ECL Bronx begin play at the 25th annual NAFA Fastpitch World Series in Fargo, North Dakota

The ECL Bronx will once again play in a couple divisions as they head down south for the 25th anniversary of the North American Fastpitch Association World Series in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Bronx open up their "A" Major division play on Thursday at 11AM SK time vs. the Northwest Braves (Oregon).

They will also be competing the "AA" division that starts next Friday Aug 18th when they face Heannger's.

To follow along with the Bronx at NAFA go Here


I caught up with Bronx Player/Coach Craig "Gubba" Geisler to preview the event.

Battlefords (SJHL) announce Brandon Heck as new Head Coach/GM

The Battlefords North Stars have announced their coaching staff ahead of the upcoming 2017/18 SJHL season.

The North Stars have named 32 year old Brandon Heck as their new Head Coach/General Manager.

The Forestburg, AB product spent last 2 seasons as the Head Coach of the Camrose Bantam AAA Red Wings.

The Stars have also announced that local product and former player Boyd Wakelin will be the teams Assistant Coach.

Wakelin played 3 plus years with the North Stars and just wrapped up his 5 year ACAC playing career with the Augustana Vikings.

Local Sports- Aug 8th

Canada Summer Games
The first half sports wrapped up at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, MB.

In Men's baseball, in front of just under 7,000 fans,  Saltcoats' product Gregor Farquason and Team Saskatchewan defeated the host Manitoba 3-1 in the Gold Medal game on Friday night.

Lyndon Zimmer (Inglis), John Patmore (Pipestone) and Noah Geekie (Strathclair) were members of the Silver-medal winning Manitoba.


Also in Men's basketball, Yorkton's Matthew Mandziuk and Team Sask captured 7th place overall after beating New Brunswick 85-67.


2nd half sports are now well underway, in Women's Volleyball

Redvers' Ashleigh Wolensky and Team Sask split their opening 2 games on Monday losing to Nova Scotia in straight sets then they dispatched of BC in 4 sets in their 2nd game.

They'll be back on the court on Tuesday afternoon at 3PM SK time vs. Manitoba.



The Team Saskatchewan Men's Soccer team which includes Canora's Spencer Steele played to a 1-1 draw with BC in their opening game.

They'll be back in action at 3PM SK time as well when they face Nova Scotia.



Also Tuesday, will be the opening day for Men's and Women's golf at the Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg.

Melville's Chloe Sies and Yorkton product Kade Johnson are on the Saskatchewan team for the event.



Local Ball 
The matchup for the Tri-Highway Fastball League championship series is now set after the Balcarres Bronx advanced on Monday.

The Bronx beat the Neudorf Posse 5-2 in the 5th and deciding game of their Best of 5 series.

The Bronx will take on the Rhein Rockets in the final, and that series won't begin until Balcarres returns back from competing in the "A" Major and "AA" divisions' of the 2017 NAFA Fastpitch World Series which begins later this week in Fargo, North Dakota.

For more information on NAFA World Series go here



The Southeast Men's Fastball league Final between Round Lake and the Grenfell Gems will get underway on Tuesday with their Game 1 of the Best of 5 series.

Game 2 will be played on Thursday in Ochapowace while Game 3 is back in Grenfell on Friday night.

All games will begin at 8PM.



The 2017 Senior AA Tier 2 Baseball Championships will be taking place at Jubilee Park in Yorkton this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Yorkton E&S Yankees are the host team for the 8-team tournament.

The Yankees play their opening game on Friday night at 7PM vs. the Cabri River Rats.

For a full schedule Click Here


The Western Major Baseball League is into their divisional finals right now and both series will play their Game number 2's on Tuesday night.

The Weyburn Beavers lead the Swift Current 57's and Medicine Hat leads Edmonton by a 1 game to none mark after victories on Monday.




Local Hockey
Canada won't be playing for gold at the Sochi Hockey Open.

The Canadians fell 3-2 to Russia to wrap-up the tournament's preliminary round.

Instead, Canada plays Metallurg Magnitogorsk for third place on Wednesday.

Gilbert Brule and Maxim Noreau scored for the Canadians.

Wapella's Bud Holloway and Swan River product Chay Genoway are members of the Canadian team.


Local Golf 

The 2017 Canadian Men's Amateur Golf Championships is underway from Mississauga, Ontario.

Melville's Mitchell Matichuk fired an opening round of 1-under par 69 and entering Day 2 sat 5 shots back in a tie for 22nd place.

Yorkton-born Matt Procyshen is also field and he shot an opening round of 8-over par 78 and sat in T219th place after the opening day.

To follow along to the leaderboard Click Here 

SJHL's Melville Millionaires are seeking billets for the 2017/18 season

The Millionaires Jr Hockey Club are seeking billets for the 2017/18 season.

 Each Season the Melville Millionaires recruit talented hockey players who show great potential to play at the Junior level.  In order to take advantage of this great opportunity, the players need families willing to share their homes, and become a “Home Away from Home” for them.  The importance of the billet families to the Melville Millionaires Organization is immeasurable.


If you are interested in the possibility of becoming a Billet or want more information please contact one of our Billet Coordinators Tammy Stevenson at 306-730-5223 or tammy.stevenson@accesscomm.ca or Renee Waldbauer at 306-730-7334 or renee.waldbauer@richardson.ca or visit us online at http://www.melvillemillionaires.ca/page/show/941386-become-a-billet

MJHL to hold US Prospects Camp in Grand Forks, ND in May 2018

                                          

Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and The Hockey Academy at Ralph Engelstad Arena are proud to announce that the MJHL will hold a U.S. Prospects Camp in Grand Forks, North Dakota, May 12 and 13, 2018.

Representatives from the League office and all eleven MJHL franchises will be on site to scout United States hockey players with birthdates in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 that have the potential to play elite junior hockey in the Canadian Junior Hockey League system.

“The 2018 MJHL Prospect Camp at Ralph Engelstad Arena will provide the next generation of American MJHL Players with the knowledge and resources to be successful both on and off the ice, an insight into what playing in the MJHL is all about and the platform to showcase themselves to coaches and scouts from the MJHL clubs.”- Kim Davis, MJHL Commissioner

The 2018 MJHL Prospect Camp will focus on the skills, both on and off the ice, that are necessary to be successful in the upper levels of Junior hockey and beyond. The on-ice program will consist of practice and competitive game sessions. The off-ice portion of the camp will cover elements related to athleticism and mental skills, as well as identifying what is required to be a successful player in the MJHL.

“This is a great opportunity for some of our local hockey players to get exposure to a top Junior A hockey league so they can continue their playing careers and hopefully make it to the next level.”- Ryan Ladoucer, Director of The Hockey Academy. Most of the participants at the MJHL U.S. Prospect Camp will come from North Dakota and Minnesota, but it is expected that a few players will come from other parts of the country as well. The 2018 U.S. Prospects Camp will be an invite-only event.

For more information about the 2018 MJHL U.S. Prospect Camp being held at Ralph Engelstad Arena, visit www.mjhlhockey.ca or www.ralphengelstadarena.com

E&S Yankees complete 3-peat winning their 3rd straight SESBL title

The E&S Yankees are champions of the Southeast Senior Baseball League once again.

The Yankees captured their 3rd straight league title & 4th in the last 5 years after a 19-1 win over the Canora Supers on Monday night to sweep the Best of 5 championship series, 3 games to 0.

The Yankees will now shift their focus to hosting the 2017 Baseball Sask Senior AA Tier 2 Provincial championships held Aug 11th-13th at Jubilee Park.

They'll play their first game on Friday the 11th at 7PM vs. the Cabri River Rats.

Yankees Player/Coach Mark Jacobs chats about the title and previews Provincials

Whitewood product & former Millionaires coach McEwen named Hockey Canada's Head Scout

(Hockey Canada Press Release)

Hockey Canada has hired Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.) – most recently a western Canadian amateur scout for the Calgary Flames – as its Program of Excellence head scout.

McEwen, whose hockey background includes scouting, coaching, and management roles for the better part of two decades with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos, will lead the player evaluation and selection process for Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence alongside regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Barclay Parneta (West), Kevin Mitchell (Atlantic), and Darrell Woodley (Ontario) at the under-17 level, and with input from coaches and general managers from across the Canadian Hockey League for the under-18 and under-20 levels.

The hiring comes on the heels of the Buffalo Sabres’ announcement that Ryan Jankowski (Calgary, Alta.), Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, was joining the Club as director of amateur scouting.

“Firstly, on behalf of Hockey Canada, I want to congratulate Ryan and thank him for his leadership and commitment to our teams’ and players’ success since joining our group in 2013,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams. “We’re all looking forward to working with Brad, who hits the ground running this week with our Ivan Hlinka selection camp and National Junior Team development camp both underway. Brad brings a wealth of hockey experience and familiarity with both our POE program and the players within it. He’s a tremendous addition to our team.”

McEwen, who was awarded the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy as the 2001-02 WHL executive of the year, will work through a transition with Jankowski to select Canada’s 2017 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which will compete at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia, Aug. 7-12.

He then takes over the reins as head scout with an eye to fielding the best in Canadian talent at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., in November, the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., in December, and the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship next spring.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.caor follow along via social media onFacebook,Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Men.