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Cassidy Dankochik / The Carillon Nighthawks forward Dawson Zeller (right) dumps a Virden player into the boards during game 4 of the MJHL final in Virden on Thursday.

Nighthawks complete sweep

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Yesterday at 10:55 PM CDT

VIRDEN — They grow up so fast, don’t they?

The Niverville Nighthawks may be the newest kids on the Manitoba Junior Hockey League block. But they didn’t need much time to show they’re a force to be reckoned with.

A magical regular season — the second-best in league history, in fact — has been capped off with the prestigious Turnbull Cup.

Niverville finished off a four-game sweep of the Virden Oil Capitals Thursday night with an impressive 6-2 victory inside Tundra Oil and Gas Place.

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SAM KEEN PHOTO

If Manitoba Bisons freshman Dante Dyck (2) impresses the Vancouver Bandits at the invite-only combine this weekend, the guard could be invited to the team’s training camp that begins May 5 with a chance to make the club’s active roster.
SAM KEEN PHOTO If Manitoba Bisons freshman Dante Dyck (2) impresses the Vancouver Bandits at the invite-only combine this weekend, the guard could be invited to the team’s training camp that begins May 5 with a chance to make the club’s active roster.

Bisons’ Dyck, Lenz to attend Vancouver’s invite-only combine

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Bisons’ Dyck, Lenz to attend Vancouver’s invite-only combine

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Yesterday at 5:02 PM CDT

There are no guaranteed job interviews in professional basketball after university. So the fact that Winkler’s Dante Dyck has already landed two before turning 20 could be telling of just how high his ceiling is.

The talented Manitoba Bisons guard is one of nearly 40 student-athletes from post-secondary programs across North America who will head west this weekend to take part in the Vancouver Bandits’ inaugural university combine at the Langley Events Centre.

Dyck will take the court with Bisons teammate Brandt Lenz for the invite-only combine, which is the first of its kind in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Select players will be invited to run in the Bandits training camp, beginning May 5, where they will have a chance to make the team’s active roster.

Although Dyck, coming off a redshirt freshman season, could be one of the youngest in the crop, he might also be one of the most comfortable in a professional setting.

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Yesterday at 5:02 PM CDT

Tyler Schank / NCAA Photos via University of Denver Athletics

Brandon’s Clarke Caswell (25) made his mark in the Frozen Four with the University of Denver Pioneers, including a game-tying goal late in regulation of the national semifinals against Michigan.
Tyler Schank / NCAA Photos via University of Denver Athletics Brandon’s Clarke Caswell (25) made his mark in the Frozen Four with the University of Denver Pioneers, including a game-tying goal late in regulation of the national semifinals against Michigan.

Brandon’s Caswell helps Denver to 11th national NCAA title

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Brandon’s Caswell helps Denver to 11th national NCAA title

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Monday, Apr. 20, 2026

It’s been a week that Clarke Caswell won’t soon forget.

The Brandon product is still riding high after helping the University of Denver men’s hockey program to its record 11th national championship and third in the last five years with a 2-1 triumph over Wisconsin.

Caswell and his teammates have received the VIP treatment around Colorado in the days following, being honoured at the Avalanche’s regular-season finale, watching Shohei Ohtani and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers pay a visit to the Rockies and, on Monday, wrapping up the local pro sports trifecta as the Nuggets begin the NBA Playoffs.

It doesn’t get much better for a college kid.

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Monday, Apr. 20, 2026

Purdue Athletics Photo

If offensive lineman Gio Vaccaro is picked first overall at the 2026 CFL Draft, it would be the first time a former Manitoba Bison has ever been selected with the top pick.
Purdue Athletics Photo If offensive lineman Gio Vaccaro is picked first overall at the 2026 CFL Draft, it would be the first time a former Manitoba Bison has ever been selected with the top pick.

Vaccaro ‘fits the bill’

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Vaccaro ‘fits the bill’

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

When the Canadian Football League Draft begins later this month, the first selection could very well be one of Winnipeg’s own.

With team draft boards coming into focus, there is a growing belief that Gio Vaccaro, the former Manitoba Bisons standout who transferred to Purdue for his final season of college eligibility, will be the first name called on April 28.

“To me, I think that he is certainly one of the first offensive linemen off the board, and it’s not unreasonable that he would be a guy that would get some consideration as the top pick. In terms of what he is physically and athletically, he fits the bill,” TSN draft analyst Duane Forde told the Free Press.

The 6-2, 307-pound guard was a two-time first-team All-Canadian selection and 2024 winner of the J.P. Metras Trophy (awarded to the nation’s top offensive lineman) with the Bisons. Although Vaccaro’s move to the NCAA Power 4 ranks didn’t yield a starting job, he saw time on the Boilermakers’ special teams units and played valuable snaps in the team’s regular-season finale against Indiana — the eventual national champions.

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Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Cool Sweepings creator and producer Chris Sharpe at the Fort Rouge Curling Club, where the series was filmed. Cool Sweepings is a fictional series about a Jamaican-Canadian curling team based out of Winnipeg.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Cool Sweepings creator and producer Chris Sharpe at the Fort Rouge Curling Club, where the series was filmed. Cool Sweepings is a fictional series about a Jamaican-Canadian curling team based out of Winnipeg.

Cool Runnings-inspired curling series set in Winnipeg years in the making

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

Cool Runnings-inspired curling series set in Winnipeg years in the making

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

When you think of the island country of Jamaica, curling isn’t what comes to mind.

But when Chris Sharpe’s high school gym class at Vincent Massey Collegiate crossed the street to try the sport at the Pembina Curling Club, it gave the Jamaican Canadian an idea.

You’ve heard of Cool Runnings — the hit movie inspired by the Jamaican bobsled team at the 1988 Winter Olympics. And while the country has yet to make its “ice chess” debut on the world’s biggest stage, that hasn’t stopped Sharpe from coming up with Cool Sweepings.

Sharpe, founder and creative producer of Black Film Space Manitoba, and his team filmed four episodes of the fictional series inside the Fort Rouge Curling Club in November. The show is scheduled to air this spring or summer on Bell Fibe TV’s streaming service.

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Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

Darryl Gershman photo

The Winnipeg Ice defeated Saskatchewan’s Battlefords Sharks 4-3 in game 3 to win the Hockey Canada Western Women’s U18 Championship, Sunday.
Darryl Gershman photo The Winnipeg Ice defeated Saskatchewan’s Battlefords Sharks 4-3 in game 3 to win the Hockey Canada Western Women’s U18 Championship, Sunday.

Ice win west to reach U18 nationals

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

Ice win west to reach U18 nationals

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

History wasn’t on their side, and yet, the Winnipeg Ice AAA U18 female hockey team sensed they were hours away from punching their ticket to nationals.

“I’ve definitely had feelings throughout my career where I’ve been in (a series deciding game) and you can just feel that the season is coming to an end,” said Ice defenceman Aliyah Teixeira.

“But there was no feeling like that in our dressing room. Even the next day, I texted (forward) Chloe Nicolas and said ‘I couldn’t imagine our season ending last night’ and she said it was so weird because she felt the same way.”

Their confidence paid off. This past Sunday, the Ice outlasted Saskatchewan’s Battlefords Sharks 4-3 in a winner-take-all Game 3 inside the Varsity View Sportsplex to claim the Esso Cup West Regionals crown.

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Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026
Binscarth’s Peake rises to the occasion

Binscarth’s Peake claims NCAA golf title for Northwest Missouri State

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Binscarth’s Peake claims NCAA golf title for Northwest Missouri State

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

Clara Peake picked a great time to have the best round of her life.

The Binscarth golfer added to her college trophy case on Tuesday after rallying from three shots down to capture the Spring Region Preview (NCAA Division II) at Shangri-La Country Club in Monkey Island, Okla.

Peake, who attends Northwest Missouri State, found her A-game and produced a three-under 69 in the final round.

“Honestly, that was the best tournament I’ve ever played, score-wise,” said Peake, who won the 2021 Manitoba junior women’s championship. “I’ve never shot in the 60s in a tournament before. I think I’ve been under par once in another tournament. But it was kind of crazy, honestly.”

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Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS

A historic five Manitobans were named to Team Canada’s tenpin bowling team including Chase McVicar (left), Kristen Jolly (centre) and Israel Potter (right).
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS A historic five Manitobans were named to Team Canada’s tenpin bowling team including Chase McVicar (left), Kristen Jolly (centre) and Israel Potter (right).

Manitoba makes tenpin history

Ben Little 8 minute read Preview

Manitoba makes tenpin history

Ben Little 8 minute read Friday, Mar. 27, 2026

In the final frame of her semifinal match, bowler Marissa Naylor-McCall needed to strike and mark to advance and defend her title as Winnipeg’s tenpin champion.

No stranger to pressure, Naylor-McCall executed, winning by two points to earn a spot in the final.

Naylor-McCall made history last year as the first woman to win the Marinelli City Singles Championship in its 65-year history. Fast forward to March 9, she repeated as Winnipeg’s tenpin champion — one day after International Women’s Day.

“It was a really proud feeling in a sense, but also nerve-racking,” she said. “I felt like I was carrying the weight of all the women in the bowling community on my shoulders because it was International Women’s Day.”

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Friday, Mar. 27, 2026

Midland Athletics

Brandon’s Taylor Bell had the title winning goal in third overtime for the Midland Warriors on Sunday — the team’s first American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 national championship.
Midland Athletics Brandon’s Taylor Bell had the title winning goal in third overtime for the Midland Warriors on Sunday — the team’s first American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 national championship.

Brandon’s Bell boasts title-winning goal

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Brandon’s Bell boasts title-winning goal

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Friday, Mar. 27, 2026

Allow Taylor Bell to set the scene.

“I’m looking around the bench, everybody’s gassed, like we’re trying to figure out who we’re taking off next,” began the co-captain of Midland University’s women’s hockey team. “I take off Ashlyn (Kuffler), and I hop the boards, (Liberty University) almost had a scoring chance in our end, so I’m coming back, Callie (Maguire) sees me, gives me a little chip off the wall. I see Darbi (Poole) coming with me; she falls down, so I’m like, ‘Well, I gotta shoot it now.’ So I just put the puck on net and got my own rebound, and it went in.

“So, nothing special there.”

To the contrary. While the goal might not have been the flashiest Bell — a fourth-year forward from Brandon — scored all season, it was undoubtedly the most important, as it delivered Midland its first American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 national championship on Sunday.

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Friday, Mar. 27, 2026

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS

Dakota Lancers’ Emilie McLean goes for a basket against Vincent Massey, Monday.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Dakota Lancers’ Emilie McLean goes for a basket against Vincent Massey, Monday.

Dakota, Maples come out on top at provincials

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Dakota, Maples come out on top at provincials

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

This time, the Dakota Lancers got the last laugh.

One year after being denied a historic four-peat at the hands of the Vincent Massey Trojans, a revamped Lancers squad returned with another chance to win it all, against the same opponent at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Monday, and made good on their opportunity, earning a 78-73 triumph over the Trojans to capture the AAAA girls’ provincial basketball championship.

Later in the evening, the Maples Marauders defeated the Dakota Lancers 115-106 in overtime to win the boys’ provincial title.

The Dakota girls finished with a 30-2 record overall to capture their fourth title in the last five seasons.

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Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

DAVE WILLSON PHOTO

The Glenlawn Lions girls’ hockey team celebrates its 5-1 Game 2 win over the Vincent Massey Trojans Thursday to claim the MWHSHL Division 1 title.
DAVE WILLSON PHOTO The Glenlawn Lions girls’ hockey team celebrates its 5-1 Game 2 win over the Vincent Massey Trojans Thursday to claim the MWHSHL Division 1 title.

Glenlawn Lions roar past Vincent Massey Trojans to capture MWHSHL title

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Glenlawn Lions roar past Vincent Massey Trojans to capture MWHSHL title

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Friday, Mar. 20, 2026

The Glenlawn Lions weren’t interested in hanging another ‘finalists’ banner.

And they won’t have to.

After two years of falling short at the finish line, the Lions pieced together a pair of dominant outings and swept the Vincent Massey Trojans in a best-of-three to capture their first Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League Division 1 title on Thursday.

“It meant the world to us going in,” said Lions co-captain Vayda Rigaux, who earned playoff MVP honours. “We knew it was going to be hard, and we knew we can’t get ahead of ourselves, but before every game, we knew we’d been in this (position and) not every team gets a chance at three championships, and we knew we couldn’t let this one go.”

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Friday, Mar. 20, 2026

LIU ATHLETICS PHOTO

Winnipeg’s Shadrak Lasu (22) had 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in the Northeast championship clinching victory.
LIU ATHLETICS PHOTO Winnipeg’s Shadrak Lasu (22) had 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in the Northeast championship clinching victory.

‘It’s great that I can go and represent and show out’

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

‘It’s great that I can go and represent and show out’

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Mar. 19, 2026

It is perhaps the closest thing Canada could have to a team in the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament and — of course — Winnipeg has a hand in it.

Most No. 16 seeds won’t garner much attention in the 68-team tournament, as many believe they are there for a good time, not a long time, but Long Island University has been an exception as five of its most important players hail from north of the border.

There are a pair of Ontario-born starting guards, Scarborough’s Malachi Davis and Toronto’s Jamal Fuller, who have played together since high school. Coming off the bench to play important minutes are freshman guard Max Ndlovu-Fraser and senior forward Caleb Johnson, who are rooted in opposite ends of the country, born in North Vancouver and North Preston, N.S., respectively.

And then there is Shadrak Lasu, the starting sophomore forward who is right in the middle of them all — Winnipeg.

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Thursday, Mar. 19, 2026

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS

The host Vincent Massey Trojans earned a 74-53 victory over the visiting Sisler Spartans in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Assoiciation AAAA varsity girls basketball semi-final at Investors Group Athletic Centre at the University of Manitoba, Wednesday. The Trojans advance to the championship game. Pictured: Trojans guard Kishi Folarin (No. 10) drives to the hoop while Spartans guard Keane Sarmiento (No. 3) defends during first quarter action.
BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS The host Vincent Massey Trojans earned a 74-53 victory over the visiting Sisler Spartans in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Assoiciation AAAA varsity girls basketball semi-final at Investors Group Athletic Centre at the University of Manitoba, Wednesday. The Trojans advance to the championship game. Pictured: Trojans guard Kishi Folarin (No. 10) drives to the hoop while Spartans guard Keane Sarmiento (No. 3) defends during first quarter action.

Vincent Massey, Dakota to battle for basketball title for fourth consecutive year

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Vincent Massey, Dakota to battle for basketball title for fourth consecutive year

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026

With one of their best players limited by injury, the Vincent Massey Trojans needed someone to pick up the slack in their biggest game of the season.

Ese Imiefo rose to the occasion.

The Grade 12 forward had her way in a 26-point performance to lead the Trojans to a 74-53 victory over the Sisler Spartans in the AAAA girls’ provincial basketball semi-finals at Investor’s Group Athletic Centre on Wednesday.

With the win, Massey extended its title defence and will play in its third straight provincial championship against the Dakota Lancers, back at IGAC on Monday at 6 p.m.

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Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026

MIKE STILL / BISONS ATHLETICS

Owen Weekes of the University of Manitoba Bisons celebrates one of his six service aces against the Laval Rouge et Or in the USports men’s volleyball championship in Windsor, Ont., on Friday.
MIKE STILL / BISONS ATHLETICS Owen Weekes of the University of Manitoba Bisons celebrates one of his six service aces against the Laval Rouge et Or in the USports men’s volleyball championship in Windsor, Ont., on Friday.

Bisons’ men cruise into final four at v-ball nationals

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Bisons’ men cruise into final four at v-ball nationals

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Friday, Mar. 13, 2026

The Manitoba Bisons spiked their heartbreak from the Canada West final and served up a dominant showing to begin their quest for a national title.

Less than a week after falling to Trinity Western in the conference championship, the sixth-seeded Bisons cruised to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-17) triumph over No. 3 Laval at the U Sports men’s volleyball championships in Windsor, Ont., on Friday.

Playing in the program’s first national championship since 2017, the emphatic rebound secured the Bisons’ place in the semifinals for the first time in 14 years, where they will face the Canada West bronze medallists, No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds, on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.

“We’re pretty proud of what we did at the Can West Final Four, pretty proud of us for beating UBC (in the semifinals),” said Owen Weekes.

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Friday, Mar. 13, 2026

MATTHEW MERKEL / FREE PRESS

Manitoba Bisons’ Daxx Turner closed out his U Sports career Saturday with his second national gold in triple jump.
MATTHEW MERKEL / FREE PRESS Manitoba Bisons’ Daxx Turner closed out his U Sports career Saturday with his second national gold in triple jump.

Bisons make program history as drama reigns at track and field nationals

Ben Little 8 minute read Preview

Bisons make program history as drama reigns at track and field nationals

Ben Little 8 minute read Sunday, Mar. 8, 2026

A photo finish doesn’t begin to describe what happened as the U Sports Track and Field Championships concluded Saturday at the James Daly Fieldhouse.

After three days of fast-paced action at the University of Manitoba, things came to a halt. One afternoon race was under review as officials spent more than three hours deliberating on a result that would determine the men’s national champion.

Hosting nationals for the second time in three years, the Herd’s program is growing at the right time. Fifteen Bisons competed for a medal Saturday, led by two veteran athletes who’ve been instrumental in the program’s success.

Fifth-year athlete Daxx Turner, the only triple jumper in Bisons history to win five Canada West Championships, aimed to close out his decorated collegiate career with a second national gold.

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Sunday, Mar. 8, 2026

INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION

Winnipeg pair Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov capped off their junior career with gold at the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships in Estonia on Thursday.
INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION Winnipeg pair Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov capped off their junior career with gold at the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships in Estonia on Thursday.

Kemp and Elizarov set sights on 2030 Olympic Games

Laurie Nealin 6 minute read Preview

Kemp and Elizarov set sights on 2030 Olympic Games

Laurie Nealin 6 minute read Friday, Mar. 6, 2026

Winnipeg duo Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov have enjoyed remarkable success since they burst onto the international figure skating scene four years ago with only a year of pair skating experience on their resumé.

In short order, the rookies became known as podium threats at home and abroad, even as their ambitions were repeatedly stalled for months at a time — first by her ankle injury, then his collapsed lung and subsequent surgery and, finally, the injury to her back that kept them out of competition much of last season.

Through it all, Kemp, 17, and Elizarov, 22, refused to give up, each time coming up with a plan to methodically hurdle every roadblock.

On Thursday in Tallinn, Estonia, in their fourth appearance at the ISU World Junior Championships, that determination, their hard work and innate talent lifted them to the top of the podium.

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Friday, Mar. 6, 2026

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