Jace Freeman of Virden and Dayna Wahl of Altona have qualified for the finals at the Provincial U18 Curling Championships in Altona. Freeman earned a spot in the boys final as he finished the round robin in first place with a 5-1 record. Zach Norris of Morris and Ronan Peterson of the Heather were 4-2 and will meet in the semifinal at 9 a.m. Wahl outscored Grace Beaudry of St. Vital 7-6 in an extra end in the 1-1 page playoff game last night. Beaudry will meet Shaela Hayward of Carman in the girls semifinal at 9 a.m. and that winner will take on Dayna Wahl in the final at 1 p.m. Hayward downed Karys Buchalter of West St. Paul 4-2 in the 2-2 page playoff game.


The Brandon Wheat Kings and Winnipeg Ice were winners in the Western Hockey League Friday night. Brandon gave up two goals in the first 69 seconds and then scored the next 11. The Wheat Kings bounced the Warriors 11-2 in Moose Jaw. Nate Danielson, Zakhar Polshakov, Luke Shipley, Mason Ward, Rylen Roersma, Brett Hyland, Roger McQueen, Calder Anderson, Evan Groening, Nolan Ritchie and Anthony Wilson did the goal scoring for Brandon. Daniel Hauser stopped all 23 shots he faced as the Ice blanked the Saskatoon Blades 2-0.


Canada will play its final preliminary round game against Sweden today (5:30 p.m.) at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax. Canada has a 2-1 record.


The Winnipeg Jets signed forward Danny Zhilkin to a three-year entry level contract. The Moscow native was chosen by the Jets in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Zhilkin has 11 goals and 14 assists in 23 games with the OHL’s Guelph Storm.


The Manitoba Moose gave up three unanswered second period goals and lost 4-2 to the Abbotsford Canucks at Canada Life Centre. Tyler Boland had both goals for the Moose. Portage la Prairie’s Dean Stewart drew an assist on Boland’s first period marker.