The Western Hockey League announced today that the Winnipeg ICE franchise has been sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, and will operate under the new ownership of David White of the California-based Shoot the Puck Foundation. The sale and relocation of the Winnipeg franchise has received the approval of the WHL Board of Governors and is effective immediately. Wenatchee becomes the sixth U.S.-based WHL team and will join the WHL’s U.S. Division and Western Conference for the 2023-24 season. The relocation to Wenatchee will allow the WHL to balance its Western and Eastern Conferences with 11 member Clubs in each Conference starting next season. Unfortunately, multiple attempts by the ICE ownership to construct an arena facility of acceptable WHL standards in Winnipeg, based on the agreed upon timeframes, were unsuccessful, leading to the relocation to Wenatchee. The Western Hockey League would like to thank the Winnipeg ICE fans for their support and the ICE organization for building a highly successful hockey program that we expect will have a great future in Washington State.

Two local Brandon players, Ekam Dhaliwal and Dalton Andrew were both selected today in the NAHL draft. The NAHL is considered one of the top 3 Junior Hockey leagues in North America for sending players to NCAA D1 and D3 hockey. To date no players have been drafted to the NAHL from Brandon since the league began in 1975. Dhaliwal whom played for the U18 AAA Wheat Kings last year was selected by Anchorage Wolverines in the 9th round.   Dalton Andrew, also a former U18 AAA Wheat King, was selected in the first round by Shreveport. Andrew played the last two seasons in the MJHL for the Winkler Flyers. Dalton Andrew Keith Morris GM of Anchorage told BDNMB.CA today they felt lucky to get Ekam at that point of the draft.  "He has an incredible release and a natural goal scorer". Ekam hockey profile https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/647509/ekam-dhaliwal Dalton hockey profile https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/416924/dalton-andrew For more information on the NAHL draft and league click below. https://nahldraft.rinknet.com/

Jay Thiesen has some elite company at The Grey Owl. The Russell resident roared back from a three-stroke deficit at the start of the round to win his third title in the 61st annual edition of the 36-hole men’s golf tournament at Clear Lake Golf Course, which is presented by IG Wealth Management. Thiesen is just the fifth player to win three times, the others being Garth Collings (11), Jim Scissons (7), Jimmy Doyle (4) and Jamie Stone (3). Thiesen fired a bogey-free 69 to finish with a 5-under 139 total after an opening-round 70. That was two strokes clear of St. Charles’ Steven Young (69-72) and Brandon’s Kolby Day (67-74), who both finished at 3 under 141. “It’s pretty cool, I guess,” the laid-back Thiesen said after receiving the Cactus Jack Wells Memorial Trophy. “It was nice to see Garth out there again playing in the last couple groups there. I don’t know if I’ll be able to catch him. That’ll be pretty tough, but it feels really good.” Young came out on fire, birdieing four of his first five holes to grab the lead from Day, the 18-hole leader. Young was 4 under on the front and was three strokes ahead of Thiesen with nine to play. Young ran into trouble early on the back, however, bogeying the 12th, 13th and 14th holes, and the two were tied standing on the 15th tee. Thiesen grabbed the lead for the first time with an up-and-down birdie on the par-4 16th and didn’t look back. “That was one of my best rounds at this tournament,” Thiesen said. “I think I’ve shot 68s, but I went bogey-free today, so it was just a solid round.” Onanole’s Cal Vanderschuit, who was one shot back of Day going into Sunday, carded a 74 to finish fourth with a 2- under 142 aggregate. Collings competed in the championship flight once again, finishing sixth overall, and his 72-74—146 total was good enough for a four-shot victory over St. Charles’ Ken Mould (77-73—150) in the Greyer Owl for those age 60 and over. It is Collings’ third Greyer Owl crown. Brandon Sun sports reporter Thomas Friesen, who was covering the tournament for the paper, captured the Media Flight title in his first Grey Owl appearance. Friesen fired 77-74—151, and his net total of 141 was the best of the 11-player field. More information and all scores can be found at thegreyowl.ca. FINAL SCORES Jay Thiesen, Russell 70-69—139 Steven Young, St. Charles 69-72—141 Kolby Day, Wheat City 67-74—141 Cal Vanderschuit, Onanole 68-74—142

WASAGAMING — Brandon’s Kolby Day had himself a day on Saturday at the 61st annual Grey Owl men’s golf tournament, presented by IG Wealth Management. The Wheat City Golf Course member fired a blistering 5-under-par 31 on the front nine at sunny and beautiful Clear Lake Golf Course and cruised in at even par for a 5-under 67. That gives him a one-stroke lead over Onanole’s Cal Vanderschuit, who carded a 68, and a two-shot edge over Winnipeg’s Steven Young, who plays out of St. Charles. The second and final round of the tournament will be played on Sunday. Day was 4 under through five holes on Saturday, birdieing the first and fourth holes before recording an eagle on the par-5 fourth. He tacked on a birdie at the drivable par-4 eighth to go out in 31. Day had two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine and signed for a 67. Vanderschuit, who is the driving force behind IG Wealth Management’s title sponsorship of The Grey Owl, shot 35 on the front nine and then toured the much tougher back nine in 3-under 33 for his 4-under total. Young, meanwhile, carded nine of 34 and 35. The top three players will need to bring their best on Sunday, as two-time champion Jay Thiesen of Russell shot an opening-round 70 on Saturday. He will join Day, Vanderschuit and Young in the final championship flight group. The score to qualify for the championship flight was 4-over 76, which means 16 players will vie for the crown. Breezy Bend’s Collings, who has won 11 Grey Owl titles, leads the Greyer Owl division by five strokes over five players: Brandon’s Dwight Kearns, Rivers’ Gerry Gourlay, St. Charles’ Ken Mould, and Clear Lake’s Brad Clement and Murray Lindenberg. There is a new twist this year, as the Media Flight is now a net event. Brandon Sun sports reporter Thomas Friesen has the best round through 18 holes, carding a 5-over-par 77 on Saturday. Sunday’s tee times and more information can be found at thegreyowl.ca. DAY 1 TOP SCORES Kolby Day, Wheat City 31-36—67 Cal Vanderschuit, Onanole 35-33—68 Steven Young, St. Charles 34-35—69 Jay Thiesen, Russell 33-37—70 Garth Collings, Breezy Bend 35-37—72 Joel Baron, Carberry 38-34—72 Matt LePage, Plymouth, Minn. 37-35—72 (submitted)

A familiar name sits tied atop the leaderboard after Day 1 of action at the 61st annual Grey Owl, presented by IG Wealth Management. Breezy Bend’s Garth Collings, who has won a record 11 Grey Owl titles, fired an even-par 72 on the picturesque Clear Lake Golf Course in the opening round of the 36-hole tournament, which puts him in a tie with Carberry’s Joel Baron. Collings carded nines of 35 and 37 on the 6,102-yard layout, while Baron, who plays out of Carberry Sandhills Golf and Country Club, went out in 38 but came back with a solid two-under 34 on the tougher back nine in his first Grey Owl appearance. It was an up-and-down front nine for Baron, who eagled the par-4 first hole and birdied the par-3 third before suffering a quadruple-bogey nine on the par-five fourth. Collings had a much more smooth afternoon, registering two birdies, an eagle and four bogeys en route to his even-par round. Collings last won the Grey Owl in 2016, and since then has added Greyer Owl crowns, for those age 60 and over, in 2018 and 2019. Defending champion Jared Jacobson of Brandon is two shots back after an opening-round 74, while Russell’s Braden Clement, the son of 1996 tournament winner Brad Clement, and MacGregor’s Darcy Howarth both shot 4-over 76s. The rest of the field will play its opening rounds on Saturday. That includes two-time champion Jay Thiesen of Russell. The tournament consists of 36 holes over three days. The low 16 or so and ties after the first round will make up the championship flight, which will tee off on Sunday morning. Saturday’s tee times and more information can be found at thegreyowl.ca. DAY 1 TOP SCORES Garth Collings, Breezy Bend 35-37—72 Joel Baron, Carberry 38-34—72 Jared Jacobson, Brandon 36-38—74 Darcy Howarth, MacGregor 35-41—76 Braden Clement, Russell 39-37—76 Dwight Kearns, Brandon 38-39—77 Keaton Jameson, Shilo 39-38—77 (Submitted)