The Northern Manitoba Blizzard are back tonight and tomorrow for a two-game doubleheader against the Winkler Flyers. Tonight's game will be the first meeting between the two squads since last year's playoff race, where the Blizz won four straight games to advance to the finals. Right now, both the Blizz and the Flyers are on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff seeding. The Blizz will be looking to snap a losing skid, while the Flyers aim to get back in the win column after a 3–2 loss to Portage. 102.9 CJAR will be broadcasting both games this weekend, with puck drop set for 7:00 P.M.

In other hockey news, the OCN Storm hit the road once again to face the Cross Lake Islanders in back-to-back games. Cross Lake remains winless after twelve games played, while the reigning KJHL champs continue to dominate and look to extend their current three-game win streak. Both games will be broadcast live on the official Storm Facebook page. Puck drop on Saturday is at 7:30 P.M., and Sunday's game will start at 1:30 P.M.

The Provincial AA Boys Volleyball Championship starts today, and the SV Boys of MBCI are in Russell, Manitoba, representing the Tri-Community. On Thursday, the boys will face the Goose Lake Raiders and the Immanuel Christian Falcons in back-to-back games. On Friday, the Spartans will face the Morris/St. Jean Mavericks and the Warren Wildcats. Once pool play is completed, a bracket-style tournament will begin on Saturday, November 29, to determine a champion.

After spending the weekend in Hamiota, Manitoba, competing in the Provincial A/AA JV Volleyball Championship, the JV Spartans of MBCI walked away with a fourth-place finish. The Spartans had a strong showing in pool play, finishing as one of only two teams to suffer just a single loss.

Bracket play eventually rolled around, where the Spartans fell in the semifinals to the Elton Sabres before dropping the third-place match to the Rosenort Redhawks.

In other exciting local volleyball news, the 2025 First Nations Volleyball Provincials were held on OCN last week. After two days of competition featuring numerous schools, two champions were crowned. On the boys’ side, the OLC Wolverines lifted the championship banner, while on the girls’ side, the Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre took home gold for Norway House.

The Storm picked up back-to-back wins this past weekend against the still-winless Cross Lake Islanders.

Saturday’s game was a back-and-forth battle. After the first period, the Storm held a 2–1 lead, but by the end of the second, it was Cross Lake who carried a one-goal advantage. With the score being 4–3 heading into the third, it was anyone’s game. Luckily for OCN, Carson Clemons and Keestin Danielson buried two unanswered goals to secure a 5–4 victory.

Sunday’s matchup saw the Storm take complete control compared to the night before. By the start of the final frame, they led 8–2. Both teams added one more goal down the stretch, making the final 9–3.

With the weekend sweep, the Storm are back on a winning streak. That streak, however, will be tested as they hit the road for the first time in four weeks. This weekend, they’ll travel to Cross Lake for a two-game doubleheader against the Islanders.

The Blizz lost a tough battle this past Friday in what was the third meeting between Northern Manitoba and the number-one-ranked Niverville Nighthawks. By the time the third period rolled around, the Nighthawks held a 3–0 lead. They then added two more goals just before the halfway point of the final frame to make it 5–0.

In the later stages of the period, back-to-back power-play goals from Kelton Kellerman and Jett Fogle gave the Blizz some momentum, but the nail in the coffin came when Niverville scored once more with just under twenty seconds remaining.

The Blizz now prepare for a two-game home doubleheader this Friday and Saturday against the Winkler Flyers. Puck drop for both games is 7:00 P.M.

The JV Boys of MBCI are at Hamiota Collegiate Institute today and tomorrow to compete in the Provincial A/AA JV Boys Volleyball Championship. Currently in pool play, the Spartans are 2-0 after picking up impressive wins over Immanuel Christian and Pointe-des-Chênes. Today, the Spartans will face another undefeated team, the Major Pratt Trojans, as well as the 0-2 Birtle Falcons.

Those interested in streaming the upcoming games are encouraged to join the official MBCI Sports Facebook group.

It’s a David vs. Goliath matchup tonight between the Northern Manitoba Blizzard and the 18–1 Niverville Nighthawks. The Nighthawks come in riding a twelve-game win streak and sit second overall on the CJHL Top 20 list. The Blizz, meanwhile, are looking to snap a losing skid and get back in the win column as they kick off a six-game homestand.

Puck drop for tonight’s matchup is 7:00 P.M. Our Shane’s Blizzard broadcast will begin around 6:45 P.M. with your FunkyThreadz pregame show. Tonight's game will also serve as a Coats for Kids Donation Drive. UCN will have a booth set up in the main lobby of the Roy H. Johnston Arena and will be accepting any gently used coats brought in throughout the game. 

In other hockey action, the OCN Storm wrap up their homestand this weekend, welcoming the Cross Lake Islanders to the GLMC. The Storm remain first in the league with 20 points, while the Islanders—still searching for their first win of the season—will look to end that streak in the Saturday and Sunday doubleheader. Tomorrow’s puck drop is at 7:30 P.M., with Sunday’s game set for 1:30 P.M.

With the volleyball season slowly but surely winding down, MBCI and its athletes are now preparing for the upcoming basketball season.

 Pre-season basketball practices are already underway for both the SV and JV girls. Their next two sessions go down today and will run back-to-back. The SV girls will also meet on November 24th from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. and on November 27th as well. As for JV Girls, they will also practice on November 26th and November 27th. 

Lastly, the JV boys’ pre-season kicks off next week on Tuesday from 4:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M., and continues on Wednesday from 5:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

The official basketball practice schedule begins next month on December 1st. Any questions regarding that can be directed to Mrs. Graveline. The SV boys’ tryouts start on December 2nd and run until the 4th. There will also be a mandatory player/parent meeting next Tuesday at 6:00 P.M. in room 224.

 

Attention MBCI students: if you’re interested in learning how to curl, the MBCI Curling Club will be holding its first practices of the school year today and tomorrow at The Pas Curling Club. Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, everyone is welcome. Each session will run from 4:00 P.M. to 5:15 P.M. For more information, you can speak with either Ms. Hamilton or Mr. Dunham.

The Zone 11 AA Varsity Boys and Girls Volleyball Championships took place over the weekend in both Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon. The Boys Championship was hosted at Hapnot Collegiate Institute, while the Girls Championship was held at Frontier Collegiate Institute.

After pool play and bracket action, both finals were set. In the Boys final, the MBCI Spartans faced the Frontier Raiders. On the Girls' side, the Spartans squared off against the host team, the Kopper Kweens. Both matches were tightly contested and highly competitive, with each going the full three sets.

In the end, the MBCI boys and the Hapnot Collegiate girls came out on top and will now look ahead to representing their schools at the upcoming Provincial AA Volleyball Championships. The MBCI boys will compete next weekend at Major Prat School, while the Hapnot girls will head to Prairie Mountain High School for their championship next weekend.

The OCN Storm’s impressive nine-game win streak came to an end on Saturday when they fell 7–2 to the now 5–5 Norway House North Stars. By the end of the second period, the score sat at 4–2 in favour of the North Stars. Laryn Chaboyer and Keestin Danielson each recorded a goal and an assist for the Storm. At the same time, Lucien Tait-Reaume, Trayden Guiboche, and Conner Weber-McKay were responsible for Norway House’s four goals through two periods.

The final frame did not go the Storm’s way, as Norway House buried three unanswered goals to seal the 7–2 victory.

The Storm were able to bounce back in yesterday’s game, but it didn’t come easily. Much like Saturday’s contest, OCN trailed heading into the third period. Down 3–2, the Storm needed a spark — and they got it just past the 10-minute mark when recent signing Mathis Bacon-Labbé scored the game-tying goal. The game-winner came shorthanded off the stick of Keestin Danielson.

Despite the weekend split, the Storm remain in first place in the KJHL with 20 points. They’ll wrap up their homestand this weekend when they welcome the Cross Lake Islanders to the GLMC for matchups on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard are back at home for the next three weeks after wrapping up their three-game road trip yesterday afternoon. The Blizz went 0–3 over the weekend, falling to Selkirk, Niverville, and division rival Virden.

The team plays just one game this week. On Friday, the Nighthawks will make their first trip up north to take on the Blizz at home. Puck drop is at 7:00 P.M., and 102.9 CJAR will broadcast the game live for those wanting to tune in.

Friday’s game will also serve as a Coats for Kids Donation Drive. UCN will have a booth set up in the main lobby of the Roy H. Johnston Arena and will be accepting any gently used coats brought in throughout the game.

The Zone 11 Varsity Girls and Boys Volleyball Championships go down this weekend in Flin Flon and Cranberry Portage. The SV Girls Championship will take place at Frontier Collegiate Campus, while the SV Boys Championship will be hosted at Hapnot Collegiate Institute.

Pool play for both tournaments begins Friday, with two champions set to be crowned on Saturday. The winning teams will secure their spots at provincials, which are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

This upcoming Sunday, The Pas Curling Club will be hosting a Junior and Adult Curling Clinic for anyone interested in learning the ins and outs of the sport.

The Adult portion of the clinic will take place first, running from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. Participants are only required to bring a clean pair of indoor shoes. The deadline to register for this free clinic is tomorrow at 12:00 P.M. To sign up, you can either stop by the club’s main lobby or email tpccinturn@outlook.com.

The Junior Curling Clinic will run from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Like the adult session, all participants are required to bring a clean pair of indoor shoes, and the registration deadline is also tomorrow at 12:00 P.M.

To register, MBCI students can see Ms. Hamilton, Scott Bateman Middle School students can see Ms. Katcher, and Joe A. Ross School students can see Ms. K. McGillivary. Oscar Lathlin Collegiate students can either call Ms. McGillivary at 204-623-4286 or drop by Joe A. Ross School.

 

R.D. Parker Collegiate absolutely dominated their Trojan Fall Classic this past weekend. A total of nine northern schools made the trek to Thompson to compete in the highly competitive event.

After pool play, the JV Girls Final saw the Trojans defeat the Mikisew squad in two energetic sets. The JV Boys Final followed, with the Trojans toppling the Eagles in two dominant sets of their own.

Much like the JV Girls Final, the SV Girls had their hands full with the Mikisew's, but ultimately came out on top. Lastly, the SV Boys also faced the Eagles — just like the JV squad — and came away victorious.

All four Trojan teams will now travel to Brandon this weekend to compete in the AAA Interzone Championship. All squads, excluding the JV Boys, will play in a bracket-style, win-or-go-home format, while the JV Boys will take on the Neelin Spartans in a single matchup.

Make it nine wins in a row for the red-hot OCN Storm. The reigning KJHL champions managed to squeak out two home victories against the second-seeded Peguis Juniors over the weekend, winning on both Saturday and Sunday.

Both games were highly competitive from start to finish.

Starting with Saturday’s recap: Peguis opened the scoring with back-to-back goals, but the Storm responded with two of their own to tie things up before the end of the first period. In the second, OCN took their first lead of the game with a pair of goals to go up 4–2. Peguis forward Darian Sinclair would then cut the deficit to one just before the end of the period, making it 4–3 heading into the third.

Midway through the final frame, Mathis Bacon-Labbe recorded his second goal of the night to extend the Storm’s lead to 5–3. Geordie Kohoko also tallied his second of the game on a Peguis power play to bring it back within one, but it wasn’t enough — the Storm buried two more goals late to seal a 7–4 victory.

Sunday’s matchup saw Peguis strike early, and by the midway point of the first period, the score was tied 2–2. The Storm then ran into penalty trouble late in the frame, allowing Peguis to capitalize twice on the power play to make it 4–2 after one.

In the second, Hutton Foster and Cedrick Puffalt came up clutch, each scoring to tie things at 4–4 heading into the third. The lone goal of the final period came from Storm legend Drew Peters — who made his return to the roster on November 4th — lifting OCN to a thrilling 5–4 win and a weekend sweep.

The Storm are back at home this weekend, welcoming the Norway House North Stars for a Saturday night and Sunday afternoon matchup.

After falling to the Winnipeg Blues in a shootout on Friday and dropping their next two home games against the Monarchs on Saturday and Sunday, the Blizz will now shift their attention to this weekend’s three-game road trip. Their first stop will be in Selkirk to take on the Steelers. The following day, they’ll travel to Niverville for another matchup against the Nighthawks, and to cap it all off on Sunday, they’ll face the Oil Capitals. Once the road trip wraps up, the Blizz will return home for a six-game stretch at the Roy H. Johnston Arena.

In volleyball action, R.D. Parker Collegiate will host their JV and Varsity Trojan Northern Classic this weekend. Nine northern schools will make the trip to Thompson to take part in the jam-packed tournament. Games get underway tomorrow, with four champions set to be crowned on Saturday.

A total of five hockey games will be played between the Northern Manitoba Blizzard and the OCN Storm this upcoming weekend.
The Blizzard kick off their three-game homestand tonight when they welcome the fifth-seeded Winnipeg Blues to the Roy H. Johnston Arena. Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, on the other hand, will be against the Winnipeg Monarchs. Puck drop for tonight and tomorrow’s games is at 7:00 P.M., and Sunday’s matchup gets underway at 4:00 P.M. The Blizzard are looking to snap a three-game skid heading into tonight’s contest, while the Blues look to make it two wins in a row.

Meanwhile, the OCN Storm have their highly anticipated home opener tomorrow against the second-seeded Peguis Juniors. The Storm enter the matchup riding an impressive seven-game win streak. Peguis, meanwhile, is hoping to rebound after a 10–9 loss to the Norway House North Stars this past Sunday. Tomorrow’s and Sunday’s games will mark the third and fourth meeting between these two top KJHL teams. Tomorrow’s game starts at 7:30 P.M., and Sunday’s puck drop is at 1:30 P.M.

It’s also worth noting that tomorrow’s home opener will not only be free to attend but also feature a banner raising/ring ceremony to commemorate last season’s historic championship win.

 

The Pas Roadrunners Swim Club has a busy Saturday ahead. From 9:00 A.M. to noon, the club will host the Brent Leechelt Invitational at the Winton Pool. Shortly after, from 1:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M., the club will offer a swim clinic led by Paralympic gold medalist Katrina Roxon.

Throughout the day, a Chuck-A-Duck fundraiser will also take place for anyone wanting to join in the fun. Half of the proceeds from duck sales will go toward supporting the club’s fundraising efforts, while the remaining half will be evenly split among participants whose ducks land and stay in the target zone. Ducks can be purchased for $5 each or five for $20.

For more information about the weekend’s events, stop by or follow the club’s official Facebook page.

Volleyball action took place this past weekend, both locally and provincially. MBCI hosted the Zone 11 JV Boys and Girls Volleyball Championships, with games held at the Wellness Centre and in the school gymnasium.

In the Boys' final, the host team, the Spartans, matched up against the St. Theresa Point Mukwa and came out on top after two competitive sets. On the Girls' side, the Hapnot Kopper Kweens dominated the Grand Rapids Wolverines in two straight sets to capture the championship banner.

Meanwhile, Neelin High School hosted its massive DIG Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament on Friday and Saturday. A total of 48 schools competed, with a strong showing from northern programs representing their communities. After pool play on the Boys side, northern teams like R.D. Parker Collegiate and MBCI made deep runs in the B-Side and C-Side brackets but ultimately fell in the semifinals. On the Girls' side, the MBCI Spartans capped off their weekend with a C-Side Consolation Final victory, defeating the Miami Marlins in two dominant sets.