Logan Rands scored the go-ahead goal on the power play 6:42 into the third period as the Virden Oil Capitals edged the Steinbach Pistons 2-1 Thursday night at Tundra Oil & Gas Place. Nathan Driver also scored for the Oil Capitals. The Manitoba Junior Hockey League's best-of-seven semifinal is tied at two games a piece. Game five goes Saturday in Steinbach and game six is Monday in Virden. The Dauphin Kings are one win away from advancing to the MJHL final. Klim Georgiev and Colby Jaquet scored on the power play and Jayden Jubenvill scored shorthanded as the Kings downed the Flyers 5-2 in Winkler and now lead that series three games to one. Game five is Saturday at Credit Union Place.


The Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League champion Westman Wildcats meet the Saskatchewan champion Notre Dame Hounds tonight (7:30 p.m.) in Hartney in game one of their best of three West Regional series. The winner advances to the 2022 Esso Cup in Okotoks, Alberta from May 16th-22nd.


Strathclair's Conor Geekie of the Winnipeg Ice is the Western Hockey League's East Division nominee for the Humanitarian of the Year award. Daniel Hauser of the Ice is the East nominee for Goaltender of the Year. Dominion City's Denton Mateychuk of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the East Division nominee for Defenseman of the Year. St. Adolphe's Owen Pickering of the Swift Current Broncos is the Central Division nominee for Rookie of the Year. Mateychuk and Hauser are also WHL East Division First Team All-Stars along with defenseman Carson Lambos and forward Matthew Savoie of the Ice. Defenseman Chad Nychuk and forward Ridly Greig of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades forward Tristen Robins of Clear Lake are Second Team All-Stars. Pickering and goaltender Isaac Poulter of Winnipeg who also plays for the Broncos are Central Division Second Team All-Stars. Forward Tyson Kozak of Souris, who plays for the Portland Winterhawks, is a U.S. Division Second Team All-Star.


The Medicine Hat Tigers will select first in the 2022 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft which will be held Thursday, May 19th. The Brandon Wheat Kings will have the 12th overall pick. The Winnipeg Ice do not have a first round section. The Edmonton Oil Kings will select first overall in the Western Hockey League U.S. Priority Draft on Wednesday, May 18th. The Wheat Kings will have the second overall pick and the Ice have the 11th pick. 


The Winnipeg Jets, who were eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, lost their final road game of the season 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Connor with his team leading 44th of the season did the goal scoring for the Jets. Winnipeg will begin it's season ending four-game homestand Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche.