The Norman Northstars will be in tough this weekend as they host the Yellowhead Chiefs at the T.R.C.C. Here’s what you need to know heading in to the two-game set.

Games
-    Saturday, January 26th @ 7:30pm (broadcast live on 102.9 CHTM)
-    Sunday, January 27th @ 1:30pm

Northstars
The Norman Northstars come into the weekend looking rebound from a road trip that saw them drop three straight games. The team couldn’t manage to hold on to a lead Friday against the Interlake Lightning or Winnipeg Bruins, and were outgunned by a powerful Eastman side on Sunday.

Outside of Henry Muchikekwanape and Hunter Rambow extending their point streaks, the road trip saw stellar production from Jonathan Saunders and Sam MacDonald. Both players had three points over the weekend; an assists in each game.

Yellowhead
The second-place Yellowhead Chiefs come to Thompson on a roll, having picked up six points in their last three games. 

The most impressive of the three wins came on January 19th, when the Chiefs beat the first-place Winnipeg Wild 5-4 in a shootout. Yellowhead found themselves down 4-2 to start the third period against Winnipeg, but managed to tied the game and force overtime and later a shootout.  

One of the strongest parts of the Chiefs’ game is their powerplay, which is currently clicking alon gat 21.5% and has accounted for almost 1/3 of their goals scored this season. 

Head to head
The two teams have played each other twice this season, with the Chiefs coming out with 3-0 and 5-1 victories. 

The 2017/2018 season was any better for the Northstars in this matchup, as Yellowhead dominated all four meetings by a combine score of 32-7 and averaged 8 goals per game.

NNS players to watch
Muchikekwanape is having a career year, posting 25 goals and 20 assists (45 points) in 35 games played. His goal and point totals lead all Northstars, and find him among the league’s top scorers. Muchikekwanape comes into the weekend on a four-game point streak, with eight goals and one assist over that stretch.

Rambow also comes into the weekend on a point streak, with 11 points (five goals, six assists) over four games. The Nor-Man captain in on pace for a midget “AAA” career year in goals, assists and points. 

Jamie Valentino, though not currently on a point streak, comes into the weekend hot. Valentino started the season with 14 points in his first 17 games, but has been on fire since December started. In the 13 games he’s played since, the Swan Valley Stampeders prospect has nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points. That moves his season totals to 16 (goals), 22 (assists) and 38 (points). 

One other player to watch for the Northstars is rookie Sam MacDonald, who picked up three of his four points on the season last weekend on the road.

Yellowhead players to watch
On a team that currently sits second in the league, there is never a shortage of players to watch. 

Jake Poole has proved to be lethal for the Chiefs this season, leading the team with 56 points (29 goals, 27 assists). 

Five players on the team (other than Poole) have 30+ points on the season (Logan Wotton, Reece Richmond, Parker Johnson, Briley Wood, Sloan Stanick), and three others have reached the 20+ assist mark (Richmond, Wotton, Bray Rookes). 

Johnson and Zane MacDonald have been instrumental for the Chiefs against the Northstars this season, with each contributing four points over the two games.

Last year, it was Poole that did the damage to the Nor-Man side, scoring five goals and adding four assists in the four games. Owen Wareham and Colby Joseph each had seven points in the four games, while Wotton had six and MacDonald had five. 

Tanner Dutcawich, who spent a season with the Bantam “AAA” Norman Wolves, has the potential to be a difference maker for Yellowhead this weekend. The 17-year-old on has seven points (two goals, five assists) so far this season, but managed to score six times and add two helpers for eight points against the Northstars last season.

The Norman Wolves fought hard over the weekend against a Pembina Valley Hawks team that’s up near the top of the table in the division.

Unfortunately for the Wolves it was the Hawks who came out on top in both games.

The schedule has the Norman Wolves in action next February 2nd as they host the Yellowhead Chiefs at the T.R.C.C.

It was a good weekend for hockey in Thompson.

At the 27^th annual Prince-Berscheid Memorial Peewee Tournament, the King Miners took home gold in both the "AA" and "A" divisions.

The "B" division went to Wabowden, while the Thompson "B" Warriors took fourth place.

The Atom "AA" King Miners didn't play in the tournament, but took home the top prize at their weekend event in Portage.

The OCN Blizzard failed to pick up points in their only game this weekend.

They fell 4-2 Friday to the Steinbach Pistons at the GLMC, and now sit six points back of the final playoff spot in the MJHL.

They’re next in action tomorrow as they host the Stampeders.

The Norman Northstars went oh and three over the weekend despite scoring 12 goals.

The Nor-Man side dropped 7-4 decisions on Friday and Saturday to the Interlake Lightning and Winnipeg Bruins, before being thumped by the Eastman Selects yesterday.

Henry Muchikekwanape had five points over the three games to extend his team leading goal total to 25 and point total to 45, though Jamie Valentino took over the team lead in assists at 25. Valentino has 38 points on the season.

They host the Yellowhead Chiefs in the C.A. Nesbitt Arena this coming weekend.

It was a good road weekend for the Flin Flon Bombers.

The Bombers outscored their opponents 15-6 over the weekend as they earned six key points with three wins.

The Bombers are now one point clear of the Melfort Mustangs for second in the Sherwood Division, and have 16 games left in the regular season.

The Wheat Kings got the job done over the weekend at home.

Brandon picked up a crucial four points over the weekend against the Kootenay Ice.

The Wheaties sit 12 points back of the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL’s east division, and two points back of the Calgary Hitmen in the eastern conference.

The Brandon Wheat Kings are hoping for a big four points this weekend as they host the Kootenay Ice.

The Wheaties come in to the weekend 12 points back of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who currently lead the wild card race in the east.

Brandon will play the first game against Kootenay tonight, with game two coming tomorrow.

Manitoba Midget "AAA" alumnus Stelio Mattheos currently leads the team with 55 points (29g, 26a) through 28 games.

The Flin Flon Bombers will look to improve on their 24-13-0-2 record this weekend as they take to the road for three games this weekend.

The Bombers head to Melville today for a game against the Millionaires, before taking on the Yorkton Terriers tomorrow. Flin Flon will then return to the Melville on Sunday.

The Bombers are currently 7^th in SJHL standings, with 16 games remaining after the weekend.

The OCN Blizzard continue their push for a playoff spot today as they host the Steinbach Pistons.

The Blizzard, who are coming off a 4-0 win over the Neepawa Natives, are currently five points back of the Winkler Flyers for the 8^th and final playoff spot.

On the other side of the ice, the Pistons currently sit safely in a playoff spot in third place with 56 points, 12 points back of the league-leading Terriers.

Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 7:00pm.

The Norman Nothstars are on the road for their penultimate road trip of the 2018/2019 season.

The Northstars will start out in Teulon tonight against the Interlake Lightning, before taking on the Bruins in Winnipeg tomorrow, and the Eastman Selects in Beausejour on Sunday.

The Nor-Man side is coming off a strong 6-3 win over the Central Plains Capitals, and have moved out of the Manitoba Midget “AAA” Hockey League basement as the result of the Parkland Rangers dropping a mid-week game to the Yellowhead Chiefs.

Following this trip, the Northstars return home for a four game home stand, hosting Yellowhead and the Southwest Cougars.

The Norman Wolves will be looking to build off an 8-7 win over the Winnipeg Hawks when they take on the Pembina Valley Hawks this weekend at the TRCC.

The teams have met twice this season, with Pembina Valley coming out on top both times.

The Hawks won 7-2 on December 9^th in Morris and 7-4 on January 5^th in Morden. Ian Snooks and Joey Lies led the way in those games, combining for three goals and four assists. Nicholas McKee and Tyler Parr led the Pembina Valley offence with a combined four goals and 10 assists.

Game one goes tomorrow at 7:00pm, with game two taking place Sunday at 10:00am.

The 27^th annual Prince-Berscheid Memorial Peewee hockey tournament gets underway later this morning.

This years’ tournament, which runs until Sunday, features 16 teams from eight different communities.

Thompson has three teams in this years’ edition of the Prince-Berscheid; the Peewee “AA” King Miners, the Peewee “A” King Miners and the Peewee “B” Warriors.

The first game of the tournament will start at 10:00am in the C.A. Nesbitt Arena, with the Thompson Warriors taking on the Norway House Girls “B” squad.

The opening ceremonies will take place tomorrow in the C.A. Nesbitt starting around 12:45pm.

The medal games are set for Sunday, with the Prince-Berscheid Cup closing out the weekend at 4:15pm.

The full tournament schedule can be found here.

The Flin Flon Bombers picked up four crucial points over the weekend against their division rivals, the Melfort Mustangs.

The two teams started the home-and-home in Melfort on Friday in a game that saw the Bombers come away with a 5-3 win.

Both teams made the trip to the Whitney Forum Saturday for a game that did not disappoint. The tilt ended with Flin Flon winning 5-4 to complete the weekend sweep.

The Bombers, who currently sit third in the SJHL’s Sherwood division, now find themselves eight points back of the division-leading Nipawin Hawks.

The OCN Blizzard are still on the outside of the MJHL playoff picture looking in after picking up two points over the weekend.

The Blizzard fell 8-4 to the Oil Capitals in Virden Friday night, before shutting out the Neepawa Natives 4-0 on Saturda.

Through 43 games played, the Blizzard sit eight points back of Winkler for the 8^th and final playoff spot.

The Norman Northstars picked up a pair of points at home over the weekend as they hosted the Central Plains Capitals.

Saturday night saw the Nor-Man side fall 6-1 in a lopsided affair, with Ryan Monias scoring the lone Northstars goal. Henry Muchikekwanape and Jamie Valentino both had their point streaks snapped in the loss.

The Norman Northstars turned things around Sunday afternoon with a big 6-3 win over the team from Portage. Muchikekwanape led the way with three goals and one assist, while Valentino added a goal and three helpers. Rylan Potkonjak made 35 saves to help his team claim their sixth win of the season, his first at the midget “AAA” level.

The Northstars currently hold a record of 6-26-1-1, which is good enough for 14 points. The team is currently tied with the Parkland Rangers for 12^th place in the league.

The Nor-Man squad are on the road this weekend against Interlake, the Winnipeg Bruins and the Eastman Selects.

Captain Jonathan Saunders led by example over weekend for the King Miners, adding 12 points as his team swept a weekend set with the Cross Lake Islanders.

The two teams met on the ice in the C.A. Nesbitt arena Friday evening in a game that saw the Thompson side skate away with an 11-7 victory, their 18^th of the season. Saunders led the way for the King Miners with two goals and five assists, while three others had three points.

Saturday’s game wasn’t any closer, as Thompson came away with a 9-3 win. Saunders had three goals and two assists in the game, while Curtis Shymanski added a goal and three helpers.

The King Miners maintained their 15-point lead atop the Nor-Man Midget “AA” Hockey League, as the Flin Flon Bombers kept pace with two wins of their own over Norway House.

Saunders, who played a pair of games with the Norman Northstars over the weekend in addition to the two games for the King Miners, leads the league in goals (35), assists (28) and points (63).

The King Miners don’t play again until January 26^th when they head to Flin Flon to play the Bombers.

The Bantam “AAA” Norman Wolves spent the weekend down south for games against the Parkland Rangers, Winnipeg Monarchs and Winnipeg Hawks.

The Nor-Man side started the short trip in Roblin Friday against the Parkland Rangers. Brady Krentz opened the scoring late in the first on the powerplay, but that was all the offence the team could muster as they ended up falling 4-1.

The Wolves then made the trip to Winnipeg, where they fell 10-0 to the Monarchs in a game they’d soon rather forget.

The Wolves brought their ‘A’ game Sunday and managed to pull off an 8-7 win over the Winnipeg Hawks.

The Norman Wolves sit seventh in the Winnipeg “AAA” Bantam 1 West division with a record of 4-24-1-1 through 30 games.

The team is next in action this weekend as the return to the T.R.C.C. for a pair of games against the Pembina Valley Hawks.

The Norman Northstars welcome the Central Plains Capitals to the C.A. Nesbitt arena this weekend for a pair of games.

Audio preview can be found here.

To help get you ready, here’s what you need to know going into the weekend.

Games

Game one will go tomorrow at 7:30pm, with the second coming Sunday at 1:30pm.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on 102.9 CHTM.

Northstars

The Norman Northstars are coming off their best weekend of the season so far, picking up three of four points against the Parkland Rangers.

Mikey Baron, Keistin Saunders and Jamie Valentino each had a pair of points on January 5^th, as the Northstars beat the Rangers 4-1. Captain Hunter Rambow and goaltender Braedin Melsted were presented with watches for reaching the 100 game mark with the midget “AAA” club, and Melsted went on to stop 34 of 35 shots and pick up his fifth win of the season. The only negative for the team in the game was when Baron went down and left the game due to injury.

Sunday was a wild game that saw a Nor-Man comeback fall just short as Parkland won 6-5 in the shootout. The Northstars offence was powered by Kadin Ross, who scored twice and added a helper. Ryan Monias, Henry Muchikekwanape, Jordan Pfoh and Saunders also had multi-point games.

The Nor-Man side has already improved on last years’ points total, though they still sit in the Manitoba Midget “AAA” Hockey League basement with a record 5-25-1-1.

Muchikekwanape continues to lead the team in goals (17), assists (19) and points (36). Sophomore forward Valentino continues to push him, however, with 29 points (14g, 15a) in five less games played this season.  

Capitals

You can expect the Capitals to come into both games hungry for points as they currently sit two points out of eighth place and the final playoff spot, currently held by the Winnipeg Bruins.

Central Plains comes to Thompson having split their last two games; falling 4-2 to the league-leading Winnipeg Wild before beating the Southwest Cougars.

The game against the Cougars was a good one for Ryan Botterill, Riley Borody and Stephen Grahn, who each put up two points.

The squad from Portage doesn’t boast the same firepower as last year, as they lost Reilly Funk, Jaxon Blight and Tyler Van Deynze to the ranks of junior hockey. The three combined for 170 of the teams’ 532 points last season, which works out to around 32% of their total offence.  

The team is led this season by Alex Cattani, who currently leads the team with 32 points. Botterill has scored a team-best 15 goals, while Kian Calder has added 23 helpers.  

Head-to-head

The two teams have played twice this season, with each team taking two of the possible four points.

The first game was played October 19^th, when the Northstars picked up their first win of the season. Richard Ducharme scored a hat trick, while Rambow added three helpers and Valentino picked up two points (1g, 1a) in the 5-2 victory.

The November 2^nd game was a very different story, as Central Plains dismantled the Nor-Man side in a 7-1 game. Cody Blight and Grahn each had four points for the Capitals, while Borody added three.

Players to watch

The Northstars have been picking up steam lately. Henry Muchikekwanape, Jamie Valentino, Hunter Rambow and Keistin Saunders are four players that could contribute this weekend in a big way.

Muchikekwanape has been a key player for the Northstars this season, currently sits at number 13 on the list of the league’s top scorers. The 2001-born forward from Norway House comes into the weekend with eight points (2g, 6a) in his last five games.

Valentino is another player for the Nor-Man side coming into the game on a hot streak. The 2002-born forward, who attended camps for the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels and the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders, has 17 points (8g, 9a) in his last nine games. The last time Valentino did not record a point in a game he played was November 25^th against the Wild.

Rambow is always a threat, whether the team is at even strength, on the powerplay or short-handed. The OCN Blizzard prospect is currently tied for second in the league with four short-handed goals, which account for 40% of his total goal total to date. Rambow has three points (3a) in two games this season against Central Plains coming into the weekend, and posted four points (1g, 3a) last season against the Capitals in four games.

You can add Keistin Saunders to the list of players who have been firing on all cylinders recently for the Northstars. Saunders has 12 points (3g, 9a) in his last ten games. The versatile skater who plays both forward and defence had four points (1g, 3a) in four games last season against Central Plains.

The Central Plains Capitals have four players who have found success on the score sheet against the Northstars this season and last.

Cameron Trimble currently has 16 points (9g, 7a) in 26 games this season and failed to contribute in the one game he’s played against the Northstars this season. That being said, he had the magic touch last year, with nine points (4g, 5a) in four games against the Nor-Man side in 2017/2018.

Kian Calder is another Capitals player who seems to like playing against the Northstars. The 2002-born product of Portage la Prairie has two points against the Northstars this year in two games (1g, 1a), and put up five points (1g, 4a) in three games last year.

Cody Blight, who was taken by the Selkirk Steelers in the 2017 MJHL Draft, has four of his 18 points this season in the two games against the Northstars. All four of those points came on November 2^nd, when he potted a hat trick and added a helper.

Stephen Grahn is among the leaders for the Capitals in terms of offence with 21 points (8g, 13a) in 32 games played. More impressively, Grahn has four points (4a) in the previous two meetings with the Northstars this season.

Elsewhere around the league this weekend

Saturday

• Interlake @ Parkland (2:00pm)
• Southwest @ Bruins (3:15pm)
• Pembina Valley @ Brandon (7:30pm)
• Wild @ Kenora (7:30pm)
• Eastman @ Yellowhead (7:30pm)

Sunday

• Kenora @ Bruins (12:45pm)
• Pembina Valley @ Parkland (1:30pm)
• Eastman @ Brandon (1:30pm)
• Southwest @ Wild (1:30pm)
• Interlake @ Yellowhead (2:30pm)

Standings

 1 Wild (26-4-1-0, 53 points)

 2 Brandon (24-8-0-0, 48 points)

 3 Thrashers (22-7-2-2, 48 points)

 4 Yellowhead (22-7-2-0, 46 points)

 5 Eastman (21-10-2-0, 44 points)

 6 Southwest (19-7-2-2, 42 points)

 7 Pembina Valley (15-11-3-2, 35 points)

 8 Bruins (13-16-1-2, 29 points)

 9 Kenora (13-16-1-1, 18 points)

10 Central Plains (13-18-0-1, 27 points)

11 Interlake (7-23-2-0, 16 points)

12 Parkland (6-24-1-1, 14 points)

13 Norman (5-25-1-1, 12 points)

League leaders (points)

 1 Nolan Ritchie – 61 points (Brandon)

 2 Conner Roulette – 60 points (Thrashers)

 3 Troy Hamilton – 50 points (Brandon)

T4 Matthew Boonstra – 48 points (Eastman)

T4 Kaden Bryant – 48 points (Wild)

...

13 Henry Muchikekwanape – 36 points (Norman)

League leaders (goals)

 1 Nolan Ritchie – 29 goals (Brandon)

 2 Kaden Bryant – 27 goals (Wild)

 3 Callum Fortin – 26 goals (Southwest)

 4 Troy Hamilton – 25 goals (Brandon)

T5 Conner Roulette – 24 goals (Thrashers)

T5 Reese Belton – 24 goals (Wild)

...

13 Henry Muchikekwanape – 17 goals (Norman)

League leaders (5 assists)

 1 Conner Roulette – 36 assists (Thrashers)

 2 Nolan Ritchie – 32 assists (Brandon)

 3 Kade Runke – 31 assists (Eastman)

 4 Matthew Boonstra – 27 assists (Eastman)

 5 Tyson Kozak – 26 assists (Southwest)

...

26 Henry Muchikekwanape – 19 assists (Norman)

The Thompson Midget “AA” King Miners are set to host the Cross Lake Islanders this weekend for a pair of games, starting tomorrow evening.

The two teams have faced off five times already this season, with the King Miners picking up all 10 possible points. The Thompson squad was in Cross Lake last weekend, posting narrow 5-4 and 6-5 victories.

Jonathan Saunders has led the way for the Thompson King Miners in every scoring statistic this season, putting up 51 points in 17 games. His 30 goals lead the league, while his 21 assists are good enough for third. Kale Mayor and Casper Stoker currently sit second on the team with 17 goals each.

The Islanders are led offensively by Christian Ross, Treyton Monias and Julius Scribe. Ross currently has 41 points (24g, 17a), which has him second in league scoring only to Saunders. Monias leads Cross Lake with 25 goals, while Scribe leads both the Islanders and the league with 23 assists.

The King Miners currently have a healthy lead atop the Nor-Man Midget “AA” Hockey League with a record of 17-1. Their 34 points have them sitting 15 points ahead of second place Flin Flon. Cross Lake sits third in the league with 18 points and a record of 9-9.

Game one is scheduled to go at 7:00pm tomorrow, while game two is slated for 4:00pm on Saturday.

The Bantam “AAA” Norman Wolves are in action again this weekend, and are in for a tough set of three games on the road against the Parkland Rangers, Winnipeg Monarchs, and the Winnipeg Hawks.

The Wolves kick things off tomorrow against the Parkland Rangers, who sit nine points above them in the standings. The two teams have played three times so far this season, with the Rangers holding the season series at 2-1. The lone win against Parkland this season came October 21^st, when the Nor-Man side won 8-6 on the road. Brady Krentz and Ian Snooks each have eight points in the three games played against the Rangers, while Joey Lies, Cheechoo Lathlin and Clark Scaddan have five points in those games.

The Bantam “AAA” Wolves will then play the Winnipeg Monarchs on Saturday. The two teams have played once so far this season, a game that saw the Monarchs skate away with a 15-0 victory. Saturday’s game is the final meeting of the season for the two sides.

The weekend will end with a game against the Winnipeg Hawks, another team that the Wolves only see twice this season. The first game of the season series took place October 7^th, and ended up as a 6-2 defeat for the Nor-Man team. Magnus Pearson and Lies picked up the goals in that one, with Lathlin and Scaddan adding the helpers.

The Norman Wolves currently sit seventh in the Winnipeg “AAA” Bantam 1 West division basement with eight points and a record of 3-22-1-1 through 27 games.

The Wolves will return to Thompson January 19^th and 20^th as they are set to play host the Pembina Valley Hawks at the T.R.C.C.

It was a good weekend for the Bantam “AAA” Norman Wild in Saskatchewan. 

The girls won the Bantam division at the tournament in Prince Albert, winning four of five games in the process. 

The Wild opened up the weekend with a 5-0 win over the North East Aces, and finished the opening day with a 6-1 thumping of the Saskatoon Comet Vipers. Saturday saw the Wild split their two games, winning 4-0 over the Hague MsConducts before falling 4-0 to the Prince Albert Beachcomber Foxes.

The Nor-Man side finished the preliminary round of the tournament with a record of 3-1, outscoring the opposition 15-5.

The Wild entered Sunday's final as the number two team. They faced the Foxes, who finished the prelims at number one after Saturday's game. It was the team from Manitoba, however, that came through in the final. They claimed the championship banner by a score of 4-2.

The team is in action again this coming weekend as they take on Interlake. 

The Norman Northstars seem to have started 2019 off on the right foot, picking up three of a possible four points in a pair of games against the Parkland Rangers.

The Northstars captured the lead early, as Mikey Baron potted his first of two goals on the night just over six minutes into the first period. Jamie Valentino and Hunter Rambow would add the other goals as the Nor-Man squad came away with a 4-1 victory. Keistin Saunders added two helpers, while Braedin Melsted made 34 save to pick up the win. The one of the few negatives from the win was a third period injury to Baron, with co-coach Glenn Laycock telling Arctic Radio News after the game that he could have a broken ankle.

Yesterday’s game did not go according to the script for either team, with the Rangers skating away with two points following a 6-5 shootout win. Parkland led 3-0 after the first period, and 5-2 after 40 minutes. The Northstars stormed back in the third period with three unanswered goals from Saunders, Valentino and Jordan Pfoh to force overtime and secure a point for each team. Garrett Hrechka and Hayden Lacquette were the only players to score in the shootout, giving the Rangers the extra point.

The Northstars remain in the Manitoba Midget “AAA” Hockey League basement with 12 points and a record of 5-25-1-1, two points back of the Rangers and the Interlake Lightning.

The Nor-Man side remains at home next weekend, as they welcome the 10^th place Central Plains Capitals to the C.A. Nesbitt Arena. Central Plains sports a record of 13-18-0-1, and is coming off a 4-3 win over the Southwest Cougars.

Two third-year Northstars players were honoured before Saturday’s game against Parkland for reaching the 100-game milestone with the Midget “AAA” club.

Captain Hunter Rambow and goaltender Braedin Melsted were presented with Northstars watches by club president Brad Salamandyk, as is custom for those who reach 100 games played.

Both Rambow and Melsted made the squad for the 2016-2017 season, and have been central to the team since.

Rambow, who hails from The Pas, leads the Northstars as the captain. The 2001-born OCN Blizzard prospect currently has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points through 32 games this season.

Melsted has been solid between the pipes for the Northstars since his rookie season, and has been in net for every Nor-Man win this season. The 17-year-old Thompsonite was taken in the sixth round of the 2016 MJHL draft by the Wayway Wolverines.

The Flin Flon Bombers sport a record of 21-13-0-2 following the first weekend of 2019.

The Bombers were in Yorkton to play the Terriers Friday, and despite Caleb Moretz putting the Bombers ahead 1-0 with his 15^th of the season, Yorkton came away with a 5-3 victory. Nate Hooper was selected as the game’s third start for his two third period goals.

Hooper would play hero Saturday in Melville, as Flin Flon came away with a 2-1 shootout win. Chrystopher Collin scored for the Bombers mid-way though the middle frame, but it wasn’t enough as the Millionaires would tie things in the third period. In the shootout, Hooper’s goal decided the game.

The Bombers currently sit third in the SJHL’s Sherwood Division, six points back of the Melfort Mustangs.

Flin Flon will head to Nipawin tomorrow to play the division-leading Hawks.

The OCN Blizzard kicked off the New Year with a pair of wins to start their three-game home stand at the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre.

The Blizzard started off their weekend Friday against the Steelers, who made the home side work for their points. Selkirk scored two goals in the first period, and were up 2-1 heading into the third before James Maxwell tied things up with his 16^th goal of the season with less than four minutes to go. Tanner Brewster scored the game winner 20 seconds later, and Noah Giesbrecht shut the door to seal the win.

The Neepawa Natives made the trip north for a Saturday night matchup that was even closer for OCN than the night before. Brewster opened up the scoring in the first, but Neepawa managed to tie the game late in the third to force overtime. The extra frame solved nothing, so the two teams went to the shootout. Cory Checco and Brewster found the back of the net for the Blizzard, giving them the “W”.

The Blizzard sit 10^th in MJHL standings, five points back of Winkler for the final playoff spot.

OCN will play again tomorrow as they host the Dauphin Kings. They’ll then go out on the road for games against Virden and Neepawa.

OCN Blizzard games can be heard live on 102.9 CJAR (in The Pas/OCN area), or online at ThePasOnline.com.

The Midget “AA” King Miners continued to roll, posting two wins over the Cross Lake Islanders over the weekend on the road.

The Thompson side skated away with a 5-4 victory on Saturday, before winning 6-5 yesterday afternoon.

Jonathan Saunders currently leads the King Miners in points (44) and goals (28). Saunders’ goal totals, according to the league website, account for over 20% of the team’s scoring this season. Casper Stoker leads the team with 17 assists.

The King Miners currently sit atop the NorMan Midget “AA” Hockey League with a record of 17-1 (34 points). They have a 15 point lead on second place Flin Flon.

The Thompson King Miners are next in action this coming weekend as they host the Islanders at the TRCC.

The Bantam “AAA” Norman Wolves got off to a rocky start in 2019, dropping two of three games played on their recent trip down south.

Despite a pair of goals from Ashton Paul and three helpers from Ian Snooks, the Wolves fell 8-5 to the Yellowhead Chiefs on Friday in Shoal Lake.

The team made the trip to Morden to play the Pembina Valley Hawks on Saturday, but did not fare much better as they lost 7-4. Colby Hnidy had two goals for the Nor-Man side, while Joey Lies, Clark Scaddan and Snooks had multi-point games.

The best game of the weekend for the Bantam “AAA” squad came Sunday in Brandon as they faced off against the Wheat Kings. The Wolves found themselves down 4-1 after the first period of play, but rallied together and ended up with a point in a 7-7 draw. Brady Krentz led the way with six points (2g, 4a), while Cheechoo Lathlin and Lies each had three.

The Wolves are next in action Friday as they take on the Parkland Rangers.

Their next home game is January 19^th, when they welcome the Winnipeg Hawks to the TRCC.  

Northstars

The Norman Northstars return to action tonight after heading into the winter break with one win and two losses in their last three games. The team currently sits in the Manitoba Midget “AAA” basement with a record of 4-15-1, though they are just three points back of the Parkland Rangers and Interlake Lightning.

Despite being in the league’s basement, the Northstars already have as many points (9) through 30 games as they did in 48 games last season. This weekend is the first opportunity to surpass last year and climb out of the league’s basement with a pair of games against Parkland, with three games left on the schedule against Interlake.

Henry Muchikekwanape currently leads the team in goals (17) and points (33), and is tied with captain Hunter Rambow for the team league in assists (16). Third-year goaltender Braedin Melsted has split the net with Rylan Potkonjak, though Melsted has been in net for all four wins.

Rangers

The Parkland Rangers are looking to turn around their season coming off the the winter break. The team currently sits second last in the league, and have gone 0-14 since their last win on November 11th (5-1 vs Pembina Valley). In that 14 game stretch, the Rangers have been outscored 71-15. To put that in perspective, the Northstars have scored 71 goals so far this season in 30 games.

Jaeger Lapointe comes into the weekend leading the Rangers in points (26), and is tied with Garrett Hrenchka for the lead in goals (13). Warren Jubenvill and Colby Cherneski are currently tied at 14 assists for the team lead in that category.

Matchup This Season

The Northstars and Rangers have played each other twice this season, with the Rangers coming out on top both times.

The first game took place on September 30th, with two goals from Taylor-Luke powering the Parkland side to a 5-2 victory. Jamie Valentino stood out for the Nor-Man squad, potting a goal and an assist.

The second meeting of the season took place in Portage on October 21st, and it’s not one that the Northstars want to remember as they fell 8-2. Hunter Glover scored three for the Rangers and added an assist, while Jubenvill had two goals and two assists.

Players To Watch

Two players to watch for the Northstars this weekend are Muchikekwanape and Valentino.

In the past five games, Muchikekwanape has five goals and five assists for 10 points. In the two previous meetings with Parkland this season, he has a goal and an assist.

Valentino is on a hot streak of his own, with nine points (4g, 5a) in his last five games played. Those numbers have his stats up to 12 goals and 14 assists (26 points) on the season in 23 games played. Valentino also has a goal and a helper in the two games played against the Rangers.

There are three players to watch for the Parkland Rangers; Lapointe, Glover and Freddy Ledoux.

Lapointe not only leads the Rangers in points and goals, but has also been lethal against the Northstars. In the two games played this season, he has three goals and two assists.

Glover’s season totals aren’t going to blow anyone away at this point (11g, 7a for 18 points), but his numbers against the Nor-Man side will. He has four goals and two assists in the previous two games played, and if he’s in the lineup could be a difference maker to help his side snap their losing skid.

The third player to watch for the Parkland Rangers is probably the most interesting storyline of the matchup. Freddy Ledoux was a part of the Norman Northstars last year, where he had 4 points (2g, 2a) and 49 PIM in 36 games. He’s now with the Rangers, and has 9 assists in 19 games, including a helper against the Northstars. It’s rare to see a player with two different teams in their midget “AAA” career, and it’s always exciting to see them play their former teammates.

Games

The two teams will play tonight at 7:30pm and then again tomorrow afternoon starting at 1:30pm.

Tonight’s game will be broadcast on 102.9 CHTM.