Tyra Peters and Sebastian Verdaguer of the Providence University College Pilots volleyball teams are Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference Athlete's of the Week. Peters registered 30 kills, 35 digs along with six service aces and 37 points in eight sets as the Pilots split a pair of games with the Université de Saint-Boniface Les Rouges last weekend. The second year left side from New Bothwell led the Providence with a match-high 17 kills and 23 digs with four service aces and adding 21 points in a four set home victory over Les Rouges on Saturday night.  The previous night, she also added a match-high 13 kills plus 12 digs, two aces and 16 points in a close four set loss. The Pilots are in second place with a 5-3 conference record and only two matches behind first place USB. Verdaguer, a first year middle with the Pilots, notched 23 kills on .617 hitting percentage with six digs, four blocks plus 27 points in only six sets as Providence beat Université de Saint-Boniface twice last weekend.


The Steinbach Pistons and Portage Terriers continue to stay in the top half of the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Top 20 Rankings. The Pistons moved up one spot from seven to six. The Terriers dropped from eight to nine. The Winkler Flyers received honorable mention. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Battlefords North Stars are the number one nationally ranked team for the sixth week in a row. 


Blake Wheeler had a hat trick and Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves as the Winnipeg Jets opened their four-game homestand with a 5-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche at Canada Life Centre. Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele also scored for Winnipeg. Cole Perfetti chipped in with three helpers. It's Hellebuyck's third shutout of the season and 31st of his career. The Jets (14-6-1) next game is Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.


The pre-tournament schedule for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship has been announced, with six communities slated to host games from Dec. 19-23. In total, 11 games will be played throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in advance of the World Juniors. The province of New Brunswick will host five matchups, with games scheduled in Bouctouche, Moncton and Quispamsis. All three medallists from the 2022 World Junior Championship - Canada, Finland and Sweden - will play pre-tournament games in New Brunswick. Canada will open its exhibition schedule with games at Avenir Centre in Moncton on Dec. 19 and 21, facing Switzerland and Slovakia. Six exhibition games will take place in Nova Scotia, in Antigonish, Halifax and Truro. The final pre-tournament game will be a rematch of the 2022 gold medal game, with Canada and Finland taking to the ice at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax on Dec. 23.


The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed all-star linebacker Adam Bighill to a two-year contract extension. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February 2023. Bighill returns in 2023 for a fifth season with the Blue Bombers and his 11th in the Canadian Football League. Bighill led the Bombers in total defensive plays in 2022, registering 72 tackles along with two sacks, one interception and one tackle for a loss. He was named a West Division All-Star for the eighth time in his career and a CFL Players’ Association All-Star for a fifth time. A three-time winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award – 2015, 2018 and 2021 – Bighill’s 72 tackles this year moved him into seventh place on the CFL’s all-time list with 817. A three-time Grey Cup champion – 2019 and 2021 with the Blue Bombers and 2011 with the Lions – Bighill has played in 164 games in his CFL career, including 65 over the last four seasons in Winnipeg.

 

The Steinbach Christian Flames will host the Provincial AAA High School varsity boys volleyball championship starting on Thursday. Flames coach Scott Wiebe will join Clayton Dreger on Sportsbeat which airs Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m. on AM 1250 Radio.