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It was a tough weekend for the Parkland U18 Rangers as they failed to make up any ground in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League.

With their two losses, the Rangers dropped to 10-15-2-1 with just more than a month left in the regular season. On Saturday, the Rangers showed up offensively with three goals; however, they struggled defensively in a 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Wild. Hayden Seib, Cade Legaarden, and Cam Sarna scored for the Rangers in the win while Ethan Myhre made 22 saves.

On Sunday, Ian Buors scored a hat-trick in a dominating 7-1 win for the Interlake Lightning over the Rangers. Legaarden scored another goal for Parkland while Chase Glover gave up seven goals while making 29 saves. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 14, 2024 - 5:08 pm

The Dauphin Kings will have to wait two more days as they look to continue their winning ways to begin 2024.

The club was scheduled to play a pair of games this weekend; however, poor weather conditions will see the team not hit the ice. Sunday's game against the Blizzard Junior A Hockey Club has been postponed.

Dauphin will return to the ice on Tuesday evening when they welcome the Swan Valley Stampeders to town. Darnell Duff will have the broadcast alongside Jeff Henson kicking off with the Parkland Source for Sports pregame show at 7:15. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 14, 2024 - 11:18 am

His dad was ecstatic, his mom was ecstatic, and the rest of his family alongside all of his friends had a smile on their faces from ear to ear.

Kyan Grouette was coming home and this time, he was staying put in his hometown and he was going to suit up for his hometown junior hockey team, a team that he grew up watching. For Grouette, it was like a dream come true.

From Dauphin, Kyan has spent the past couple of years with the Everett Silvertips organization of the Western Hockey League. During this time, Grouette suited up in 78 regular season games, scoring five times and adding one assist. He also played five playoff games for one of the most storied franchises in the WHL. 

"Everett is a first-class organization, they take care of their players very well," said Grouette. "I enjoyed the opportunity, I always wanted to play in the WHL."

While Kyan was thrilled to be given the opportunity to play at the Major Junior level, it brought on frustration. Having huge belief in himself and for good reason, Grouette wasn't getting the playing time that he believed he deserved and that so many believed he deserved. 

When he was on the ice, Grouette wasn't seeing the ice time that he wanted and ultimately, it was time to leave Everett.

"It was very frustrating, to be honest," said Grouette. "I don't feel that I could have done anything more out there. I was giving it everything I had on and off the ice, it kind of felt like I couldn't do anything right. I was fed up with it, it was just time to pull the plug."

Over the past two years, Kyan has been used to coming back home for Christmas before heading right back to Everett right after December 25. This year, he came home for Christmas and has not left. Grouette made his Kings debut on January 5 when Dauphin downed the Winnipeg Freeze, 3-0. It was a game that Kyan will never forget.

"It's been great, I love it, I love every second of every day here," said Grouette. "I think this is where I was meant to be and really wanted to be this entire time. I love getting up every day and going to the rink and hanging out with the guys and battling on the ice."

(Pederson Photographic)

Two of Kyan's biggest supporters since day one have been his dad Ken and mom Jamie. Travelling thousands of kilometres over the years to watch his son play, Ken and Jamie won't have to travel nearly as much now, especially because they will get to see their son play right at home at Credit Union Place. The team's next game is Saturday against Portage.

"I think this is what I needed, I needed to come home and play in front of my family," offered Grouette. "It's been awesome, I love having them in the stands every night."

Grouette has now played three games with Dauphin and the team has been perfect. Since the calendar flipped to 2024, Dauphin has won three straight games, scoring 11 times while giving up just two goals. 

As he is back home, Kyan also has some pretty big praise for Tyler Carefoot, head coach of the Parkland U18 Rangers for helping him get where he is today.

"He has always looked after me and made sure I was doing well," said Grouette. "Even to this day, he always reaches out to me to see how things are going, he has been an inspiration to me."

On the ice, Kyan is a part of an all Dauphin line playing alongside Madden Murray and Carter Zalischuk. The three Dauphin stars grew up playing for each other and now, they're suiting up on the same line in the top junior league in the province.

"Right away we just clicked and we all just feel the chemistry on the ice," ended Grouette. "We're also very tight off the ice, so all is good between us three."

Kyan Grouette is back where he wants to be and you can see him in action along with the rest of the team on Saturday night when Portage is in town. The game also marks the return of Aidan Brook to town after he was dealt to the Terriers at the trade deadline. The puck drops between the Kings and Terriers at 7:30. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 12, 2024 - 10:37 am

Will Miner has loved sports since he was just a young kid.

Growing up in Dauphin playing every sport he could, Miner decided to try out rugby about seven years ago and he has become an all-star on the field and just last year, during his grade 11 year at the DRCSS, Miner was talked into playing football and he was sure glad he did.

So Will joined the Clippers football team and while the team came up short of winning a championship in the Rural Manitoba Football League, Miner loved every second of being on the gridiron and representing Dauphin's lone high school team.

"I loved playing with the Clippers, it's all about family, it's one big family on the field," said Miner. "I'm so happy that I played with the team, it was an incredible two years. It was a real honour and I will never forget about my time with the team."

While Will's time as a Clipper has come to an end as he is set to graduate in just a few months, he recently had the opportunity of a lifetime on the field and it was one that so many football players wish they could also have.

Alongside three of his Clipper teammates, Miner made his way to Minneapolis just before 2024 began with the Manitoba Selects team and they were joined by other players from across the United States for a camp. The camp which was made up of mostly American players was played in front of scouts from American colleges and universities.

Will was given the chance after an incredible season with the Clippers in which he lit it up offensively.

"It was really cool and very nerve-racking at the same time," offered Miner. "Football is quite a bit different down there compared to here, so it was a whole new experience and it was one that I will never forget."

Will was joined by Sully Fox, Lars Gudbjartson, and Owen Tyschinski, all of whom call Dauphin their home and are also coming off all-star seasons with the Clippers. 

"It was exactly how I wanted it to be, I couldn't have asked for a better experience and I was so happy to be with them," said Miner. "I thought they all performed very well and while I didn't think I performed as well as I could, it was a great time."

About as humble as you can be, Miner certainly impressed on the field, and on the last day of the camp, everyone involved took part in a game at US Bank Stadium, which is home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.

"It's a lot bigger in person than it is on TV," offered Miner. "It was cool, it's hard even to put into words how cool of an experience it was."

For those that are unaware, US Bank Stadium has a capacity of 66,860 for NFL games and it can be expanded to 73,000 for the Super Bowl and other special events. 

Now back in Dauphin and riding high after a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Miner has turned his focus to helping the Clippers hockey team succeed. They're off to Winnipeg this weekend for the Piper Classic and this is Will's fourth season with the team. He was an affiliate player in grade 9 during a season that was cancelled because of the pandemic.

"It's a good feeling to be a Clipper on the ice, I'm playing with guys that I grew up playing with so that's nice," said Miner.

Playing in the Westman High School Hockey League, it's been another great season for Dauphin as they have won 15 of their 19 games, and with no league games scheduled on Thursday, Dauphin will enter the weekend in first place, two points up on Vincent Massey and six up on the Chancellors. 

"I didn't think that we would be this good at the start of the season," said Miner. "We've turned out to be a great team. I believe we have a real shot at winning the league this year, so we're focused on taking it the whole way."

The next chance for you to see Will and the rest of the Clippers in action at Credit Union Place is on January 20 when they welcome the REMH Renegades to town at 3:30. That starts a stretch that will see Dauphin play three of four games on home ice. You can see the team's entire schedule here. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 11, 2024 - 10:09 am

The Dauphin Kings announced a few significant trades on Wednesday as the Canadian Junior Hockey League's (CJHL) has now come and gone.

One of the trades included the team's captain and Roblin native as Aidan Brook was traded to the Portage Terriers. Brook joined the team two years ago and helped them clinch a Turnbull Cup and then advance to the national semi-final. In 31 games this year, Brook recorded four goals and nine assists. Dauphin also dealt Rhett Perrin as a part of the deal and Future Considerations. In return, Dauphin acquired 18-year-old defenseman, Brett Magarrell. From Domain, Brett has one goal and five assists this season. Brett's dad won a Turnbull Cup with Dauphin back in 1993. The Kings also received a third-round draft pick along with a fifth-round draft pick and Future Considerations.

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In a blockbuster trade to open the day, Anthony Bax was traded to the number one team in the country. Doug Hedley sent Bax to the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Bombers have just two losses in 33 regulation games this year. Bax was an all-star for Dauphin, recording 32 points this year in 30 games. In return, the Kings locked up Ashton Paul and Future Considerations. Ashton scored 26 times in the regular season last year with the Blizzard Junior A Hockey Club and he posted two points in six playoff games. 

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In another trade, Dauphin sent Nolan Wickham to the Winkler Flyers. Also on the championship team from two years ago, Wickham was an assistant captain for Dauphin this year. He had two goals and eight assists across 29 games. In return, Dauphin has acquired Ty Pratte and a second-round pick. Pratte has one goal and one assist this year in 15 games for the MJHL contenders. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 10, 2024 - 2:56 pm

It was a fantastic weekend for Riese Gaber and he has once again been recognized by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). 

After recording six points in a weekend sweep over Alaska, the Gilbert Plains sniper was named Forward of the Week. It was the fourth time that Gaber had earned the honour. 

In Friday's 6-4 win, Gaber scored twice while adding one assist. Then on Saturday, Gaber factored in North Dakota's first three goals of the game as he scored once while adding two primary assists. He was named the game's first start on both nights while racking up 10 shots on goal. He was also a +4 plus/minus throughout two games.

Gaber now ranks 10th in NCHC, scoring 20 points in as many games this year. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 10, 2024 - 1:21 pm

Dennis Beyak was a high school student in Winnipegosis and he was involved in drama.

Following a performance, an adjudicator approached Dennis and said have you ever thought of getting into radio because you have a great voice. At this time, Dennis thought to himself how much he enjoyed radio. Whether it was the cartoons that were played on the air, to the Saturday morning shows to the music, Beyak enjoyed radio from a very young age. So he got some information from the guidance councilors and that led him to the Canadian National Institute of Broadcasting in Winnipeg.

After completing his broadcasting course in Winnipeg, Dennis hit the road dropping off tapes to various radio stations throughout the province, and while Beyak admits this was not an easy process, he eventually got a call from his instructor asking if he was willing to move to the Hockey Capital of the North, Flin Flon. Beyak was ready to make the move and in 1970, Beyak began what will go down as an incredible career on the mic.

"I said absolutely when I was asked if I was interested in moving up to Flin Flon," said Beyak. "So I made the trip and I guess just went from there."

While his job at the start wasn't calling Flin Flon Bombers games, Dennis did eventually get a chance to call a Bombers game as they went up against the Brandon Wheat Kings and he went on to work in Flin Flon for a pair of years. Beginning in Flin Flon, Beyak accomplished much more than success only in the broadcast booth. From 1981-1990, he was the assistant general manager of the Saskatoon Blades and he followed that up by being the general manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds from 1992-1994 and the general manager of the Tri-City Americans from 1994-1995.

He was the chairman of the Memorial Cup tournament in Saskatoon on two separate occasions (Saskatoon in 1989) and (Seattle in 1992) and he was named the WHL Executive of the Year in 1989. 

NHL Comes Calling:

So many years before, Beyak was doing play-by-play during street hockey games on the streets of Winnipegosis. Then 25 years after starting his broadcasting career in Flin Flon at CFAR, Beyak got a call from the Edmonton Oilers and he became the Voice of the team from 1995-1997 on CFRN-TV. 

Beyak then went on to become the play-by-play voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs on AM640 Toronto Radio in 1998 and seven years later, he became the television play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Marlies.

Manitoba Bound:

The Atlanta Thrashers were a thing of the past and with it, it marked the return of the Winnipeg Jets in 2011. Playing in downtown Winnipeg, the Jets brought plenty of excitement back to Manitoba's capital and for Dennis, the return of the team marked another stop in his incredible broadcasting journey.

Beyak looked at his phone one day and on the other end was TSN, asking Dennis if he would be interested in moving back to Winnipeg to become the voice of the team for Jets 2.0.

"Bev and I said absolutely," said Beyak. "For a young guy growing up in Manitoba and getting an opportunity to go back home and call  Winnipeg Jets games, it was special. It was a great way to end my NHL career in the booth."

Dennis went on to call Jets games for a decade before retiring from the NHL and now, Dan Robertson is the voice of the Jets on TSN.

On top of his NHL duties over the years, Dennis has also called games for TSN at the World Hockey Championships and World Junior Hockey Championships. Witnessing history at multiple International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events over the years, Beyak says he cherishes the moments on the international stage just as much as his time in the National Hockey League and that he is forever grateful for the opportunities he has received over the years. 

A Legendary Career Comes to a Close:

The stands were packed for a quarterfinal matchup between Finland and Slovakia at the most recent World Junior Hockey Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

Beyak was on the call as Jere Lassila scored just 24 seconds into overtime to send the Finnish squad to the semifinals and with it, Beyak was nearing the end of his career.

He called one final game on January 2 at 10 a.m. local time as the United States went up against Latvia. With the game well in hand for the Americans, Craig Button presented Dennis live on air with a Flin Flon Bombers jersey.

It was an extremely fitting presentation seeing as Beyak started his broadcasting career in Flin Flon some 53 years ago and along the way, he became the favourite play-by-play announcer to many and an icon to so many more. 

"It was very special, I think we all remember where we started and how important it was to me," offered Beyak. "To get that first opportunity to go to Flin Flon and to call my first game against the Brandon Wheat Kings, it is something that I will never forget."

Beyak also admits that while he will miss calling games, he was ready for the moment.

"I had come to grips with it, I think coming to grips with it in Winnipeg made things much easier," ended Beyak. "This past Spring in Riga when Latvia played Sweden at the World Championship, that was my last game at that event as well. When it came to the World Juniors, I had come to grips that this was it. My emotions were fine until the presentations started. During that final game between Latvia and the United States, we had a chance to reminisce in the third period when the game was already in hand which was nice."

If you ever listened to Dennis call a game, you listened to one of the best and if you're lucky enough, you'll get the chance to see him on a golf course in the future. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 10, 2024 - 11:38 am

The Dauphin Kings have caught fire to open 2024.

In a key West Division battle against Neepawa, Joshua Schmidt scored the winner just more than a dozen minutes into the third in a 3-0 win against the Titans.

Rylan Gage and Gabriel Bugeaud also scored for Dauphin in the win while Cole Sheffield was brilliant as he recorded his second shutout in his last three starts. He finished the night with 29 saves.

With the win, Dauphin improves to 19-11-1 and they are now eight points up on Neepawa for third and eight points back of the Blizzard for second, but Dauphin has four games in hand.

The Kings are on home ice against Portage on Saturday. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 9, 2024 - 10:08 pm

It was a remarkable weekend for the Grand Plains U18 Ice Dogs as they took part in the Foxes Tournament in Prince Albert over the weekend.

From start to finish, it was all Ice Dogs as they won all five of their games, most of which came in dominating fashion. In their opener, Caitlin Fillion stood tall in net to record a shutout in a 3-0 win against the Prince Albert Foxes. Olivia Brown then stole the show between the pipes in a 10-0 win in their next game.

That put the Ice Dogs up against the Saskatoon Sting in their final round-robin game and the Ice Dogs were not to be stopped as they racked up a 5-1 win.

The Ice Dogs were then Final Four bound where they downed the Red Deer Chiefs, 4-1. The only team that was standing in the way of Grand Plains hoisting the championship trophy and winning a banner was the Saskatoon Destroyers.

Ultimately, the Destroyers had nothing on Grand Plains as the Ice Dogs beat Saskatoon, 7-2. Olivia Brown and Caitlin Fillion combined to allow just four goals in the tournament.

Offensively, Montana Jubenvill led the way with 11 goals to fuel the team.

The Ice Dogs return to the Parkland for a pair of games this weekend as they play Glenboro on Saturday at 5:30 at the GACC and then on Sunday, the Ice Dogs hook up with the league-leading Rivers/Hamiota team in Gilbert Plains at 5:30. 

In league play, the Ice Dogs got off to a slow start; however, they have turned things around with wins in four of their last five games. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 9, 2024 - 1:12 pm

It was a special weekend for a U9 hockey team from Dauphin.

Dauphin Minor Hockey sent a cross-roster team to play in a tournament in Rivers and Dauphin dominated their competition.

In three games, the Kings outscored their opponents, 39-10, to win the A-side championship. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jan 9, 2024 - 10:40 am