The OCN Storm will begin their championship series on the road tomorrow against the number two-seeded Peguis Juniors. The Storm had to go through the Cross Lake Islanders and NCN Flames before earning their place in the finals; Cross Lake, on the other hand, only had to play against Norway House due to their placement in the standings. The regular season series between the two teams was tied at 4-4, adding even more excitement to this thrilling postseason finale. The series is set to return to OCN on April 2nd and April 3rd. Tomorrow's game should be broadcast live on the OCN Storms Facebook page. 

Tonight, the Northern Manitoba Blizzard can secure their spot in the next round of the Turnbull Cup Playoffs with a win over the Neepawa Titans. Since this past weekend, the Blizz have picked up two very impressive wins against the Titans on the road and will look to add one more to the tally in front of a home crowd. Tonight's puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. Advance tickets can be picked up at FunkyThreadz or by contacting Bonnie White or Jenn Reynolds. Bonnie's number is 204-620-2263, and Jenn's number is 204-620-5200; if you plan to stop by FunkyThreadz, please ensure you have cash on hand. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on 102.9 CJAR; our pre-game show will begin at around 6:45 p.m.

The Provincial AA Girls and Boys Basketball Championship wrapped up this past weekend, with both postseason tournaments occurring here in the north. The Provincial Girls Championship took place in Flin Flon, where the Warren Wild Cats secured first place with their 52-36 win over the Souris Sabres. The Provincial Boys Championship was set up here in The Pas and had the Gabrielle-Roy Les Roys win the top spot after defeating the Immanuel Christian Falcons 85-65. The MBCI Boys team placed third after besting the Carberry Cougars in the bronze medal game. The Hapnot Kopper Kweens and MBCI Girls would place sixth and seventh in their tourney.

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard managed to squeak out a gutsy come-from-behind win last night in game three of their first-round series against Neepawa. The opening period saw the two squads each put up a pair of goals. Ryan Gower and Carter McLeod scored for Neepawa, whereas Cheechoo Lathlin and Louis-Jacob Beauregard potted the two goals for Team Norman. In the second, Neepawa's Kyle Weisgarber and Carter McLeod notched back-to-back goals to make it a two-goal deficit for the Blizz. The Blizz, however, were able to come back in the third and tie things up; Marlen Edwards and the Blizzard power play unit orchestrated a goal early in the period. Just before the midway point, Aaron Krestanowich netted an even-strength goal to tie things up, and the game-winner came from Quincy Supprien, who capitalized while the Blizz were short-handed.  The Blizz now lead the series 2-1 after securing last night's 5-4 win. Once again, the two teams are back at it tonight. This exciting postseason matchup will return here at home this Friday.  

The Kelsey Recreation and Wellness Centre are calling on all future lifeguards to register for next month's three-day bronze medallion course. The first class will start on Tuesday, April 1st and run till Thursday, April 3rd. Each session will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. The overall cost is $240; to take part, you must have your Bronze Star or be thirteen or older. You can sign up at the Wellness Centre, and for more information, call 204-627-1134.

After scoring back-to-back impressive wins here at home, the OCN Storm have officially punched their ticket to a KJHL championship series against the Peguis Juniors. The Storm dominated NCN from start to finish on Saturday and Sunday, finishing the weekend with a combined score of 15-7. In the regular season, the two squads met eight times and went 4-4 against each other. The Juniors are fresh off a series sweep against the Norway House North Stars and will get home ice advantage in their championship match-up against the Storm. The first two games in this best-of-seven contest will go down this Saturday and Sunday; the Storm will return home to play on Wednesday and Thursday next week. To stay up to date,  follow the OCN Storm on Facebook.

The MJHL's Turnbull Cup Playoffs get underway tonight with four games happening across the province. In the MGEU east division, the 4th seed Niverville Nighthawks will compete against 1st seed Winkler, and 3rd seed Portage will face off against the 2nd seed Steinbach Pistons. In the MEGU west division, the 4th-seeded Wolverines will take on the 1st-seeded Dauphin Kings. Locally, the 2nd-seeded  Northern Manitoba Blizzard will host 3rd-seeded Neepawa today and tomorrow at the Roy H. Johnston Arena.  Tonight's puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m.; tonight and tomorrow's game will be broadcast live on 102.9 CJAR. The FunkyThreadz pre-game show will start at around 6:45 p.m.

Starting today and running until Sunday, the M30Athletics Indigenous Hockey Championship will occur in The Pas and OCN. The weekend of play will feature over 500 athletes of all ages competing for a shot at glory. Games will be played at the Roy H. Johnston Arena and the Gordan Lathlin Memorial Center. The daily gate admission will be $5. More information, like the weekend schedule, can be found on their  Facebook page, M30Athletics.

After Wednesday's win against NCN, the OCN Storm have a massive opportunity to potentially book their ticket to the KJHL finals. Ozy Atkinson and the Storm power play unit struck first just before the midway point; however, shortly after, NCN's Liam Tattuinee scored a shorthanded goal to tie things up. The Storm then responded with two unanswered goals to finish off the first; Keilan Holland potted an even-strength goal, whereas Justin Eetuk's goal came from another power play opportunity. After a quiet second period, it would be none other than Storm captain  Drew Peters who added an empty netter to the tally with less than a minute left in the third to make the final 4-1 for OCN. With the series being tied at 1-1 in this five-game series, the Storm can cause an upset at home this weekend. The two games go down at the GLMC on Saturday and Sunday, with puck drop at 7:00 p.m. for both nights. 

The OCN Storm had a rough start last night in their semi-final series against number one NCN. Early in the first,  Gregory Wiseman and Maddex Long fired back-to-back goals for the Flames. OCN's Keilan Holland made it a one-goal deficit with just under six minutes left in the period; however, shortly after, Daylin Monias of NCN scored to make it 3-1. Gregory Wiseman was the lone goal scorer in the second period; at the start of the third, Prime Paniyuk potted NCN's fifth goal of the night. A bit after the ten-minute mark, Storm forward Keestin Danielson added one more to the tally for the Storm, but moments later, Gregory Wiseman earned a hat trick with his third goal, making the final 6-2. The Storm are back at it tonight against NCN; they'll return to OCN this Saturday.

The Northern Manitoba Blizzards first round schedule against Neepawa was released on Monday. The Blizz will play back-to-back games to start the playoff series this Friday and Saturday at the Roy. If a game five or seven is needed, those games will be played on March 28th and April 1st. Advance tickets are available today. To buy them electronically, text Bonnie at 204-620-2263 or Jenn at 204-620-5200 and email your payments to payment@normanblizzard.com; please include your name in the note section. To purchase tickets in person, get some cash and head down to FunkyThreadz. For ages, 16+it'll be $20, whereas, for ages 15+, $15, GST will be included for either purchase. Puck drop for both games is 7:00 p.m; if you cannot make the home games, tune into our Blizz Broadcast brought to you by Shanes. Our FunkyThreadz pre-game show will always begin at around 6:45 p.m.

Starting this Thursday, the Provincial AA Boys and Girls Basketball Championship will be held in the North. The Boys Championship will be set up here in The Pas at MBCI, while the Girls Championship will be played at Hapnot Collegiate Institute in Flin Flon. Both tournaments will feature eight schools from across the province. The two championship finals will be played at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. At 2:15 p.m. on March 20th,  the Hapnot Kopper Kweens will take on the Immanuel Christian Falcons; shortly after, at 4:15 p.m., the Spartans will match up against the Souris Sabres. The opening game in the Boys Championship will see the Spartans battle against the Green Valley Pirates.

The semi-finals of the KJHL playoffs begin tonight, with two games happening in both Thompson and Peguis First Nation. The OCN Storm will be taking on number one ranked NCN at the C.A Nesbitt Arena both tonight and tomorrow. The other match-up will see third-ranked Norway House challenge the second-seeded Peguis Juniors. The Storm are scheduled to return home this Saturday and Sunday. If the best-of-three series goes to a fifth game to determine who advances to the championship, the final match will occur at the Gilbert McDonald Arena in Nelson House on March 26th.

After splitting their final weekend of play against the Swan Valley Stampeders, the Northern Manitoba Blizzard will now focus on their opening playoff game against the Neepawa Titans. The Blizzard went 4-2 against the Titans during the regular season and will look to kick off their postseason journey this Friday here at home. More information about the Blizzard's playoff schedule will be released soon. To stay current, visit the MJHL's official website or follow the Northern Manitoba Blizzard on Facebook.

After Wednesday's 3-1 loss against Virden, the Blizz will now play their two remaining regular-season games against the Swan Valley Stampeders. They hit the road tonight but will return tomorrow to play their last match-up against Swan Valley at home at the Roy. Tomorrow's puck drop is 7:00 p.m. sharp, with our Blizz broadcast slated for around 6:45 p.m.  

The OCN Storm punched their ticket to the semi-finals of the KJHL playoffs after yesterday's dominant 6-2 win against Cross Lake. Drew Peters and Laryn Chaboyer scored two unanswered goals in the first period to make it a 2-0 game going into the second. A bit past the midway mark in the second, Laryn Chaboyer got his second goal of the night to make it a three-goal deficit. Shortly after, Chase Muswagon put Cross Lake on the board by notching his second postseason goal. In the third, Kolby Cooper chalked up a goal for Cross Lake to make the game a whole lot closer; however, moments later, both Keestin Danielson and Cedrick Puffalt would go on to fire in three back-to-back goals to make the final 6-2. The Storm will now set their sights on number one NCN; the five-game series will start next week on Tuesday, March 18th.

Due to the Storm winning their playoff game yesterday against the Cross Lake Islanders, the schedule for this upcoming weekend's Derek Fontaine Memorial Hockey Tournament has been set in stone. The eight teams that are taking part will be split into two pools. The first game starts at 5:30 p.m. today, and the grand finale goes down Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Admission-wise, for adults, it's $10 per day, whereas elders ages 65+ and children five and under get in for free. All games will take place at the GLMC; for the full schedule, visit their official Facebook page or our website, thepasonline.com

Last night, three hundred forty attendees took in a fantastic playoff contest between the OCN Storm and Cross Lake Islanders at the GLMC. The Storm managed to squeak out a 4-3 win against the Islanders and will only need one more to move on to the semi-finals. The first period saw the Storm chalk up two unanswered goals in the remaining ten minutes; goals were scored by Keilan Holland and Keestin Danielson. Early in the second, Chase Muswagon of Crosslake potted his first postseason goal to make it a one-goal deficit; shortly after, Keilan Holland was able to notch his second goal of the night to make the score 3-1. The third period eventually came around and saw Keilan Holland earn a hat trick in the opening frame; moments later, Blaise Cheechoo and Daynon Smith would go on to net two back-to-back goals for a late rally that ultimately fell short, with the final being 4-3 for the Storm. Tomorrow, the Storm will make the trek to Cross Lake to play game two in this three-game series; if game three is needed, it will be played at the GLMC this Saturday.  

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard will take on Virden for the final time this regular season tonight at the Roy H. Johnston Arena. Dauphin officially clinched the MGEU West Division last night with their win 3-2 over Waywayseecappo. On the other hand, the Blizz need one more win to secure the second seed. Neepawa has a slight chance to steal the second seed by winning their next two games and having the Blizz lose all three upcoming contests. The fourth seed is where things get interesting in the division; for Virden to get in, they must win their two remaining games and have Waywayseecappo lose their next two.  Both the Blizz and Virden are coming off a win and looking to stamp their placement in the postseason. Tonight's broadcast will start after Legion Bingo; puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m.

The deadline to register a team for The Pas Curling Clubs Mixed Curling Bonspiel is tomorrow at noon. The Bonspiel starts on Friday and runs till Sunday, and the overall cost of signing up is $240. A supper will be provided on Saturday evening, followed by a dance afterwards. Your team is guaranteed to play three games, with at least two males and two females on the ice at all times. You can email your entry fee to debbiesinclair315@gmail.com, and to enter your team, call either Fred Sinclair at 204-978-1066, Louis Contois at 204-620-1753 or Margaret Ross at 204-620-0345.

The Storm will begin their playoff journey tonight at the GLMC, welcoming the fifth-seeded Cross Lake Islanders to OCN. The Storm will take on Cross Lake in a three-game series, with the winner moving on to the next round to take on number one NCN. On Thursday, the Storm will make the trek to Cross Lake, and if a third game is needed, they will face off against Cross Lake again at home this Saturday. Tonight's game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is free to attend. 

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard split their weekend of play after going 1-1 against the Steinbach Pistons and the Winnipeg Freeze. Friday's match-up against the Pistons saw the Blizz go toe-to-toe and hold their own against one of the top teams in the MJHL. Mathis Laplante and the Piston's power play unit were the first to appear on the scoreboard in this heavyweight fight. The Blizz then capped off the period with two unanswered goals to make the score 2-1 going into the second. Benson Hirst notched his third goal of the season, and MJHL goal leader Miguel Bouvier earned his on the power play. Early in the second, Tyler Bernier gave the Blizz a 3-1 lead by registering his third goal of the season; moments later, James Fuchs, Connor Paronuzzi and Sam Noad scored back-to-back goals for Steinbach, all in the span of nine minutes. Tyler Dhams, however, was able to tie things up on the power play to close out the second, making the score 4-4. Steinbach's Matthew Munro and Ryan Mcdonald were able to chalk up two consecutive goals before the halfway mark to seal a 6-4 win for the Pistons.

Even though the Blizzard's five-game win streak ended after Friday's contest against the Pistons, it didn't stop team Norman from putting on a dominating performance against the Freeze. Miguel Bouvier and the Blizz were the first to light the lamp on the power play near the end of the first. The game was then postponed due to unsafe ice conditions but eventually continued at a later time. In the second, the Blizz found the back of the net five times to make the score 5-1 going into the third. Goals were scored by Benson Hirst, Quincy Supprien, Marlen Edwards and Jayden Ward, who was also able to get a pair. In the opening minutes of the third, Julian Fedora potted Winnipeg's lone goal, shortly after Marlen Edwards earned his second goal of the night to put the finishing touch on the Blizzard's 7-1 win.

This Blizz are still sitting comfortably in second place in the MGEU West Division, but with only three games left in this regular season, they have to win two to lock themselves into the second seed. Tomorrow, they will take on division rival Virden. The Oil Capitals are on the outside looking for the 2025 playoffs but have a slight chance to make it in if they win out and have Waywayseecappo lose all three remaining games. Tomorrow's broadcast will start right after Legion Bingo.    

Baseball Manitoba and the Tri-Community Minor Baseball Association proudly announce that online registration will open soon for the upcoming baseball season. New players are encouraged to create an account on TriComMinorBaseball.rampregistrations.com. The Co-ed league for ages 4-17 will tentatively start on May 5th, with games being played on Mondays and Wednesdays. More information can be found on the Tri-Community Minor Baseball Association's Facebook page. Those wanting to help and volunteer are asked to email thepasbaseballleague@gmail.com.

Registration is now open for The Pas Minor Soccer League. Parents are encouraged to sign up their children to guarantee a proper jersey size from now until April 11th. Registration will be accepted until May 2nd; the league starts on May 20th, with games being played on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $40 per child; there will be a non-resident fee for those applicable. For more info, call 203-627-1134 or visit the Kelsey Recreation and Wellness Centre's Facebook page. 

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard are now riding a five-game win streak after dethroning division rival Dauphin. The Blizz beat the Kings in a 1-0 nail bitter, the lone goal scored by Tyler Dahms and the Blizz power play unit late in the third. Taye Timmerman put on an elite performance in goal for the Blizz, saving all twenty-one shots on goal and earning his second shutout of the year. The Blizz are now a few points away from stealing the number one seed from Dauphin. They have 67 points, whereas Dauphin has 71 points; the Blizz will next play against Steinbach and the Freeze in a two-night doubleheader this weekend.

The OCN Storms's five-game win streak ended this past weekend after suffering back-to-back losses to number one NCN. Friday's game was extremely close and showcased OCN's resilience. NCN scored three back-to-back goals, all in the first period; Prime Paniyuk had one, whereas Daylin Monias netted a pair. A little after the thirteen-minute mark in the second, Keestin Danielson put the Storm on the board by scoring the lone goal of the period. Late in the third, Keestin Danielson registered his second goal of the night to make it a one-goal deficit; however, soon after, NCN's Kobe Tanuyak would put the nail in the coffin with his game-sealing goal. Drew Peters would add one more to the tally after Tanuyak's goal, but it was too little to make a difference; the final score was 4-3 NCN. 

 Saturday's game was another win for NCN and served as the last regular-season game for the OCN Storm. NCN's Daylin Monias and Cayden Nycheporak potted two consecutive goals in the opening minutes of the first. Storm forward Cedrick Puffalt was able to bury one shortly before the ten-minute mark, but NCN's Cash Long capped off the period by chalking up an unassisted goal. In the early stages of the second, both Daylin Monias and Prime Paniyuk notched two goals in a row to make the score 5-1 for NCN. Logan Marr narrowed the margin by bagging OCN's lone goal of the period. Once again, NCN had a fast start at the beginning of the period by cashing in two rapid-fire goals; Liam Tattuinee got his first goal of the night, whereas Cash Long got his second. Keestin Danielson and NCN's Prime Paniyuk tacked on two more goals, making the final 8-3 for NCN.

 With the regular season wrapping up this weekend for the rest of the league, the playoff picture looks much more straightforward for the OCN Storm. Beginning on Tuesday next week, the fourth seed and fifth seed in the KJHL standing will be playing a best-of-three series. The Storm have locked in the fourth seed and will be taking on the Cross Lake Islanders; they will also be getting home-ice advantage in this opening round. Whoever comes out of that series will take on number one NCN in the next round; the other match-up will feature number two Peguis and number three Norway House. Norway House has a chance to steal the number two spot by winning both games against NCN and having Peguis lose their two games in regulation against Cross Lake this weekend.

After a competitive weekend of play, both varsity basketball squads at MBCI were crowned Zone 11 Champions. The varsity boys went 3-0 in pool play and beat the Frontier Raiders 70-60 in the tournament finale; the varsity girls also went undefeated, sporting a 4-0 record and put on an offensive clinic in the championship game against the Hapnot Kopper Kweens.  Both teams will represent the North at the AA Basketball Provincial Championship in the coming weeks.

The Blizz are now riding a four-game win streak after winning back-to-back thrillers against the Winnipeg Blues and the Selkirk Steelers. Friday's game saw the Blues get off to a fast start; Defenseman Tate Dolinsky scored his goal nineteen seconds in, and Campbell Epp's goal came in a little bit after the halfway point. Shortly after Epp's goal, Quincy Supprien and the Blizz power play unit got on the board to cap off the first. Early in the second, the Blizz power play unit and Fredonia State commit Brett Ward got to work again and were able to tie things up. The Blues were able to add one more to the tally early into the back half of the second; Evan Gradt and the Blue's penalty kill unit were able to capitalize and net a shorthanded goal to round out the second. Near the seven-minute mark, Miguel Bouvier and the Blizz power play unit orchestrated a power play goal to tie things up and send the game to overtime. It took Keenan McNeill just under a minute to set up Quincy Supprien, who fired one into the net to seal the victory in extra time.

Saturday's game was just as exciting, if not more thrilling, for the Northern Manitoba Blizzard and its fans in attendance. Miguel Bouvier registered his second-weekend goal on the power play to get the ball rolling. Just before the midway mark, Selkirk forward Landon Jamieson cashed in a power-play goal to tie things up. Moments later, Cheechoo Lathlin put the Blizz back in front with his goal to wrap up the first. In the opening minutes of the second, another Selkirk power-play goal was placed in the net, this time by Cole Babych. Just past the ten-minute point, Brett Ward earned his second power-play goal of the weekend; a few shifts later, Landon Jamieson was able to even the score once again for Selkirk after the puck ricocheted off his shoulder and got past Blizz net minder Taye Timmerman. Hugo Larkin was able to assist Miguel Bouvier in a shorthanded goal to finish the second period strong. Right out of the gate in the third, Owen Branson balanced the scoreboard with the period's lone goal and sent the game to overtime. After a quiet overtime period, the game would eventually be decided in a shoot-out. After multiple attempts from both sides, it would be Tyler Dahms who potted a goal to win the game for the Blizz. The Blizz play three games on the road this week; tomorrow, they'll play against division rival Dauphin; on Friday, they'll go toe-to-toe against the Steinbach Pistons; and on Saturday, they'll match up against the Winnipeg Freeze.