Sea Bears finish on top

Beauty. Bliss. Ecstasy.

That is how Aug. 15, 2026 will be remembered in Winnipeg.

What was once a pipe dream in the city’s hoops community became an epic reality on Saturday, when Simon Hildebrandt, who grew up playing on the courts of this very town, made good on a three-pointer from the wing to crown the Winnipeg Sea Bears Canadian Elite Basketball League champions.

A storybook ending to a 98-84 victory over the Brampton Honey Badgers sent a CEBL attendance record of 12,519 fans into pandemonium at Canada Life Centre and capped a Finals run for the ages — one that was fraught with injury, impromptu player exits and unprecedented circumstances.

Bringing home a Fish: Group of local baseball fans open doors to Goldeyes

There’s no place like home.

But what exactly does that mean for members of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, who typically find themselves hundreds or even thousands of miles away from family and friends between May and September, trying to keep their baseball careers alive while living on shoestring budgets?

For some, home is a modest downtown hotel room or small apartment typically shared with a teammate or two. For others, there’s a more personal touch — one that truly connects them to the community they happen to be playing in.

Welcome to the world of billets, a longstanding tradition in this market that dates back to when the Fish first took flight back in 1994. They are a unique and valuable tool for the American Association organization and its players, with a dedicated group of local baseball fans who open their doors and roll out the welcome mat year after year.

Get to know your Canadians in the CEBL Finals

The Canadian Elite Basketball League finals are sure to be star-studded. And that includes a dynamic group of homegrown talent.

Mason Kraus and Simon Hildebrandt of the Winnipeg Sea Bears, and Matthew Moncrieffe and Tegra Izay of the Brampton Honey Badgers have each played a part in helping their respective teams reach the championship series, and now they will duel on the league’s biggest stage.

Get to know the Canadians who are vying for the CEBL crown.

MASON KRAUSHometown: WinnipegAge: 24Position: GuardHeight: 6-3University/College: ManitobaStatistics (avg.): 25 games, 3.4 points, 1.1 assists, 32 per cent efficiency on three-point shotsWhat’s the most Canadian thing about you?

Cinderella story continues, Sea Bears bounce Bandits in Conference Final

Just days ago, the Winnipeg Sea Bears were at rock bottom.

Jefferson, face of the Bombers defensive line, shares game day routine

Clearly, Willie Jefferson’s game-day routine works wonders.

The future Hall of Famer is still as dominant as ever at age 35 and is currently tied for the CFL lead with six sacks.

But what does the lead-up to kickoff at Princess Auto Stadium typically look like for the face of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defence?

The Free Press had a lengthy chat with the defensive end before the bye week to find out.

Goldeyes catcher Pelletier moonlights as team barber

Tucked inside the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ clubhouse is a no-frills washroom with a urinal, a pair of toilets and a trio of sinks beneath matching mirrors.

But when rookie catcher Raphael Pelletier drags in a well-worn black leather salon chair with cracked upholstery and lays out his clippers, trimmers and shears, the space transforms into something else: a barbershop.

While far from luxurious, it’s the type of haircutting experience that could only exist inside the wacky world of independent baseball.

“He keeps everyone looking good on the field, honestly. We needed this,” said third-year Goldeyes pitcher Derrick Cherry, while getting a trim on Wednesday ahead of the team’s game against the Chicago Dogs.

Central remains toughest division in league

With NHL training camps set to open in just over five weeks’ time, the Central Division still looks like one of the toughest places to earn a playoff spot in the league.

With three of the top seven teams in the NHL standings last season residing within it — including the Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche (121 points) — it’s clear that the most likely path back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Winnipeg Jets is by earning one of the two wild-card berths available in the Western Conference.

And since a couple of teams in the Pacific Division are on the rise, including the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks (who missed the playoffs by four points in Macklin Celebrini’s second NHL season), it’s likely going to take north of 90 or 92 points to punch a post-season ticket.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the moves that were made in the Central, realizing there are a few questions left unanswered for the Jets and the seven other clubs:

Sea Bears say Allen recovering from nightclub assault

The Winnipeg Sea Bears are preparing for the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs without the services of its Most Valuable Player.

The club announced on Tuesday that star guard Teddy Allen has been ruled out for Thursday’s Western Conference semifinal against the Saskatoon Mamba at Canada Life Centre (7:30 p.m.) as he recovers from “significant health injuries” suffered after being assaulted by security staff at a downtown nightclub on Sunday.

“We continue to co-operate with the Winnipeg Police Service on its investigation and have referred them individuals and information based on what has been provided to us from those on the scene,” a statement from the club read.

“What we’ve seen and heard to date leads us to believe that Teddy was the victim of an assault at the hands of security at a downtown nightclub.”

Around the NSL: Roaring Rapid; Mighty Maroons motoring; Wild still looking for first win

WELCOME back to the View from Row Z!

What a fortnight of footy in the Northern Super League. With two Week 15 games already in the books, this edition of the View will look a little different, capping off all the action from Week 13 and 14.

Let’s start with questions going into the two games left in Week 15.

Can the Rapid be stopped?

Bombers defence still holds hope season can be turned around

One solitary, one-syllable word was all Mike O’Shea needed to try and describe what he had just seen.

The head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had watched his defence get shredded for almost 400 yards in the rushing game alone in what was a 35-19 loss to the B.C. Lions on Thursday night before a stunned crowd of more than 31,000 at Princess Auto Stadium.

“Oof,” said O’Shea, before he explained things a bit further on the tactical side and provided some of the reasons things went sideways in such an important facet of the game.

It wasn’t that the description the head coach of the Bombers gave on that front wasn’t important, but the preamble to the soliloquy on how a series of errors and missed tackles wasn’t really necessary for anyone who had just witnessed this debacle.

Wanderers centennial transcends the pitch

A local rugby club’s influence on Winnipeg’s sports scene impacts thousands of Winnipeggers every day. Their story is one of the city’s best-kept secrets.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg Wanderers Rugby Football Club. The Kildonan-based Wanderers' storied history reflects the core values of a global community, rooted in camaraderie and fuelled by a burning love for the sport.

The Wanderers’ influence on both rugby and football has built stadiums, shaped families, and pioneered the way for Winnipeg’s beloved professional gridiron football team.

Last month, Manitoba’s oldest rugby club celebrated the milestone with the communities it helped build. The club hosted a weekend of festivities at Maple Grove Rugby Park and was honoured on two separate occasions at Princess Auto Stadium.

Winnipeg's Ivo Thiessen among Canada's top young squash players

The Thiessen bloodline is no stranger to racquet sport, and 19-year-old Ivo Thiessen is no different as an up and coming Manitoban squash player.

Thiessen started the sport at a young age, first introduced to the enclosed court and rubber ball by his father, John — an avid squash player himself.

“When I was younger, he was just taking me down (to the Racquet Club), throwing me on the court and making me hit a ball,” Thiessen explained. “Then it just progressed. He kept putting me in lessons, kept pushing me and then I started to actually begin enjoying it once I figured it out a bit.”

Thiessen not only had the support from his father, but from other family members who had a personal love of the game.

Fanning captures second straight senior’s title, while Martens’ provincial victory 27 years in the taking

Todd Fanning is among the most decorated golfers in Manitoba history.

But a second straight senior men’s championship — captured Wednesday at Breezy Bend — was especially sweet.

That’s because it opens the door for him to represent the province at the Canadian senior men’s championship, which just so happens to be set for his sporting backyard at Niakwa in early September.

“This tournament was really important for me. Not only defending, but to try and get on the team and try to represent our home course,” Fanning told the Free Press.

Living the strongman life means special training for special strength

Behind the Scenes: How is the stage lit? Who hangs the paintings? What happens in the dish pit? Behind the Scenes is a recurring series highlighting the important and often invisible work happening at arts and culture venues across Winnipeg.

Vínarterta and vikings, fashion and fris-nok, music and midway rides. There’s no shortage of entertainment at Íslendingadagurinn, Gimli’s long-running Icelandic cultural festival, but one event in particular has proved a strong draw in recent years.

Since launching in 2022, the Magnús Classic Gimli Strongman competition has become a festival highlight, attracting large crowds to the displays of superhuman strength performed under the watchful eye of the town’s lakeside viking statue.

Interest in the sport has been growing globally as well.

Carillon baseball team takes third straight MJBL title

For the third consecutive season, the Carillon Sultans have lifted the Darryl Steen Trophy as champions of the Manitoba Junior Baseball League.

The Sultans dominated the Elmwood Giants in the final, winning all three games in abbreviated fashion with mercy rule victories to claim the best-of-five series, including the 12-2 series clincher in Steinbach at A.D. Penner Park on July 28.

All nine Carillon players in the line-up recorded at least one hit, with lead-off hitter Joe Plett knocking in a two-run single to give the Sultans a 10-run advantage in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“We wanted to make sure we finish tonight and everyone came through and did what they had to do,” head coach Don Meilleur said.