train station. Finding rides for people to get out of the country. I felt useless.”
Yarema-Whitwell has purchased some cookies and, with the help of her great-niece and nephew who were visiting her, they decorated the cookies for Easter.
Check this week's Dauphin Herald for the full story!
Local physician honoured
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.
Contributing to the cause
Lions Club president Hugh Lintick, left, and Lion Ted Wojtowicz, right, presented Al Gray, chair of the fund-raising committee, with a cheque for $1,000 for the Airport Memorial 80th Anniversary project.
The project aims to commemorate Dauphin’s contribution to the second world war with memorials at Riverside Cemetery and the local airport.
Hitting the stage
Singer-songwriter Kolby Clunas took to the stage in the Old Fire Hall at the Watson Arts Centre, Friday, performing in front of a small, but appreciative audience.
The next show at the Old Fire Hall will be an Open Mic Night, Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m., with host Gary Procyshyn.
Clippers have high hopes for spring rugby season
The high school rugby season will begin this weekend with the annual John Keogh Memorial Tournament in Brandon, hitting the pitch, Friday and Saturday.
The Dauphin Clippers will send both teams to Brandon, with the boys playing at 11 a.m. against the Crocus Plains Plainsmen and again at 3 p.m. against the Souris Sabres.
The girls hit the pitch in back-to-back games, facing the Swan Valley Tigers at 1 p.m., and the Rivers Rams at 2 p.m.
The Clippers began practicing about three weeks ago in the gym at the DRCSS with 55 players - 28 boys and 27 girls - between the two teams.
Clippers coach Aaron Miner said that is an all-time high for the high school rugby program.
The youth rugby program is starting to pay dividends for the high school teams. Miner stated he has never seen the teams so well prepared.
“Some of that can be attributed to exchange students who have played the sport since they were three years old. And some of it can be attributed to the program we have been running since these kids have been in Grades 2 and 3,” he said. “All our hard work that we’ve put into the youth program is starting to show and starting to pay off.”
Because the players already know the basics of the sport, the coaching staff, which includes Gerald Lopez, do not have to spend time teaching the sport. Rather they can focus on tactics and strategy instead.
“Even the few newcomers that we do have are being coached by the senior or the veteran players. So just the basic, how to throw a ball and how to catch a ball,” he said. “I often see the veterans standing at the back of the line with the newcomers, showing them how to twist the ball or how to kick and how to tackle safely. So a lot of that coaching is being done by the leaders on the team and it’s just great to have 40 out of 55 players know the game already. It’s been fantastic.”
Based on what he has seen, Miner is full of confidence heading into the season.
“Maybe too much. I’ve never seen a team like this. A youth rugby team that is so large in stature and so skilled and knowledgable of the game,” he said. “It’s going to be a great season no matter what.”
The Clippers girls open the season, Apr. 20, when they host the Swan Valley Stampeders at 5:30 p.m., the boys begin, Apr. 26 in Souris at 6:30 p.m.
Grant to be used on track improvements at the high school
The 2024 Manitoba Summer Games powered by Manitoba Hydro are still two years away, but the host committee recently received a $100,000 capital improvement grant from Sport Manitoba.
Dauphin was originally to host the games in 2020, but they were postponed to the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it became apparent the city would not be able to host the game in 2021, it was agreed Dauphin would instead host the games in 2024.
“But with working with Sport Manitoba we had agreed that they wouldn’t have to put out a bid for the next summer games cycle in 2024 that Dauphin would host. So with that discussion, we had indicated to them that every time there is a new community, there is a community improvement grant that gets granted,” said host committee co-chair Clayton Swanton.
The host committee suggested to Sport Manitoba that Dauphin could benefit from new capital improvements, which resulted in the grant being issued to the host committee. The funding will be used primarily on the track at the local high school, which Swanton said was in okay shape to host in 2020.
“But we knew that it was starting to need a refresh from the 2004 games. When 2024 rolls around four years later (from when the games were originally scheduled) and 20 years since it was built, we knew that to host in 2024, we’re going to have to spend some money there,” he said.
Swanton said the host committee will look at all of the venues over the next couple years to see what has changed since 2020.
“We had everything in pretty good shape and ready to go when we got shut down. So over the next couple of years we’ll re-examine each one of our venues and there may be some other areas that do need a bit of dressing up. We’ll determine that closer to 2024,” he said.
Since the 2020 games were shutdown, the host committee has been on pause, which gave the volunteers a break.
“They were all ramping up and gearing up for 2020. We put a bunch of work in. We’re going to need those same volunteers or new ones to step up and be ready to go in 2024 and we don’t want to overwhelm them with too much preplanning,” Swanton said. “So we’re all just taking a bit of a breather right now, waiting until it gets closer.”
Planning for the summer games is expected to get underway again in early 2023. The city is already seeing some of the legacy benefits of hosting the games, with the North Gate Trail system, which would not have happened without the games on the horizon. And Dauphin Recreation Services has set up a pair of pickle ball courts in the curling rink.
“That wouldn’t have been possible without those two sport courts that the 2020 games had purchased in order to host volleyball,” Swanton said. “So even though we didn’t host, we still have a lot of legacy items coming out of the planning we had done in order to host in 2020.”
Bryant is the OT hero as Kings advance to semifinals
The Dauphin Kings are moving on to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League semifinals after surviving a late surge by the Swan Valley Stampeders in the quarterfinals.
After taking a three-games-to-none lead, the Kings dropped two straight games, 6-3 in game four, Apr. 4 in Swan River, and 5-4 in double overtime, Friday in Dauphin.
But Kaden Bryant’s goal 13:15 into double overtime of game six, Sunday in Swan River, put an end to Swan Valley’s season, propelling Dauphin into a semifinal series with the Winkler Flyers.
Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley felt Swan Valley’s record was not a good indication of how good the Stampeders really are.
“I don’t think they performed up to their capabilities all season. I think they under achieved all year. They’re a good hockey club,” he said. “They’re an older team. They’ve got as many 19 and 20 year olds as anybody.”
Hedley cited Swan Valley’s two-game sweep over the league-leading Steinbach Pistons in Steinbach in mid-January as an indication of how good the Stampeders really were.
“Wolfie (Swan Valley head coach Barry Wolfe) got the best out of them and they played hard. They showed flashes of this in the regular season,” Hedley said. “We knew they were a good hockey club. The standings sure didn’t reflect how good they could be. It was a good series.”
Stampeders goaltender Kobe Grant was the difference in Swan Valley’s two wins. He made 47 saves in game four and 52 in the game five double overtime win.
“Goaltending in any playoffs in huge and the kid played very well. He kept them in a few games. He played very well. Credit to him. He was outstanding. Kept them in every game they played and it came down to two games back-to-back in double overtime,” Hedley said.
When the Kings got up 3-0 in the series, they got away from paying attention to the little details, Hedley said.
“You’re not as good away from the puck. You don’t work hard to get back on top of the pucks or right sides of battles. And I think it cost us in the end. We started going back and forth and we lost some attention to our rush defence and they scored a couple big goals off the rush, especially in game five in Dauphin,” he said, adding the defensive awareness wasn’t as good as it had been earlier in the series.
“And I thought we got back to it in Swan (in game six) and played very well away from the puck. We limited their rushing chances. And I thought that was one of Carson Cherepak’s best games he played in the series.”
Hedley feels the adversity the team faced against the Stampeders will benefit them heading into the series with Winkler.
“When you get through it, I think it does make you a bit stronger down the road. It challenges your dressing room. It challenges guys to work harder. It challenges guys to stay together and stick to what makes us successful,” he said. “So I do think it creates a bit more strength and a little more comradery in the dressing room. Hopefully it continues on against Winkler.”
The Flyers finished second in the East Division with a 33-16-3-2 record, 12 points behind the Kings. But Winkler won both games against the Kings in the regular season, 6-4 in Dauphin, Jan. 7, and 4-3 in overtime the following day. Cherepak was pulled after 40 minutes of the game in Dauphin and missed the rest of the month with an injury before returning to the lineup in early February. Led by league scoring champion Justin Svenson, the Flyers will present a tough challenge for the Kings.
“It’s going to be a good series,” Hedley said. “Obviously, Svenson and (Jaden) McCarthy and (Troy) Hamilton are all good players. Their top line can score goals. Their backend has (Trent) Sambrook, so anytime you put him into the mix, they’re tough. He’s a very good player. We’re hoping our guys can step up.”
The series is expected to begin this weekend. Tickets for game one in Dauphin are expected to go on sale Wednesday.
Something for everyone
The 33rd annual gun and hobby show was held at the Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium, Saturday and Sunday.
Featuring about 85 tables full of displays, there was something of interest for everyone who walked through the doors.
Firefighters recognized for dedication
From left, Devon Pylypchuk, fire chief Cam Abrey, 2021 Firefighter of the Year Ryan Murray, Fabien Carriere, Brendan Greening and Chris Davidson were honoured at the City and RM’s appreciation dinner, Apr. 6.
The City and RM of Dauphin hosted the Firefighters Appreciation Evening, last Wednesday at the Aspen Lodge in the Parkland Recreation Complex.
Several firefighters were recognized for their many years of service.
Devon Pylypchuk, Fabien Carriere and Mark Bass received recognition for five years of meritorious service to the Dauphin Fire Department and Ray Lofgren was recognized for 15 years of meritorious service.
Daniel McKay, Brendan Greening and Chris Davidson were presented with their department badges for their accomplishments in training for the NFPA 1001 Fire Fighter certification.
Fire Chief Cameron Abrey was presented with the Governor General’s Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal for 20 years of service to public safety.
Due to the pandemic, the Firefighter of the Year Award for 2021 was not presented last year as the Firefighters Ball was cancelled. So the Jack Carey Memorial Firefighter of the Year Award was presented, Wednesday, to Ryan Murray.
Murray was selected by his peers for going above and beyond the normal call of duty. Murray, not once, but twice put his first aid training skills to work at his regular place of employment, demonstrating his commitment to public safety.
Murray was in disbelief after receiving the award.
“Pretty shocked, actually. I didn’t know I was nominated. So I was quite shocked. I’m really speechless,” he said.
Murray moved to Dauphin about two years ago and has been welcomed with open arms. So receiving the award means a lot to the new firefighter.
“It’s a great group of people. A family. I’m still pretty new to Dauphin, so it’s quite nice being recognized. But I feel like everyone on the fire department is deserving. Everyone does a lot of work for the community. So I feel like everyone should get the award,” he said, adding he has been with the fire department for just over a year.
“I’m new to the town, so I wanted to give back to the town.”