Bruins on the brink
Bruin goalie Chris Neamonitis fought Weyburn's Tanner Erickson during a game on January 29 in Weyburn.

The Eagle Drilling Estevan Bruins are on the verge of being eliminated from the SJHL's playoffs.
A 9-2 loss to the Melville Millionaires on February 2 left the Bruins with a 15-32-2-2 record, and 34 points. Estevan trails Melville by 13 points, with seven games to play. Estevan can finish with a maximum of 48 points.
One more win for Melville, or one more Bruins' regulation loss, will eliminate the Bruins from playoff contention.
Estevan ended a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 shootout win against the La Ronge Ice Wolves on January 27. The first two periods were scoreless, but Kyle Johnson and Justin Waskewitch scored for Estevan in the third.
Former La Ronge player Matt White had the shootout winner for Estevan.
Chris Neamonitis stopped 43 shots in regulation and in overtime, and five of six shots in the shootout.
The game marked the return of former Bruins Colton MacPherson and Liam Brennan, who now play with La Ronge. MacPherson opened the scoring early in the third period with a shot from the neutral zone.
Estevan lost 5-3 to Weyburn on January 29. Taylor Epp, Dylan Smith and Michael Hengen scored for the Bruins. Smith and Hengen's goals came 12 seconds apart early in the third period.
Neamonitis stopped 26 shots prior to being ejected late in the third period for fighting Weyburn goalie Tanner Erickson. Alex Sirard finished the game, and didn't face any shots.
The Bruins lost 3-2 to the Kindersley Klippers on January 31 in a make-up game in Eston. Kindersley led 3-0 at one point in the second period, but Estevan managed to narrow the deficit with a goal late in the second and another one midway through the third.
Epp and Mark Cross scored for Estevan.
Sirard stopped 23 shots.
Tyler Spencer and Lucas Stubel scored for Estevan in the 9-2 loss to Melville. It was the most lopsided loss for the Bruins this year.
Sirard recorded 29 saves.
The game against Melville opened a five-game, late-season homestand for the Bruins.
Estevan will host the Battlefords North Stars on February 5 and the Kindersley Klippers the following night. The Battlefords game will mark the return of forward Chad Filteau to Estevan.

Big 6: top spot still undecided
The race for first place in the Big 6 Hockey League will come down to the final games of the regular season.
The Midale Mustangs continue to lead with a 15-3 record, and 30 points. The Carlyle Cougars (14-4) are just two points back. Carlyle beat Midale 8-4 on February 3.
And the Bienfait Coalers (13-3-1) are three points behind Midale. The Coalers also have a game in hand.
Bienfait and Midale are also battling for top spot in the West Division. They play one more time this year - on Saturday, February 6 in Midale, starting at 8 p.m.
Carlyle has clinched first in the Central Division, ahead of the Arcola-Kisbey Combines (8-8-1) and the Wawota Flyers (6-9-1). Arcola-Kisbey has 17 points, four more than Wawota.
The Redvers Rockets (10-7) have 20 points, which is six more than the Oxbow Huskies (6-8-2) for first in the East Division. Oxbow has four games remaining. The Carnduff Red Devils (4-11-1) are third with nine points.
The Lampman Imperials (1-17) will miss the playoffs in their first season back in the Big 6. Eight of nine teams will make the playoffs this year.

Mermaids compete in Saskatoon
Members of the Estevan Mermaids synchronized swimming team who competed at a recent event: (Back row, L-R): Ailsa Muir, Sadye Cable, Tess Rensby, Chanel Thievin, Lauren King and Dezirae Franke. Middle row: Shelby Tytlandsvik, Kailey Barnstable, Taylor Kuntz, Eden Palmer, Alyssa Wieting and Bailey Longney. Front row: Kelsey Potoma, Maysun Peters and Tamira Krall.

Members of the Estevan Mermaids Synchronized Swimming Team attended their first competitive meet of the season on January 30 and 31 in Saskatoon.
The individual figure event was held on the 30th, with each athlete showcasing four individual skills. Estevan had an athlete place in each of the groups. In Tier 1, Bailey Longney finished third, in Tier 2 Chanel Thievin was fourth, and in Tier 3 Mackenzie Dahl came in third.
The team, solo and duet events were on the 31st. All Mermaids received a medal for their performance. Kelsey Potoma, in her first-ever competitive event, received a gold medal for her Tier 1 solo. The Tier 1 team also received a gold medal for their effort.
The Tier 2 duet of Eden Palmer and Alyssa Wieting captured a silver medal. The Tier 2 team brought home a bronze medal.
The Tier 3 team came in first with their interpretation of a Cirque du Soleil song.

Midget A Bruins
continue to win
The Fort Qu'Appelle goaltender made a save with Estevan's Brad Tomiski (6) in front of the net.

The Estevan Sherritt Coal Midget A Bruins have advanced to the next round of provincials.
Estevan defeated Fort Qu'Appelle 8-2 in Game 2 of their two-game, total goal series on February 1 to win the series 14-4. Fort Qu'Appelle opened the scoring early in the first period, but Estevan scored three times in the first to take a 9-3 series lead and dash any hopes of a Fort Qu'Appelle comeback.
Dallas Kickley had two goals and an assist and Brad Tomiski also scored twice. Cole Stevenson had a goal and two assists. Cole Blischak, Mackenzie Selk and Torey McKellar also scored.
Taysen Holt had two assists and Brendan Phillips also had a helper.
Estevan also won a pair of league games. They scored four times in the second period to beat the Radville Midget Nats 6-1 on January 31. Tomisky had two goals and an assist. Blischak also scored twice. Holt and McKellar had the other goals.
Phillips had three assists and Kickley had two helpers. Holt, Stevenson, Dakota Zimmerman and Landen Lavoie had the other assists.
Estevan jumped out to a 5-0 lead on their way to an 8-4 win in Coronach on January 28. Kickley and Zimmerman each had hat tricks. Stevenson and McKellar had a goal and two assists each.
Brendan Brown had three assists. Kickley, Lavoie, Blischak and Kyle Hovind had the other helpers.
Dylan McConnell had the win in net.

Atom Bruins face Yorkton
The Estevan Penn West Tier 1 Atom Bruins dropped a pair of games in Yorkton.
Estevan lost 11-1 in the first game, played on January 30. Sage Dayman scored the lone goal, with an assist to Jacob Briton.
Estevan led 2-1 after two periods in a game on January 31, but Yorkton had four third period goals in a 5-2 decision. Briton and Josh Skjonsby scored for Estevan. Brayden Pachal and Preston Brodziak had the assists.

Two rinks enter southerns
The two local rinks who entered the SaskTel Southern Men's Playdowns wound up playing each other in a must-win game.
Brent Gedak, curling out of the Estevan Curling Club, and Jeff Mosley, competing out of the Lampman Curling Club, met in the C event quarter-final. Gedak scored three times in the second end, and stole four in the eighth end, en route to an 11-5, eight-end victory.
The loss eliminated Mosley from the playdowns.
Gedak advanced to the semi-final, which he lost 8-4 in nine ends to Ron Lucas. The defeat ended Gedak's hope of returning to provincials.
Gedak's other results included a 7-1 win in seven ends over Art Assman, an 8-7 loss to defending provincial champion Joel Jordison and a 6-1 loss in eight ends to Jamie Schneider.
Other members of Gedak's team were third Derek Owens, second Aaron Schell and lead Ken Wallewein.
Mosley's victories were 7-4 over Jaime Miller and 8-4 over Alan Batty. In addition to the loss to Gedak, Mosley lost 5-4 to Jason Ackerman and 7-5 to Jeff Hartung.
Also on Mosley's team were third Trevor Willock, second Donald Willock and lead Devon Formwald.
Playdowns were held in Assiniboia from January 28 to 31.

Peewee AA Bruins play in Regina
The Estevan Sherritt Coal Peewee AA Bruins finished with a 0-3-1 record at a tournament in Regina that was held from January 28 to 31.
Estevan opened the tournament with a 5-5 tie against the Regina Capitals. Talys Halabuza, Kaelan Holt, Cole Piche, Ryan Smith and Colton Winton scored for Estevan. Winton's goal, with about three minutes remaining in the third period, was the game-tying goal.
Seth Horn had two assists. Halabuza, Winton and Seth Horn also had assists.
Estevan lost 9-1 to the Pembina Trail Twins in their second game. Smith had the only goal. Salaway was credited with the assist.
Estevan scored three times in the second period, but lost 6-3 to the Foothills Bisons. Holt had a goal and an assist. Colton Gingras and Austin Dobrescu also scored. Smith had two assists. Salaway also had a helper.
Estevan concluded the tournament with a 3-2 loss to the Lumsden Lions. Horn and Salaway scored for Estevan. Piche and Smith had assists.

Midget AA Bruins get a tie
The Estevan Apex Midget AA Bruins finished with two losses and a tie during a span in which they played three games in four days.
Estevan lost 5-3 to the Notre Dame Hounds on January 28 in Wilcox. Wyatt Garagan had a goal and an assist. Kelan Grube and Logan Martinson had the other goals.
Credited with assists were Matthew Cundall, Marshall Holzer, Dylan Herzberg and Callan Carlton.
Nevan Trombley was in goal.
Estevan tied the Melville Millionaires 5-5 on January 30 in Melville. Herzberg paced the Estevan attack with a hat trick and an assist. Grube and Dylan Johner each had a goal and an assist.
Garagan, Cundall, Austin Halladay and Logan Martinson also had assists.
Daniel Wenham was in goal for the tie.
Estevan lost 8-0 in Yorkton on January 31. Tromblay started in goal.
Estevan's next league game is at home on February 7 against the Regina Avalanche. Game time is 5:45 p.m.

Hockey Day in Canada comes to Estevan

The Estevan Senchuk Mustangs beat the Weyburn DQ Blizzard 4-1.

The eyes of hockey fans across Canada turned to Estevan on January 30, as the Energy City was a satellite community for the Tim Horton's Hockey Day in Canada celebrations on the CBC.
The CBC's focus was a game between the Estevan Senchuk Mustangs and the Weyburn DQ Blizzards. Estevan scored four times in the third period to win the game 4-1.
A large crowd gathered at the Civic Auditorium to watch the game and show their support for girls' hockey in front of the national audience. Many of the fans were young hockey players who sported the jerseys of their minor hockey teams.
The game between Estevan and Weyburn was part of female atom and novice hockey tournaments which were held in Estevan from January 29 to 31.
Tricia DeBruyne, the female hockey director for the Estevan Minor Hockey Association, said the CBC approached her about showcasing the tournaments. She believes that Estevan was chosen because of the tournaments and the CBC's desire to showcase girls' hockey during Hockey Day in Canada.
"I think it is the only female-specific part of the day throughout the country," said DeBruyne. "So I think they wanted to have that (some girls hockey), which is really neat."
It's a good sign for Estevan Minor Hockey and its female division that the city was chosen as a satellite community, DeBruyne said, and it's an indicator of progress for the sport in Estevan and across Canada.
"I'm hoping that this catches (people's attention), especially the little ones' attention," said DeBruyne. "We're lacking some numbers for the smaller ones. I hope that the girls see how much fun it is and some of the opportunities that they can have."
DeBruyne said she was pleased to see the number of fans who turned out for the game.
A total of seven teams entered the atom tournament. The Deloraine Divas beat the Regina Royals to win the A final. The Estevan Senchuk Mustangs defeated the Melita Bison in the B final.
Four teams entered the novice tournament, which used a round-robin format. DeBruyne said they didn't keep track of the results for the novice players.

Spitfires Fly in Windsor
By Kyle Kapiczowski
This week I will be writing about my favorite OHL Western Conference team, the Windsor Spitfires.
The history of the Spitfires hockey franchise goes back to 1945 when the original Spitfires were established. The original Windsor Spitfires were a part of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), and they reached the OHA league finals twice. The Spitfires folded in 1953 and it would be 17 years before the city of Windsor would see junior hockey again.
In 1971 the Spitfires returned to Windsor and they were there to stay. The Spitfires started as a junior A team and in 1973 the Spitfires won the Jack Oaks Trophy as champions of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. After winning the title, the Spitfires entered the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League.
The Spitfires have made 32 playoff appearances. They have won two league championships, made two Memorial Cup appearances and won one Memorial Cup Championship. They are the defending Memorial Cup champions, having won the Cup in 2009.
Some Spitfires that are in the NHL include Cam Janssen of the St. Louis Blues, Michael Rupp of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Steve Ott of the Dallas Stars, Kyle Wellwood of the Vancouver Canucks, Ed Jovanovski of the Phoenix Coyotes and Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators.
The team's head coach is Bob Boughner, who started with the Spitfires in 2006. He has won the OHL coach of the year as well as the CHL coach of the year awards.
The Spitfires play their home games at the WFCU Centre. The team's first home was Windsor Arena which was nicknamed "The Barn."
The team's colours are navy blue, red and white. The Spitfires logo is a navy blue shield with an aggressive spitfire fighter plane coming out of some clouds.
The Spitfires home jersey is red with navy blue and white striping down the sleeves and a navy blue stripe down the side. The away jersey is white with red and navy blue striping down the sleeves and a navy blue stripe down the side.
That's all folks!

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