Sports Update - Zone 4 hockey playoffs underway

The Miller Aces, Morris Mavericks and Pembina Tigers are one win away from advancing to round two of the Zone 4 High School Hockey League playoffs after winning their respective best-of-three quarterfinal series openers on Monday night. Braison Penner had a hat trick and Tyson Froese had a goal and three assists as Miller defeated Portage Collegiate 7-2. Reece Fehr, Griffin Hildebrand and Rex Letkeman also scored for the Aces. Kade Maryniuk and Deacon O'Ray replied for the Trojans. Tyson Preteau had a goal and three assists as Morris downed Morden 5-3. Logan Dearborn, Sheldon Lambert, Evan Morrissette and Tyson Wiebe had the other Mavericks goals. Ryan Thiessen scored all three Thunder goals. Max Jago scored four times and Karson McKay made 23 saves in recording the shutout as Pembina blanked the Carman Cougars 8-0. Carter Leslie, Easton Lounsbury, Rylan McDonald and Brad Sloane also scored for the Tigers.

The Steinbach Pistons, Winkler Flyers and Virden Oil Capitals remain in the top half of the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s weekly Top 20 rankings. The MJHL's East Division leading Pistons (37-6-3) remain at number three. The Flyers (33-7-2-2) stay at number five while the West Division leading Oil Capitals (30-7-3-3) dropped from number six to seven. The Portage Terriers, who host Winkler on Friday, received honourable mention. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Flin Flon Bombers (38-3-2) are the number one ranked team in the country for the 14th week in a row.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran Canadian linebacker Shayne Gauthier. He was scheduled to become a free agent today. The 32-year-old native of Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec returns to the Blue Bombers for an eighth season in 2024 after originally being selected by the club in the fourth round, 28th overall, in the 2016 CFL Draft. Gauthier was limited to six games in 2023 due to injury, causing him to miss action for the first time in four seasons. He finished the year with six defensive tackles and three more on special teams before suiting up for both the Western Final and Grey Cup games. He posted career-best numbers in 2022 as he saw regular work in the defensive rotation and finished with 28 tackles and the first two quarterback sacks of his career. Gauthier has now dressed for 87 regular-season CFL games, all with the Blue Bombers, and is a two-time Grey Cup champion following victories in 2019 and 2021. He played his college ball at Laval, registering 130 tackles over four seasons while twice being named a RSEQ All-Star while earning CIS Second-Team All-Canadian honours as a senior.

Canada's Sydney Pickrem swam to a silver medal in the women's 200-metre medley at the world aquatics championships in Qatar. It's the fourth long-course world championship medal for Pickrem, but her first since 2019. Canada now has four medals, one gold, two silver and one bronze, at the world championships.