Brandon's Brett Skinner has made some major progress in his hockey coaching career by being announced as the new Head Coach of the Fargo Force of the USHL. Cary Eades the Fargo Force GM / President of Hockey Operations for the past 8 season told BDNMB.CA that they had 50 - 60 applicants but also targeted Skinner due to his previous success. Cary Eades ( photo courtesy of The Rink Live Fargo ) Eades also said "He has only coached for 6 years but has had a tremendous amount of success in that time...plus he knows how to win". Skinner is the son of local coaching legend Tom Skinner whom was the head coach of the Brandon Bobcats plus worked in Europe. Brett Skinner was a 3rd round pick of the Vancouver Canucks...selected by Brian Burke. Playing and coaching resume for Brett Skinner https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/8539/brett-skinner The Fargo Force has been a top team in the USHL and produced dozens of NCAA D1 players as well as NHL and Pro players since the 2008 - 2009 season.  The USHL is considered the number one league for players wanting to play NCAA D1 hockey.

Marty Murray joined the Wheat Kings as their General Manager in August of 2022 and he is currently both their GM and Head Coach. As a player, Murray spent 4 very successful seasons in a Wheat Kings uniform before embarking on a professional career which saw him suit up for 261 NHL regular season games. During his junior career, he twice (1994 and 1995) represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. In your prime, how many points would you get playing on a line with Connor McDavid & Leon Draisaitl: Maybe 50?? Favorite road trip you have ever taken: Driving home from the east coast when I was playing, my brother and I stopped at all the major league baseball parks on the way home. What song instantly takes you back to your high school days: Wheat Kings-The Tragically Hip If you could only eat one restaurant for the rest of your life, what restaurant would it be: Mastros Steakhouse If you could put together a concert lineup (3 artists), who would it be: The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Foo Fighters What was your favorite toy as a child: Hockey Stick You have to finish 100 buffalo wings at Joe Beeverz in an hour, which 2 teammates from your playing days with the Wheat Kings are you asking to assist you: Chris Dingman and Todd Fedorik If you could add 1 former player from your favorite team in their prime to the current roster in order to win the Stanley Cup, who would it be: Wayne Gretzky What is the best movie soundtrack of all-time: Hmm, nothing jumps off the page If you had to pick one person from the human race to be the ambassador to aliens, who would it be: Chris Moulton Who is the most famous person in your contacts list: Josh Duhamel What would you sing at karaoke night: Something by The Hip What is your favorite way to spend time with your family: On vacation If you could have lunch with one person from history, who would it be: Albert Einstein What would you name your yacht if you had one: I can’t see myself out in the ocean What Canadian city would you relocate to if you were forced to leave Brandon: Kelowna Outside of hockey, did you excel at any other sports as a child: Baseball, Golf Where did you and your best friend meet: School If you could swap jobs with anyone in Brandon for just one day, who would it be: Jared Jacobson What TV show would you most like to make a cameo appearance in: Seinfeld

The U17 Magic softball team headed to Saskatoon this past weekend to participate in the Presidents Tournament and returned home with a silver medal to show for their effort. The team swept through round robin play going 4-0 before topping Lloydminster in the semi-finals. Their only loss occurred in the final game versus the Southern AB Revolution.

The first ever North American VOLT hockey tournament took place this weekend at Variety Village in southwest Scarborough and the Westman Volt Hockey team captured Gold in the Division 2 Championship. Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Boston were among the teams competing in the tournament over the weekend.  The tournament was presented by the Maple Leafs Alumni Association and both tournament play and the officiating team was organized by the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). "VOLT hockey is an inclusive, accessible form of hockey, with a specifically designed hockey sport chair played by people with a variety of disabilities, particularly those with limited upper mobility." The first Canadian VOLT hockey team launched in Toronto in 2016, while the Westman Volt Hockey program took flight in Brandon in September of 2022.

At a tournament held in Brandon, The Wheatland Wild Gold team capped off a successful weekend Sunday by defeating the PV Heat Gold 10-9 for the Dual At The Den championship title in the 2011 age group. The game went into overtime before Joshua Kohler potted his 4th goal of the game for the Wild to secure the victory. Kelson Hawreluik (3), Owen Light, Brody Young, and Bryer Loose also scored for the Wild. Seth Bennett picked up the win in net registering 41 saves.  Replying for the Heat was Mason Auger (2), Brock Vodden (2), Easton Pitz (2), Gavin Gacutan, Evan Vigier, and Mason Froese.