Monday, December 18, 2023
-The Brandon Wheat Kings are on their Christmas break. The team returns to action against the Regina Pats on December 27th. Brandon had their 6-game winning streak snapped on Saturday when they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
-The U18 AAA Wheat Kings improved to 21-0-and-1 Sunday after beating the Interlake Lightning 4-3 in overtime. Jaxon Jacobsen had two goals for Brandon who remain in first place in the league. Up next, they meet the second-place Southwest Cougars in Souris on Wednesday.
-The Westman Wildcats got by the defending Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League champion Winnipeg Ice 3-2 in Hartney. The Wildcats are in 5th place in the standings with 19 points behind the Eastman Selects, Yellowhead Chiefs, Winnipeg Avros – and the first place Winnipeg Ice.
-Canada West downed Canada East 7-2 in the gold medal game at the 2023 World Junior A Hockey Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia.
-There are three Canadian NHL teams in action tonight including the Winnipeg Jets at home to the Montreal Canadiens. Winnipeg and Dallas have 38 points and are tied for second in the Central Division, two points back of first-place Colorado. Also tonight, the Flames host the Panthers.
-The sold out home-opener for Ottawa’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team will set a North American attendance record for women’s pro hockey. Tickets for the January 2nd game against Montreal had already exceeded initial capacity, and upper bowl seats at The Arena at T-D Place were being sold to expand capacity to 7-thousand-510. Some arenas where the PWHL will play have even greater capacity, and could push attendance records even higher. Ottawa and Toronto are two of the original six teams in the PWHL, alongside Montreal, Minnesota, Boston and New York.
-The Toronto Raptors, sitting 11th in the NBA’s 15-team Eastern Conference, host the Hornets tonight. Charlotte is in 13th place in the East and have lost four straight.
-Joel Retornaz and his top-ranked Italian team edged Scotland’s Ross Whyte 3-2 to win the men’s final on Sunday at the Grand Slam of Curling’s W-F-G Masters in Saskatoon. Retornaz is just the sixth men’s skip in Grand Slam history to win 3 straight tournaments. Ottawa’s Rachel Homan beat Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni 8-4 in the women’s final. It’s Homan’s 14th career Grand Slam title.
-and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is questionable for tonight’s game in Seattle because of an illness. The 10-and-3 Eagles have lost two straight games, but would secure the NFC East title if they beat the slumping Seahawks and win their final three games. The 6-and-7 Seahawks have lost four straight games.
