Ken Schneider, a former coach of the AAA U-18 Brandon Wheat Kings, will be moving three hours down the road as he was recently named an assistant coach with the WHL's Regina Pats. Schneider told BDNMB today that he is going to move in with his son Mark and his wife Alyse while Ken’s wife Lizann will stay back in Brandon and continue to work. With having a one year deal, it didn’t make sense to move everything from Brandon to Regina. “I retired from MNP a year ago and in May my plan was to coach with Tyson Ramsey in Virden with the Oil Capitals...but the phone rang at it was Oak Lake native John Paddock and he offered me the job”.  “Well yes, this is a coming home as I was born in Regina and raised about 45 minutes south east of Regina on a grain farm at Colfax, Sk. I played most of my minor hockey in Weyburn and Jr A there before joining the Wheat Kings in 1980." said Schneider regarding his comment about coming home on the WHL website. "I have my brother and family in Weyburn, an aunt and uncle in Regina. Several cousins in the area so when I say I am coming home it comes from this. My second cousin Doug Killough played for the Pats and the Riders so there is family history with the Pats as well.” added Schneider. We wish Ken the best in this move.

Competitive men's and women's fastball returned to Brandon over the weekend at the first annual Oji-Cree Softball tournament held in the city. Teams from across the province competed for titles in four different divisions: men's, women's, U16, and U12. In the twelve team men's division, the Notre Dame Clubs (pictured above) captured first place. First place in the women’s division went to Layne’s Stars, while Team Extreme claimed the U16 title and the Pimicikamak Rebels took home the U12 Division. The weekend opening ceremonies kicked off Saturday with the Dakota Hostiles drum group and Elders Fred Stevens and Rey Cook.

The Brandon Wheat Kings are excited to announce that former captain and eleven-year NHL veteran Matt Calvert has joined the hockey staff as a Development Coach. Along with assisting the coaching staff with day-to-day operations, Calvert will focus primarily on the career development of current players and prospects, emphasizing skill development, fitness, nutrition, mental health, and education. “Matt is someone that we want in our organization. He was a model Wheat King and more importantly he is a great person from a great family,” said General Manager Doug Gasper. “It was an easy decision to have him working with our players and staff.” Calvert joined his hometown Wheat Kings in 2007 after a breakout 83-point season with the U18 Wheat Kings and quickly became a fan favorite with his unparalleled work ethic and heart. “Im excited to move my family back to Brandon,” said Calvert. “Im excited to have the opportunity to help these players out and try and make them better every day. It’s been a lot of fun spending this time off with my family, but it’s time to get back to work.’ Over his three-year career in the WHL, Calvert would appear in 198 games, scoring 99 times and adding 131 assists for 230 points in a Wheat King sweater, capping his career with a CHL Memorial Cup All-Star nod. A fifth-round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Calvert would quickly establish himself as one of the hardest working players in the NHL. Over his eleven-year NHL career, Calvert played in 556 regular season games, scoring 95 times, and adding 108 assists for the both the Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche. The addition of Calvert rounds out the Wheat Kings hockey operations staff for the 2021-2022 season. General Manager – Doug Gasper Director of Player Personnel – Chris Moulton Head Coach – Don MacGillivray Assistant Coach – Mark Derlago Assistant Coach – Dan Johnston Goaltending Coach – Tyler Plante Athletic Therapist – Zack Hartwick Equipment Manager – Scott Hlady Assistant Equipment Manager – Jody Norminton Dressing Room Assistants – Rob Pope, Aiden Pope, Jason Norminton The Wheat Kings will officially open training camp on Tuesday September 7th at Westoba Place. Full training camp details, including schedule, rosters and fan participation will be release later this week. (Wheat Kings Media Release)

The City of Brandon and Management and Staff at Brandon’s Community Sportsplex are excited to welcome the public back into the Sportsplex pool this fall. The Sportsplex pool has been closed due to mechanical system deficiencies. Construction is expected to be completed by mid-September. The pool will be re-filled, re-heated, and inspected by Manitoba Public Health to ensure compliance with all regulations. Barring any delays, the pool is scheduled to re-open on Monday, September 27, 2021. A full slate of programming is scheduled for this fall, including: Red Cross Swim Lessons* Public Swim Lap Swim Aquafit *Registration is required for Red Cross Swim Lessons and opens Tuesday, August 31, at 7:00 a.m. Registration is available at mycommunity.brandon.ca, by phone at 204-729-2471, or in person at Brandon’s Community Sportsplex (30 Knowlton Drive). A valid credit card is required for online or phone registration. Cash, cheque, credit/debit cards, or gift cards are accepted in person. Information for public swim, lap swim, and aquafit is available at brandon.ca/pool. Information on Red Cross Swim Lessons and aquatic leadership courses is available at brandon.ca/swimming-lessons. Residents can also make Facility Reservation Requests. More information can be found at mycommunitybrandon.ca or by calling 204-729-2471. (City of Brandon PSA)  

The 2021 edition of the AAA Hockey Challenge wrapped up Sunday with champions being crowned in 4-different age groups. 2012 The Ice Kings (pictured above) blew through the competition en route to claiming the 2012 title. Kale Nicol racked up nine points (6g,3a) in Sunday's final as the Ice Kings toppled the Pilot Mound Buffaloes 11-8. Emmitt Bell also recorded a hat trick for the Ice Kings, while Nixon Buskell chipped in with four points on the strength of one goal and three assists. Dawson Densmore replied with three goals for the Buffaloes. 2011 Meanwhile, in the 2011 age division final at the Enns Brothers Arena, the Pembina Valley Heat knocked off the MB Extreme 9-3 in Sunday's final. Shane Pethybridge set the pace for the Heat netting three goals while teammates Mason Froese and Gavin Gacuta each dented the twine twice. Jayden Veeder added 3 assists. Bentley Peters scored twice for the Extreme. 2010 Markus Knaub and Noah Prejet both scored three goals as the Pilot Mound Buffaloes upended the MB Jr. Ice 14-3 in the 2010 age group championship. Gavin Anderson (2g,2a), Levi Hill (2g2a), and Maddox Ramage (4a) each registered four points a piece in the championship game. Shae Streu & Eli Wasylyk both picked up two points for the Jr. Ice in the loss. 2009 In the 2009 final, Wheatland Wild beat the MB Stars Females 8-0 on the strength of one goal and three assists from Jack Robinson. Brady Silvernagle and Maxon Johnston had two goal performances for the Wild, while Kaleb Page earned the shutout.