Advertisement

Learn more about Winnipeg Free Press Advertising solutions

Sports

FILE - Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) throws during the fourth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball playoff series, Oct. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

Trevor Story declines to opt out, keeps contract with the Red Sox

The Associated Press 1 minute read Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

BOSTON (AP) — Shortstop Trevor Story declined to exercise his right to opt out of his contract and is remaining with the Boston Red Sox.

Story agreed to a $140 million, six-year deal with Boston before the 2022 season and could have opted out, giving up $55 million in guaranteed money.

Instead, he kept $25 million salaries for 2026 and ’27, and a $25 million team option for 2028 with a $5 million buyout.

The two-time All-Star shortstop, who turns 33 on Nov. 15, played in 157 games, his most since 2018, and hit .263 with 25 homers and 96 RBIs.

Manitoba Open

Veteran CFL QBs aging well

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

Veteran CFL QBs aging well

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

It’s hard to believe the Toronto Argonauts once had Ricky Ray, Jarious Jackson, Zach Collaros and Trevor Harris all in their quarterback room in 2012.

If you ask Harris, it’s even harder to believe he and Collaros — who broke into the CFL that season together as rookies — are still in the three-down loop today slinging it.

“I remember our first year in the league, we (were leaving after the season) and Swayze Waters (the Argos kicker at the time) was like ‘Man, we’re never going to see Zach Collaros ever again,’” said Harris.

“Because he was ready to go home. He was like ‘I’m done, I’m ready to get out of here.’ And here he is all this time later. I thought he’d get into coaching a little bit sooner, but he’s really turned himself into a first ballot hall-of-famer. He’s been absolutely incredible.”

Read
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Riders QB Trevor Harris (above) broke into the CFL in 2012 with Bombers QB Zach Collaros.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Riders QB Trevor Harris (above) broke into the CFL in 2012 with Bombers QB Zach Collaros.

Alouettes’ Philpot looks to replicate 2023 Grey Cup impact

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Alouettes’ Philpot looks to replicate 2023 Grey Cup impact

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

The last time Tyson Philpot was in this spot, he left a champion and a hero.

It’s a day that Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans would rather forget, but it’s hard to erase the image of Philpot coralling a touchdown that gave the Montreal Alouettes the lead (and the win soon after) with 11 seconds remaining in the 110th Grey Cup.

The catch, made by a 23-year-old, second-year pro, stymied the Bombers from reaching dynasty status for the second year in a row.

It also elevated the Delta, B.C. product to prominence. He was named the Grey Cup’s Most Valuable Canadian on that night and, two years later, Philpot, now 25, is regarded as one of the brightest homegrown talents in the CFL.

Read
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

Montreal Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot celebrates his game-winning touchdown in the 110th Grey Cup.
Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Montreal Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot celebrates his game-winning touchdown in the 110th Grey Cup.

Long week of rehab for Alouettes’ Alexander

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Long week of rehab for Alouettes’ Alexander

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

No limp. No restrictions. No problem?

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander was a full-go as the club practised for the first time as a part of their Grey Cup preparations on Wednesday.

Dealing with a season-long hamstring injury that flared up in last week’s Eastern final, all eyes were on the star pivot as he went through drills at Princess Auto Stadium. Alexander, who, albeit, didn’t take off running at any point, looked comfortable while working from the pocket, stepping into short and deep throws as he normally does.

“Better than expected. I’ll tell you that — better than I expected, just because I think I’m finally not sore… from the Hamilton game. So that helps a little bit,” Alexander said. “I felt great. This is playoff football, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Read
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander had seven carries in the Eastern final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander had seven carries in the Eastern final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Fan outcry needed to curb leagues banking blood money

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

Fan outcry needed to curb leagues banking blood money

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, Nov. 7, 2025

What do the FA Cup, the NBA, the Tour de France and Sudan’s civil war have in common? They’re all being funded by the United Arab Emirates.

Unsurprisingly, the UAE acknowledges only three of these sponsorships. But its financing of the fourth is a widely-held matter of fact and, increasingly, a major problem for the sporting properties receiving its cash.

Last week, the humanitarian agency Refugees International renewed its call for the NBA to sever its relationship with Emirates — the airline owned by the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund. Emirates is the title sponsor of the annual NBA Cup.

It also holds the naming rights for a Tour cycling team and English football’s FA Cup, and its wordmark can be seen on the shirts of prominent clubs like Arsenal, AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Read
Friday, Nov. 7, 2025

Jon Super / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Emirates airlines’ wordmark can be seen on the shirts of prominent clubs — as seen on Real Madrid’s kit sported by Jude Bellingham in the clubs clash with Liverpool earlier this week.
Jon Super / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Emirates airlines’ wordmark can be seen on the shirts of prominent clubs — as seen on Real Madrid’s kit sported by Jude Bellingham in the clubs clash with Liverpool earlier this week.

Oak Park captures high school football glory, denies Dakota three-peat

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Oak Park captures high school football glory, denies Dakota three-peat

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

The Oak Park Raiders finally got theirs.

After their last two seasons ended in heartbreak at the hands of the Dakota Lancers, the Raiders narrowly escaped the same outcome for the third year in a row, triumphing 22-17 over the Lancers to capture the Winnipeg High School Football League AAAA tier 1 varsity championship at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday.

A fumble by the Raiders, deep in their own territory with 18 seconds remaining, gave the Lancers late hope, but Oak Park’s defence stood tall one last time to end an 11-year championship drought for the program and end Dakota’s two-year reign.

“It’s amazing,” said two-way player Amyas Furst, who had a long touchdown run in the second quarter and secured an interception in the late moments of the contest. “We’ve grinded all year for this. The bond we have with this group, you can’t break it. We had some struggles at the start of the year, but we really found it. We found our click, and now, you can see we won it now — beautiful.”

Read
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS

Oak Park Raiders receiver, and ANAVETS Bowl MVP, Tavin Parani (right) carries the ball Thursday night with Dakota Lancers defender Luke Edmondson in hot pursuit.
BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Oak Park Raiders receiver, and ANAVETS Bowl MVP, Tavin Parani (right) carries the ball Thursday night with Dakota Lancers defender Luke Edmondson in hot pursuit.

Aston Villa beats Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 in Europa League amid protests and arrests

Karel Janicek, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Aston Villa beats Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 in Europa League amid protests and arrests

Karel Janicek, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

Aston Villa beat Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 Thursday in a Europa League game played amid heightened security measures, with more than 700 police officers deployed to deal with possible protests.

Morgan Rogers put through Ian Maatsen in first-half stoppage time for the defender to score from a tight angle and Villa doubled the lead on the hour with Donyell Malen hitting the bottom corner from the penalty spot. It was Villa's third win from games in the competition.

The game at Villa Park had become the center of a political debate after Maccabi fans were banned from attending as West Midlands Police deemed the match to be high risk and cited violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi Tel Aviv played at Ajax in Amsterdam last season.

The ban attracted widespread criticism including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said it was the wrong decision.

Read
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025

Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen, right, scores his side's opening goal during the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen, right, scores his side's opening goal during the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)

Sports Editor's Picks

Winnipeg Free Press:

Special Coverage: CFL Grey Cup 112

Special Coverage: CFL Grey Cup 112

Mike McIntyre:

Lowry a leader in every sense of word

Winnipeg Jets’ Adam Lowry (17) celebrates as Kyle Connorís (not shown) shot sneaks through the pads of Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) for the winning goal in NHL overtime action in Winnipeg, Thursday, December 15, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Taylor Allen:

Sky’s the limit for ‘Double Gold’ MacDonald

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS sports - jiu jitsu fighter, Logan MacDonald What: Brazilian jiu jitsu fighter who recently won gold at an event in California. Family owns a BJJ gym in town. Photos of Logan with his dad, MATT MACDONALD, in their home gym. See Taylor's story Dec 13th, 2022

Mike Sawatzky:

Deadline deal pays off for Terriers

Scott Stroh photo Defenceman Hayden Lacquette has become a key cog in Portage’s attack.

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Bob Dyce never considered coaching as a career; now he’s a CFL boss

The way the Dyce roll

Mike Sawatzky:

Brennan makes the most of opportunities

SUPPLIED Lucas Brennan is known for his willing to do the work required to improve and be successful on the ice.

More Sports

Langelaar’s Olympic quest receives boost from the Jets

Mike McIntyre 5 minute read Preview

Langelaar’s Olympic quest receives boost from the Jets

Mike McIntyre 5 minute read Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

Tyson Langelaar is all about speed. Now, the 26-year-old long-track speed skater has received a significant boost from his hometown Winnipeg Jets in his quest to reach the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” he told the Free Press this week. “It’s a dream come true to be connected to them.”

The hockey club recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Langelaar that will help him on the road to Italy in February. He first approached True North with the idea over the summer.

“Amateur sport is very expensive. And it’s definitely not getting cheaper. I think for the last 20 years or so, amateur sport funding has always been behind the times and never really caught up,” said Langelaar, who now trains out of Calgary while also attending university.

Read
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

SUPPLIED

The Winnipeg Jets recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Winnipeg long-track speed skater Tyson Langelaar.
SUPPLIED The Winnipeg Jets recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Winnipeg long-track speed skater Tyson Langelaar.

Bombers’ Vaval named Most Outstanding Rookie, Special Teams Player finalist

Taylor Allen 2 minute read Preview

Bombers’ Vaval named Most Outstanding Rookie, Special Teams Player finalist

Taylor Allen 2 minute read Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

The accolades continue to pour in for Trey Vaval.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers return specialist was named the West Division’s representative for both the Most Outstanding Rookie and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player awards on Thursday.

Toronto Argonauts kicker Lirim Hajrullahu (special teams) and Hamilton Tiger-Cats linebacker Devin Veresuk (rookie) are the finalists coming out of the East Division.

Vaval led the CFL in punt returns (75), punt return yards (957), missed field goal return yards (391), and return touchdowns (two on kickoffs, one via punt, and one missed field goal return). He also made four starts at cornerback this season where he recorded 21 defensive tackles and picked off a pass against Montreal on Aug. 21.

Read
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Trey Vaval set a franchise record in September when he returned a 128-yard missed field goal for a touchdown against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Trey Vaval set a franchise record in September when he returned a 128-yard missed field goal for a touchdown against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

‘We still haven’t come close to playing our complete game yet’: Arniel

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

‘We still haven’t come close to playing our complete game yet’: Arniel

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025

Scott Arniel chose his words carefully.

Asked for a bigger-picture assessment of the 10-game block to open the season, the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets made it clear that as happy as he is about the 14 points that have been put in the bank, but further improvements will be required to sustain a pace that includes a .700 winning percentage.

“I’m happy with 7-3. I don’t ever want to talk down on being 7-3, but we still haven’t come close to playing our complete game yet,” Arniel said after the Jets defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime and before using Wednesday to recharge the batteries. “There’s signs of things that we’re doing better, but sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back.

“But it’s early in the year and if we’re going to do it, do it now. Get it out of the way. But I like the fact that, even though we haven’t played our best hockey, we’re still sitting at 7-3.”

Read
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025

ANGELINA KATSANIS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES

The Winnipeg Jets have opened the season with a flattering 7-3 record. Forward Nino Niederreiter (right) said the club is still looking to improve, and thinks the team will feel better when they “find a way to pull a full 60 minutes together.”
ANGELINA KATSANIS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES The Winnipeg Jets have opened the season with a flattering 7-3 record. Forward Nino Niederreiter (right) said the club is still looking to improve, and thinks the team will feel better when they “find a way to pull a full 60 minutes together.”

LOAD MORE