The Southwest Cougars are 2-0 to start the 2023-24 Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League season after sweeping a home-and-home with the Pembina Valley Hawks. Micky Gross made 27 saves in the Cougars 3-2 victory over the Hawks Saturday in Souris. Regan Anderson, Jack Clark and Kole Beard did the goal scoring for Southwest.


The Westman Wildcats lost their season opener 2-1 to the defending Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League champion Winnipeg Ice at Hockey for All Centre. Paige Crossley had the lone goal for the Wildcats who face the Pembina Valley Hawks Sunday in Morden.


The Virden Oil Capitals lost 5-4 to the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Jesiah Bennett potted the overtime winner for the Wolverines. Josh Lehto, Luke MacKenzie, Roux Bazin and Nolan Chastko did the goal scoring for the Caps. Chastko’s second of the season with 14 seconds left in the third period and goaltender Eric Reid on the bench for an extra attacker tied the game at 4-4.


Rylen Roersma had a goal and an assist and Carson Bjarnason made 34 saves including 15 in the first period as the Brandon Wheat Kings defeated the Swift Current Broncos 6-3 at Westoba Place. Kayden Sadhra-Kang, Dominik Petr, Jayden Wiens, Charlie Elick and Brett Hyland also scored for the Wheat Kings.


The Winnipeg Jets reduced their training camp roster by 10 players. Goaltenders Thomas Milic and Oskari Salminen; defensemen Tyrel Bauer, Artemi Kniazev, Dimitri Kuzmin & Simon Lundmark and forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert & Daniel Torgersson were assigned to the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose. The Jets also released defenseman Dean Stewart of Portage la Prairie from his professional try-out.


Three Manitoba curling teams will play in the finals of the 2023 PointsBet Invitational in Oakville, Ontario. Matt Dunstone will face Reid Carruthers in the men’s final. Dunstone defeated Carruthers in the final of the 2023 Viterra Championship. Four-time reigning Canadian champion Kerri Einarson will take on Rachel Homan of Ottawa in the women’s final.