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ESPN commentator apologizes for Whitecloud insult

Thomas Friesen 2 minute read Tuesday, May. 9, 2023

John Anderson of ESPN received backlash after inappropriate comments regarding Zach Whitecloud’s name on a highlight show Monday night.

“What kind of name is Whitecloud? Great name if you’re a toilet paper,” Anderson said.

Anderson since apologized to Whitecloud, who spoke with the media on Tuesday.

“I don’t want to be in front of all you guys talking about this,” Whitecloud said.

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Connor knows what he has to do

Jeff Hamilton 7 minute read Preview

Connor knows what he has to do

Jeff Hamilton 7 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 26, 2023

LAS VEGAS — There are few things Kyle Connor loves more than scoring goals.

The Winnipeg Jets forward is pretty darn good at it, too. He has scored at least 30 goals in nearly all of his six seasons in the NHL, including a career-high 47 goals last season. The only year he didn’t reach the mark came in the shortened, 56-game campaign in 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in 26 goals.

In fact, since joining the NHL full-time in the 2017-18 season, only six players have more goals than Connor’s 207, including Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin (264), Toronto’s Auston Matthews (259), Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (257), Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (256), Boston’s David Pastrnak (242) and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (209).

“Winning is the most important thing but it’s definitely great if you can combine the two,” Connor told the Free Press following practice Wednesday. “If you look at Game 3, with the crowd at home and we’re going into overtime, it’s every kid’s dream of scoring an overtime winner. Everyone in this locker room loves to score goals and takes pride in it. For me, it’s definitely up there.”

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Wednesday, Apr. 26, 2023

Lucas Peltier / The Associated Press

Jets’ sniper Kyle Connor takes a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series in Las Vegas.

U of W hoops coach joins Sea Bears

Joshua Frey-Sam 3 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 26, 2023

All hands on deck

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Preview

All hands on deck

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Sunday, Apr. 23, 2023

The Winnipeg Jets lost more than just a lead in their playoff series during Saturday’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven battle against the top seed in the Western Conference is a big enough hole to climb out of but they’ll have to do it without Josh Morrissey, their best defenceman and arguably their best player. That makes it an even taller, some might even say impossible, task.

The Jets don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves, not with a critical Game 4 to be played at home Monday night. With Morrissey out it’s on the rest of the team to make up for the loss.

“His mentality. His swagger. His vocal leadership on the bench and in the locker room. All that stuff will be missed,” said Jets defenceman Neal Pionk on Sunday. “It will be a next-man-up mentality, we’ll have to take a little bit more from everybody, because I don’t think one guy can fill those shoes. He’s been our best player all year, so we’ll have to pick up that slack.”

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Sunday, Apr. 23, 2023

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, left, appeared to injure his right knee when it hit the left knee of Vegas defenceman Zach Whitecloud just minutes into the game Saturday. (Paul Vernon / The Associated Press files)

Hellebuyck stands tall and things get nasty against Wild as Jets secure post-season berth

Jeff Hamilton 7 minute read Preview

Hellebuyck stands tall and things get nasty against Wild as Jets secure post-season berth

Jeff Hamilton 7 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2023

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Being a fan of the Winnipeg Jets this season has certainly not been for the faint of heart. After a nailing-biting affair in the State of Hockey Tuesday night, the Jets are officially playoff bound.

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Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2023

(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The Jets celebrate Tuesday after defeating the Minnesota Wild and securing a playoff berth.

Playoff picture coming into focus for Jets

Mike McIntyre 4 minute read Preview

Playoff picture coming into focus for Jets

Mike McIntyre 4 minute read Sunday, Apr. 9, 2023

The playoff picture for the Winnipeg Jets is starting to come into focus.

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Sunday, Apr. 9, 2023

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Winnipeg Jets scored a 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators Saturday night.

Inexperienced Bombers fall to Riders

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Preview

Inexperienced Bombers fall to Riders

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Friday, Jun. 2, 2023

Hallelujah, the CFL preseason is officially in the rear-view mirror. Let the real games begin.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders faced off in the final game of the exhibition season, with the prairie rivals playing in front of a crowd of 24,654 at IG Field Friday night. The Bombers would try to make it a game as the night wore on but failed to mount a late comeback as the Roughriders rolled to a 28-16 victory.

The Bombers wrap up the preseason with a 1-1 record, having defeated the Edmonton Elks, 25-23, on the road last Saturday. The Roughriders won both their preseason games, including a 30-27 home triumph over the B.C. Lions.

Winnipeg will begin the regular season next Friday (June 9) against the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Before we look too far ahead, let’s take a look at Friday’s loss, with some news, notes and analysis from the game.

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Friday, Jun. 2, 2023

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Matt Cole was impressive returning kicks Friday night in the Bombers’ presason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at IG Field.

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Jones on the hot seat against Roughriders

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

Jones on the hot seat against Roughriders

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Thursday, Jun. 1, 2023

Josh Jones will need to have one heck of a performance Friday night if he wants to remain with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 22-year-old quarterback is in a battle with fellow rookie Tyrrell Pigrome for the team’s third-string job but already finds himself as the underdog.

Pigrome won over a lot of people last week in the club’s preseason opener in Edmonton by completing two-of-four passes for 43 yards, while leading the club with 71 rushing yards on five carries, and scoring a pair of touchdowns with his legs.

Jones, who started five seasons at NCAA Division II UNC-Pembroke, took the reins on the final two drives but wasn’t able to make the same splash in the 25-23 victory.

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Thursday, Jun. 1, 2023

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Blue Bombers QB Josh Jones knows he needs to impress in Friday’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Star receiver Lawler suspended by Bombers

Jeff Hamilton 2 minute read Preview

Star receiver Lawler suspended by Bombers

Jeff Hamilton 2 minute read Thursday, Jun. 1, 2023

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are dealing with a massive hit to their roster just a week before the CFL season begins.

The team has transferred star receiver Kenny Lawler to the suspended list, “… pending resolution of matters related to his 2021 off-field incident,” the Bombers said in a statement. An update on Lawler’s status will be provided once the situation resolves, with the expectation that it will take between three or four weeks to achieve that goal, the two-sentence statement read.

There was no further information provided by the Bombers.

However, league sources confirmed to the Free Press the off-field incident in question is related to Lawler’s charge for impaired driving after a single-vehicle accident in the early hours of Monday, Oct. 4, 2021.

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Thursday, Jun. 1, 2023

Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ star receiver Kenny Lawler has been suspended just a week before the CFL season begins.

Elam Ending 101: explaining unique finish to CEBL games

Mike Sawatzky 6 minute read Preview

Elam Ending 101: explaining unique finish to CEBL games

Mike Sawatzky 6 minute read Thursday, Jun. 1, 2023

Nick Elam was a high school math teacher in 2007 when he got an idea that is helping to spark a mini-revolution in basketball.

The so-called Elam Ending, a rule now in regular use by the Canadian Elite Basketball League, is a customized ending to a game that forces players and coaches to avoid the spectacle of constant fouling that often turns into a tedious late-game routine.

The Elam Ending, or Target Score system as the CEBL now refers to it, was used to spectacular effect when the Winnipeg Sea Bears beat the Vancouver Bandits 90-85 in their franchise debut last Saturday.

Winnipeg held a 13-point lead (80-67) with 3:48 left in the game. But under the CEBL’s unique Elam Ending rule, the clock is turned off following the first play stoppage in the final four minutes and the game ends when either team reaches the target score — equal to the leading team’s point total plus nine. The target score was set at 89.

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Thursday, Jun. 1, 2023

Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Jelani Watson-Gayle controls the basketball in a May 27 game against the visiting Vancouver Bandits. (Brook Jones / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Bombers DB Houston aims for major comeback after minor setback

Taylor Allen 4 minute read Preview

Bombers DB Houston aims for major comeback after minor setback

Taylor Allen 4 minute read Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers expected American defensive back Tyquwan Glass to be an important piece of their secondary in 2022.

Three weeks into the year, however, Glass was cut, largely in part to the emergence of Demerio Houston.

Houston, a practice-squad player the year before who only saw action in four games, showed promise at boundary corner and the team decided to roll with him.

It proved to be a wise decision as the Shelby, N.C., resident played at a high level, and made one of the biggest plays of the season in Week 6 with a game-winning interception at home against the Calgary Stampeders off a Kamar Jorden bobble.

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Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press

Defensive back Demerio Houston had 27 tackles and two interceptions in nine starts with the Bombers last year.

Bombers training camp and exhibition games are for evaluating talent

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Preview

Bombers training camp and exhibition games are for evaluating talent

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

It’s always important to take the CFL preseason with a grain of salt.

While players work all off-season to get into shape, and then use training camp as a way to further get ready for the season, there’s really no way to truly replicate the kind of action you see in a ‘real’ game. Because players need time to shake off the rust built up over a long winter, performances in the preseason — good or bad — aren’t necessarily strong indicators of what’s to come.

Add in the fact key players are often limited in their playing time or held out altogether, making room for younger and inexperienced players who in most cases are new to the CFL, drawing any kind of concrete conclusions is a fool’s game.

That’s not to suggest what we’ve seen over the last week is meaningless — not even close. A strong preseason effort can earn a rookie a job or, in the case of a seasoned veteran, provide the confidence to hit the ground running when the regular season starts.

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Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

Jason Franson / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Bombers receiver Kenny Lawler breaks free from a tackle by Edmonton Elks’ Dwayne Thompson II Saturday during a CFL exhibition game in Edmonton.

Manitoba hitting above its weight on national volleyball team

Donald Stewart 4 minute read Preview

Manitoba hitting above its weight on national volleyball team

Donald Stewart 4 minute read Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

While Manitoba comprises just one of 13 provinces and territories in Canada, the prairie province accounted for one quarter of the athletes named to the roster for the Under-21 men’s national volleyball team.

Spencer Grahame, Samuel Ludwig, Jonah Dueck and Josh Jehle were named to the 16-man roster for the U21 national squad that will compete in the the NORCECA Men’s U21 Pan American Cup from June 3-11 in Havana, Cuba, and the FIVB Men’s U21 World Championships from July 7-16 in Manama, Bahrain.

Not only do they hail from Manitoba, they all play for the University of Manitoba Bisons. The Bison athletes will be joined by their head coach Arnd (Lupo) Ludwig and their assistant coach Mike Stephens who were announced as the U21 head coach and assistant coach, respectively. Lupo Ludwig is also Samuel Ludwig’s father. The chance to coach this team was meaningful for coach Ludwig especially when he looks back at his playing days.

“It’s something very special for me, specifically because I was playing at the 1987 Junior World Championships in Bahrain as well, so it’s a full circle (experience),” said Ludwig.

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Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

SUPPLIED

From left: Manitobans Josh Jehle, Jonah Dueck, Spencer Grahame and Samuel Ludwig were named to the Under-21 men’s national volleyball team. They all play for the U of M Bisons.

Golf Manitoba season tees off with match-play championship

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Golf Manitoba season tees off with match-play championship

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

Addison Kartusch stood on the opening tee at the Manitoba junior women’s golf championship nearly a year ago in search of a breakthrough performance. And shine she did, winning the title by 13 strokes at St. Charles Country Club, her home course.

What a summer it turned out to be for the Winnipeg teen.

After a top-five finish in the provincial women’s amateur at Granite Hills and a victory at the junior championship, Kartusch, 16, was invited to Golf Canada’s NextGen Selection Camp in Caledon, Ont., then placed in the top-30 at the Canadian junior, and finally, represented Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in Ontario’s Niagara Region.

She capped a fabulous 2022 season by making a verbal commitment to attend Bowling Green (Ohio) State University, an NCAA Division 1 program, in the fall of 2024.

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Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

MIKE PETERS / GOLF MANITOBA files

Addison Kartusch is looking to build on a very successful 2022 season.

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