Canada will face Belgium today in their Group Stage opener at the World Cup in Qatar. It’s Canada’s second ever appearance the World Cup. Canada lost 1-0 to France; 2-0 to Hungary and 2-0 to the Soviet Union in 1986 in Mexico. Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup.


Cam Sarna had a hat trick as Portage Collegiate downed the Garden Valley Zodiacs 8-1 at the Winkler Centennial Arena. JJ Oke added a pair of goals for the defending Zone 4 High School Hockey League champion Trojans while the rest went to Logan Budz, Maddox Shindle and Joel Waldner. Justin Hildebrand had the lone goal for the Zodiacs.


The Winkler Flyers scored five third period goals en route to a 7-3 victory over the Winnipeg Blues at RINK Training Centre. Trent Penner, Mike Svenson, Rhett Marchant, Zach Nicolas, Jayce Legaarden, Dalton Andrew and Marek Miller did the goal scoring for the Flyers. It was the Miller’s Manitoba Junior Hockey League debut. The 16-year-old La Salle native, who was selected first overall by Winkler in the 2022 MJHL Draft, has eight goals and 13 assists in 15 games this season with the Pembina Valley Hawks of the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League.


The Steinbach Pistons and Portage Terriers are in the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Top 20 Rankings. The Pistons (18-4) remained at number seven for the second week in a row. The Terriers (16-5) dropped from three to eight. The Winkler Flyers (16-5-3-1) received honorable mention. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Battlefords North Stars (20-0-2-1) are the number one nationally ranked team for the fifth week in a row.


The Pembina Valley Twisters lost 4-3 in overtime to the Charleswood Hawks at the Eric Coy Arena. Elliot Lewis potted the winner for the Hawks 46 seconds into OT. Joel Vigier, Nico Vigier and Jacob Carels scored in regulation for the Twisters.


The Winnipeg Ice suffered just their second loss of the season Tuesday night at the Wayne Fleming Arena on the campus of the University of Manitoba. Harrison Meneghin made 36 saves as the Lethbridge Hurricanes edged Winnipeg 2-1. Russell’s Tyson Zimmer scored his fifth of the season with 1:40 left in the first period to extend Lethbridge’s lead to 2-0. Ty Nash had the lone goal for the Ice who were riding a 15-game winning streak.


The Manitoba Moose gave up four third period goals and lost 5-1 to the Milwaukee Admirals. Jeff Malott had the lone goal for the Moose.


Manitoba champions Zachary Wasylik and Lisa Birchard both have 3-0 records at the 2022 Everest Curling Club Championships at the Ice Palace in the West Edmonton Mall.