The Northern Manitoba Blizzard played three preseason games against the Swan Valley Stampeders and Flin Flon Bombers this past weekend, coming away with two wins in three games.

Friday’s home game against Swan Valley featured a back-and-forth first period. Brady Green, Liam Carlone and Atticus Cruz each found the back of the net for Northern Manitoba, while Chantyn Michell-Thompson and Dawson Martin scored for the Stampeders, leaving the Blizz with a 3–2 lead after the opening frame.

The second period belonged entirely to the Blizzard. Kanye Huang, Odile Grenier and Renat Nahnieiev each scored unanswered goals to extend Northern Manitoba’s lead to 6–2 heading into the final period. Beckett Cross added one more for Swan Valley, while Matthew O’Sullivan answered for the Blizzard, making the final score 7–3 for Northern Manitoba.

Saturday’s road game against Swan Valley was much more competitive compared to Friday’s matchup. The teams battled to a 2–2 tie through two periods before combining for eight goals in an exciting final frame. Fortunately for the Blizzard, they managed to find the back of the net just a few more times, securing a 7–5 victory.

Veteran Blizzard player Dylan Westmann had himself a night, potting two goals, while Swan Valley’s Beckett Cross also scored twice.

Sunday’s final game of the weekend saw the Blizzard travel north to Flin Flon for a Northern Manitoba matchup against the Bombers.

John Adlys opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period. Shortly after, Flin Flon’s Carter Stamp-Vincent responded with a power-play marker of his own to tie the game 1–1 heading into the second.

After a scoreless second and third period, the game needed overtime to determine a winner. Just 1:50 into the extra frame, Bombers forward Ben Shaw found the back of the net to give Flin Flon the 2–1 victory.

The Blizzard have just two preseason games remaining this week, both against the Flin Flon Bombers. Friday’s matchup will take place at home, with puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m.

Attention all returning and back-to-school students at UCN’s The Pas Campus! If you’re looking to have some fun before the long weekend, stop by the main entrance foyer and take part in the Fit for Life Challenge.

The event will run from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will feature fun mental and physical challenges for students and their peers to take part in.

The event is open to UCN students only, and amazing door prizes will be handed out to those who participate.

For more information, call Darryl Shotton at 204-627-8535.

OCN Child & Family Services is hosting a Youth Soccer Tournament this Saturday and Sunday.

The U8, U9, U11 and U12 teams that register will play their games on Saturday, while the U14 and U17 teams will take the field on Sunday.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the teams that finish first through third, and each roster will be capped at 10 players.

Registration opens at 11 a.m., with games kicking off at noon.

The tournament is co-ed, meaning teams must have at least two girls on the field at all times.

The deadline to submit a team is tomorrow. Anyone interested in registering can contact Terr or Neena at 204-623-2428 or 204-627-7156.

The playoffs for The Pas Slo-Pitch League are already underway, with both A-side and B-side games taking place through September 10.

Yesterday, in Round 1 of the A-side, team Balls Deep and the Agents came out on top against team Pitch Slap and the Young Guns.

On September 8th at Arena 1 Baseball Diamond, the Tugeyes will take on Balls Deep at 6:30 p.m. Right after, at 8 p.m., the Agents will play the Longshots.

Moving on to the B-side, only one game took place yesterday between the FireBallz and East L.A. The FireBallz ended up getting the better of East L.A. and will now move on to the second round, where they will face the Digmore Crushers tomorrow at Arena 1 Baseball Diamond.

Two B-side matchups will take place tonight back-to-back at Arena 1. First, at 6:30 p.m., the Deadly Diamond will go toe-to-toe against the Mall Rats. Then, at 8 p.m., the Jacs will face off against the Big Ol' Hitties.

The best way to stay up to date with all the local Slo-Pitch action is by joining the league's official Facebook group.

The Blizzard officially kicked off their preseason schedule last night with a classic matchup against division rival Dauphin.

Kings forward Collin Friedrich got his team on the board first, netting his first goal of the preseason. However, shortly after, Connor Smith evened the score by potting a goal of his own to make it 1-1 just before the 10-minute mark.

Dauphin eventually put two more on the board, with one coming on the power play, to make it 3-1 heading into the first intermission.

Nic Collins and the Dauphin power-play unit struck first in the second period, scoring shortly after the halfway point. Not long after, Sutton Emelson and the Blizz penalty-kill squad answered with a short-handed goal to cut the deficit to two.

The final period saw just one goal, scored by Dauphin's Max George on the power play, making the final score 5-2.

The Blizz are set to play three more preseason games this week. This Friday, they will take on Swan here at home. Saturday's matchup will be against Swan again, but this time in their arena. Lastly, on Sunday, the Blizz will travel up to Flin Flon for a special Battle of Northern Manitoba matchup.

102.9 CJAR will be broadcasting both Saturday and Sunday's games.

The Kelsey Rec recently announced that its annual Parade of Programs will take place on September 15 at the Roy H. Johnston Arena.

Local organizations are encouraged to register by contacting the Kelsey Rec at 204-627-1134. From martial arts to swimming programs, the Parade of Programs is a great way to see what is being offered in the community.

The time slot for group setup is from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with the event open to the public from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The back-to-back KJHL champions have announced their upcoming tryout dates as they prepare for a third consecutive title defence this season.

Storm tryouts will run from September 11 to 13 at the GLMC, with more information to be released in the coming weeks.

In other news, next month, 102.9 CJAR will once again team up with the Storm to put on another “Fans in the Door” pledge show. The goal of the event is to raise funds so that all Storm games will be free to attend this upcoming season.

Much like the tryouts, more information about the event is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Halcrow Lake Golf & Country Club will host a par-three fundraising tournament this Sunday to cap off the month of August.

The four-person scramble will have a shotgun start at noon, with an entry fee of $100 per player or $400 per team.

All proceeds from the tournament will go toward improving the course. To register or find more information, call 204-627-2300.

Ticket sales are now live for the Northern Manitoba Blizzards’ upcoming 2026-27 season.

Season ticket prices vary depending on age, while flex passes are once again being offered, along with corporate pricing. Single-game tickets will also be available at the door for any last-minute buyers looking to take in a game.

Payments can be sent via e-transfer to payment@normanblizzard.com.

The Blizzards' home opener goes down next month on September 18th against Swan Valley. 

M30 Athletics has announced the details surrounding its upcoming 5th Annual Golf Championship Tournament.

Halcrow Lake Golf & Country Club will play host to the event on September 26 and 27. There are four divisions to compete in, one for youth, another for seniors, and two for men and women in the community.

Entry fees vary depending on which division you sign up for, and the deadline to register is September 19.

The tournament will give people a chance to get some golfing in before the season wraps up. However, with September 30th just around the corner, the event will also look to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day.

To sign up, stop by the clubhouse in person or call 204-617-0125.

With the summer months slowly winding down and school just around the corner, some of the MBCI volleyball teams are already organizing practices in preparation for the upcoming season.

Practices for the SV boys will begin today and run through Wednesday, Aug. 26.

All practices will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and will take place at MBCI.

The JV girls, meanwhile, will kick off their preseason schedule on Sept. 1. They will practice from 10 a.m. to noon through Sept. 3.

Lastly, the SV girls will get things going on Aug. 31, with their remaining two practices taking place back-to-back on Sept. 2 and 3. Start times will vary depending on the day.

Returning players can find more information by stopping by and joining the official MBCI Sports Facebook group.

This Sunday will mark the 1st Annual Opaskwayak Education Services Golf Tournament at Halcrow Lake Golf and Country Club.

Registration opens up at 8:00 a.m., with the shotgun start slated for 9:00 a.m.

Teams must include one woman and one youth to participate in the four-person scramble.

Those interested in signing up can contact Bridget Constant at 204-620-4748.

Blizz fans saw another trade go down earlier this week between Northern Manitoba and the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks.

2007-born forward Trystyn Sidor will head to Calgary to play this upcoming season. In return, the Blizz received a Player Development Fee.

As a friendly reminder, the 2026–27 training camp kicks off next week on Friday and is free and open to the public.

More information can be found at normanblizzard.com.

The Tri-Community Minor Baseball Association is currently looking for both all-male and all-female slo-pitch squads to take part in its upcoming September Slo-Pitch Tournament.

The entry fee of $600 can be sent via e-transfer to chelseycoulter19@gmail.com. A $200 non-refundable deposit will be due by September 4 to secure your team’s spot.

The cap for both divisions is eight teams, with payouts based on the number of entries received.

The tournament itself will start on September 11 and run until September 13. A canteen will be available at the Arena 1 baseball diamond throughout the tournament.

If you’ve ever had a hankering to learn the great sport of golf, The Pas Friendship Centre will be offering a “How-To” workshop for those between the ages of 17 and 25.

Spots are extremely limited, and rides will be provided to those who register. The workshop will take place tomorrow and kick off at 10:30 a.m.

To sign up, call Carson at 204-627-7500 or email caoassistant@thepasfc.ca.

The Blizz have a new squad member after a trade with Winkler went down last week on Monday.

Kade Stringer is the newest addition to the 2026–27 Northern Manitoba Blizzard roster. In return, Winkler received a PDF and 2008-born forward Cody Farrell.

Stringer brings a ton of Junior A experience to the Blizz. Last season, he was traded three times, making stops with the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins, the MJHL’s Winnipeg Monarchs, and eventually Winkler.

Across those three stops, Stringer played 47 games and recorded 37 points.

Days Seven and Eight of Opaskwayak Indigenous Days will be happening this weekend, which means there are only two days left to either check out or take part in one of the many remaining sporting events.

To kick off Saturday, a 4-Man Golf Tournament will be happening all day at Halcrow Lake Golf and Country Club. At 8:30 a.m., the long-distance foot race will kick off at the Otineka Mall. Starting at 9:00 a.m. at various soccer fields across the community, the Harriet Constant and Irvin Constant Soccer Tournament will also get underway.

At 10:00 a.m., the AFC Memorial Basketball Tournament will wrap up its remaining games at the OLC gymnasium. Shortly after, at 10:30 a.m., the Canoe Classic will get underway at the OID Park.

At the Arbour Site, the George Flett Memorial Horseshoe Tournament will start ramping up around noon. Lastly, flour packing will be going on at the Casino starting around 5:00 p.m. for those looking to test their strength and balance.

Moving on to sporting events happening Sunday, the remaining tournaments will continue throughout the day.

Much like Saturday, the 4-Man Golf Tournament will get the day going, starting at 8:00 a.m. Then, at 9:00 a.m., the Harriet and Irvin Constant Soccer Tournament will continue, followed by the youth soccer tournament at 10:00 a.m.

At noon, more horseshoe action will take place at the Arbour Site. Lastly, at 4:00 p.m., an adult fishing derby will be held at both the OCN Riverside and OID Park.

Day Six of Opaskwayak Indigenous Days is here, and a whole slew of sporting events will be running throughout the day.

As an ongoing reminder, all entry fees must be paid at OID Headquarters, and receipts must be shown before entering events.

The two-man golf tournament will run throughout most of the day at Halcrow Lake Golf and Country Club.

At 10:00 a.m., the first race of the day will take place at the Joe A. Ross School track with the Nathan McGillivary Youth Relay. Other races happening at the same time include the Angel Races at the Veterans’ Hall and the Children’s Races at Pike Race.

Also getting underway around 10:00 a.m. is the Co-Ed Slo-Pitch Tournament, with games being played at the three main baseball diamonds in town.

Not long after, at 10:30 a.m., the Canoe Classic will kick off at the O.I.D. Park.

Once noon rolls around, the AFC Memorial Basketball Tournament will continue at the OLC gymnasium. At 1:00 p.m., the Youth Soccer Tournament will get underway at the Arbour Site.

Lastly, a shotgun shoot will take place at 2:00 p.m. at Pike Lake for all the marksmen and markswomen looking to test their skills.

Official O.I.D. booklets are available at OID Headquarters in the Otineka Mall.

It’s Day Five of Opaskwayak Indigenous Days, which means there are only a few days left to check out or compete in some of the sporting events happening throughout the remainder of the week.

As always, both the Angel and Children’s Races will kick off the morning at 10:00 a.m. The Angel Races will be held at the Veterans’ Hall, while the Children’s Races will take place at the Big Eddy Soccer Field.

The AFC Memorial Basketball Tournament will also get underway around the same time at the Oscar Lathlin Collegiate gymnasium.

A little later, at 1:00 p.m., co-ed volleyball will begin at the OLC gymnasium.

Lastly, a strongman/strongwoman competition will get underway at 3:00 p.m. at the GLMC. Entry fees can be paid at the OCN Payment Centre. Participants must bring their receipts if they plan on taking part in the competition.

Today marks day four of Opaskwayak Indigenous Days, and sporting events are still going strong across the community.

A few races will take place this morning, beginning at around 10:00 a.m. The Angel Races will be held at the Veterans Hall, while the children’s races will take place at the O.I.D. Park.

The next set of activities will move to Pike Lake, where canoe races will take place. Races for children and teens will kick off at 2:30 p.m., followed by the adult races at 5:00 p.m.