Free Press Top 10 Manitoba sports stories of ‘23

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This article was published 25/12/2023 (622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The time has come to once again unveil the Free Press sports department’s Top-10 Manitoba Sports Moments of the Year.

It’s been an annual holiday tradition since 2020 and the decisions haven’t gotten any easier as there’s no shortage of stories deserving of recognition.

Sports Editor Jason Bell and reporters Mike Sawatzky, Jeff Hamilton, Mike McIntyre, Ken Wiebe, Joshua Frey-Sam and yours truly voted on the top sports happenings of the past 12 months from athletes and teams with ties to our province. Without further ado, here’s our list.

1. Einarson wins fourth straight Scotties

You could argue it was the most important game in Manitoba’s rich curling history.

Gimli’s Kerri Einarson and Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones were not only playing for the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts title on Feb. 26 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C., but also a place in the record books.

Einarson, Alberta-based third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Harris (with alternate Krysten Karwacki and coach Reid Carruthers) needed a win to become the first team since Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones (2001-04) to win four consecutive national women’s championships.

Then there was Jennifer Jones, arguably the greatest of all-time, with a chance to make history and become the first player to win seven Canadian titles.

In the end, it was Einarson/Team Canada posting a 10-4 victory over Jones/Team Manitoba (featuring third Karlee Burgess, second Mackenzie Zacharias, and the platoon of Lauren Lenentine and Emily Zacharias at lead) in what had been a tightly contested final until a hit for five in the ninth end blew it open.

Einarson and Co. travelled to Sweden a few weeks later for the world women’s curling championship and knocked off Sweden’s own Anna Hasselborg 8-5 in the bronze-medal game.

“I find myself wondering every year like, ‘Oh, my god. Are we going to win another one?’ It just seems unreal and surreal, and kind of like a dream, because it’s such an accomplishment. We’re so fortunate to win that many Scotties and be Team Canada so many times in a row,” said Harris in a September interview.

“Going into that game (against Jones), we were just hoping we could be defending champs again and keep the streak going. We know it can’t go forever, but we hope every year that it will be one year longer.”

After three finishes in the top-four, this is Team Einarson’s first time receiving the Free Press’s sports moment of the year.

 

2. Bombers lose Grey Cup… again

The Bombers taking the No. 2 spot on this list is rather fitting.

For the second year in a row, the Blue and Gold fell short in the championship game in heartbreaking fashion.

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo found receiver Tyson Philpot in the middle of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left to defeat the Bombers 28-24 in Grey Cup 110 in Hamilton.

The surging Als had won seven straight heading into the big game — including a 38-17 beatdown over the 16-2 Toronto Argonauts in the East Final — but the experienced Bombers were still the favourites to hoist the silver mug. A Winnipeg win would’ve solidified themselves as a dynasty with three titles in four seasons, but Fajardo’s heroics spoiled that.

“This one hurts more than last year. Just because the feelings going into this game, and the games we overcame and won this year, it just felt like destiny to win this one,” said Bombers receiver Drew Wolitarsky in a somber locker room.

“To not win, and for it to just end like it did so quickly, when I felt like we were in control of the game going into the fourth quarter, it hurts.”

 

3. Scheifele and Hellebuyck re-sign

Indeed, Oct. 9 will be considered one of the biggest days in Jets 2.0 history.

Winnipeg signed two of its biggest pieces — goalie Connor Hellebuyck and centre Mark Scheifele — to identical seven-year contract extensions.

The move keeps the two stars with the team that drafted them through 2030-31 and pays them US$8.5 million annually.

More importantly, the signings allowed the Jets to stay competitive and avoid a rebuild.

“I’m ready to be a Jet for life and bring a Cup to this city because I truly believe we can get it done here,” said Hellebuyck.

 

4. Outstanding Oliveira

Brady Oliveira became a superstar in ‘23.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back was crowned the CFL’s most outstanding Canadian and was also the West Division nominee for most outstanding player – making him the first Winnipegger to be nominated for the league’s top award.

The 26-year-old led the league in rushing rushing yards (1,534) and touchdowns (13), while helping the Bombers to a a 14-4 record and a fourth straight Grey Cup appearance. Oliveira put up some historic numbers, becoming just the second Canadian running back to rush for over 1,500 yards in a season (Stampeders legend Jon Cornish set the record in 2013 with 1,813).

 

5. Maya Turner makes history

Never mind Manitoba, Maya Turner was one of the best stories in all of sports in 2023.

The University of Manitoba Bisons kicker made history on Sept. 23 by becoming the first female in U Sports history to dress and record a point in a regular season game.

She went 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra-points to give her nine points in her debut. One of those field goals came in overtime as she drilled a 21-yarder to lift the Herd to a 27-24 win over the Regina Rams at IG Field. She started the next five games and finished the year 11-for-14 on field goals (one was blocked) and a perfect 16-for-16 on singles.

The product of Maple Grove, Minn., used to play NCAA Div. I soccer at Loyola University before making the trip up north to pursue her gridiron dream.

“It’s a moment that transcends football,” said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie shortly after the game-winning kick.

“It will be felt for years to come.”

 

6. Sea Bears exceed expectations in Year 1

The Winnipeg Sea Bears’ inaugural season couldn’t have gone much better.

They essentially won everything but the Canadian Elite Basketball League championship as star forward Teddy Allen earned MVP honours, Mike Taylor was named Coach of the Year, guard Jelani Watson-Gayle picked up the Sixth Man award, and hometown product Simon Hildebrandt was voted the U Sports Player of the Year.

They went 12-8 and hosted a playoff game in front of a record crowd of 10,580 fans.

Their stellar attendance was the main reason they were also hailed as the 2023 CEBL Franchise of the Year. The city wasted no time rallying around the Sea Bears as the team owns the seven-highest attended games in league history.

They were the talk of the town during the summer and showcased Winnipeg’s love for basketball.

 

7. Jets trade PLD

The Pierre-Luc Dubois saga finally came to an end in June.

After months of speculation, the Winnipeg Jets traded the 24-year-old disgruntled forward to the Los Angeles Kings for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2024 second-round pick.

As a part of the deal, Dubois, who the Jets acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Patrik Laine in 2021, signed an eight-year, US$68 million contract with the Kings.

The 25-year-old has stumbled out of the gate with his new club with five goals and seven assists in 29 games this season. It’s still early, but it appears the Jets made out like a bandit as Iafallo has 15 points in 31 games and Vilardi has 13 in just 13 games.

 

8. Park wins taekwondo gold

Skylar Park continued to cement herself as one of the best taekwondo athletes in the world.

In October, Park defeated Iran’s Nahid Kiyanichandeh — the reigning 53-kilogram world champion — to capture gold at the Taiyuan World Taekwondo Grand Prix in China.

A few weeks later, the 24-year-old from Winnipeg was in Santiago, Chile with a Pan Am Games gold medal around her neck after a victory over Brazil’s Maria Clara Pacheco in the women’s 57-kg final.

Her younger brothers, Tae-Ku and Braven, also competed in Chile. It’s believed they are the first trio of siblings to represent Canada in the same sport at a Pan Am Games.

Tae-Ku, 22, brought home a bronze and Braven, 21, finished his event in fourth place.

 

9. Aaron Cockerill continues to climb pro golf ladder

Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill has half a million reasons to smile about 2023.

Manitoba’s top golfer had a career year on the European Tour (also known as the DP World Tour) winning approximately $500,000 in prize money and finishing 76th on the order of merit.

The 31-year-old came oh-so close to capturing his first title — the ISPS Handa Championship in Omitama, Japan in April — but lost in a playoff to Australia’s Lucas Herbert.

By finishing the season in the tour’s top 120, Cockerill retains his full-time card for 2024. Cockerill also moved to a career-best 209th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

 

10. Wesmen upset Bisons in men’s hoops in front of record crowd

Kirby Schepp summed the night up perfectly.

“Everyone here will remember they were here,” said the Manitoba Bisons men’s basketball head coach at the time.

It was Feb. 25 when Schepp and the Bisons hosted the Winnipeg Wesmen at the Investors Group Athletic Centre in the Canada West semifinal.

There were 3,300 fans on hand — the largest attendance in the IGAC’s 25-year history — who witnessed the Wesmen pull off a thrilling a 73-70 victory in a game that was tied 14 times and had eight lead changes. There was a lot at stake as the win sent the U of W to men’s nationals for the first time since 1994.

The Wesmen lost 95-80 to No. 1-ranked Victoria in the conference final before falling to Ottawa in the first round at the U Sports final eight tournament.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

X: @TaylorAllen31