News briefs for January 4, 2022

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The visiting Winnipeg Jets defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 tonight for their third consecutive NHL victory.

Evgeny Svechnikov and Pierre-Luc Dubois sparked the Jets to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. Coyotes blue-liner Shayne Gostisbehere scored early in the third period to give the hosts some life. 

Nikolaj Ehlers potted a late goal into an empty net.

Arizona goalie Karel Vejmelka was sensational, stopping 45 shots in a losing effort. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves for the Jets, now 16-11-5.

Arizona fell to 6-22-3.

The Jets play in Denver on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.

GLENDALE — Pierre-Luc Dubois’ 15th goal of the season has doubled the Winnipeg Jets lead to 2-0 over the Arizona Coyotes through two periods.

Evgeny Svechnikov opened the scoring in the first period with his third of the year.

Connor Hellebuyck has stopped all 17 shots he’s faced. Winnipeg has put 28 pucks on net as they try to win a third straight game. 

GLENDALE – Welcome back, Evgeny Svechnikov.

The Winnipeg Jets winger returned from injury and scored the only goal of the opening period to give his team a 1-0 lead over the Arizona Coyotes.

Svechnikov, who missed two games spread over two weeks, fired a one-timer off a pass from Josh Morrissey. Kristian Vesalainen had the other assist.

Shots are 9-7 for Winnipeg through 20 minutes.

The Jets are looking to win a third straight game. They head to Denver after this one to play the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. 

Rising rates of COVID-19 has forced the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra to cancel three concerts planned for Jan. 15 and 16.

For those with tickets to Copland: Suite from Appalachian Spring (Jan. 15, 12:30 p.m.) Haydn, Mozart & Copland (Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m.) and Jack and the Beanstalk (Jan. 16, 2:30 p.m.), the orchestra will offer a gift certificate for the value of the tickets, or to donate the tickets back to the WSO for a charitable tax receipt or a full refund.

The province’s police watchdog is investigating an allegation of assault against a Manitoba First Nation police service officer.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said on Tuesday a man was arrested by the police force at a residence somewhere near Opaskwayak Cree Nation on Jan. 1.

The man was taken by officers to a detachment, but the next day he told an officer he had been assaulted during the transport there.

The IIU is asking anyone with information or video about the incident to contact them at 1-844-667-6060.

Three Manitobans were killed in separate crashes that occurred during a 12-hour period over the weekend.

A 56-year-old man from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation died after two westbound vehicles collided on Highway 1 west of Alexander at about 4:25 p.m. on Dec. 31, said RCMP.

Shortly before 11 p.m., a 35-year-old man from St. Theresa Point First Nation was killed when he was ejected from an SUV involved in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 10 just south of Dauphin.

In the third incident, a 22-year-old man died when the vehicle he was driving went off a road in Berens River and rolled onto ice. The rollover was reported about 2:45 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

Manitoba schools will move to remote learning for one week after the extended holiday break, provincial officials announced Tuesday afternoon.

School resumes after the winter break on Jan. 10. 

Most children will attend remotely, but provincial officials said a "phased-in approach will be applied," allowing children of critical service workers in kindergarten to Grade 6 and all students considered high-risk or with special learning needs able to attend school if no alternate care is available.

All other students will return to in-person classes on Jan. 17.

Child-care facilities that offer year-round service, including centres in schools, will remain open and are strongly encouraged to prioritize children of critical service workers, official said.

School-age child-care facilities that operate based on the school calendar and do not provide service during school breaks will offer services to children of critical service workers requiring before- and after-school care.
 

A Brandon teacher has been accused of sexually assaulting a female student in 2010.

Troy Innes, 39, was teaching in the Turtle Mountain School division at the time he’s accused of sexually assaulting a teenage female student in 2010. The historical sexual offences were reported to RCMP in May 2021, and Innes was arrested Dec. 22, Manitoba RCMP announced Jan. 4.

At the time of his arrest, Innes was a teacher in the Brandon School Division.

He is charged with two counts of sexual assault, luring and sexual exploitation of a young person by a person in a position of trust or authority.

GLENDALE — Evgeny Svechnikov returns to the lineup for the Winnipeg Jets tonight after missing the past couple weeks with an injury.

The Russian winger takes the place of forward David Gustafsson, who suffered a lower-body ailment on Sunday afternoon in Vegas. He will skate on the fourth line with Domininc Toninato and Kristian Vesalainen.

That is the only lineup change for the Jets (15-11-5), who are aiming to win a third straight game. Puck drop against the Arizona Coyotes (6-21-3) is 8 p.m. CST.

Connor Hellebuyck gets the start in net.

The Jets head to Denver after this one to take on the Colorado Avalanche Thursday night.

Manitoba recorded 1,757 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday and a test positivity rate of nearly 40 per cent. 

The number of new cases is likely an underestimate because of the backlog of tests the province is still dealing with. 

There were 209 COVID-19 patients in hospital and 32 COVID-19 patients in the ICU as of Tuesday morning. 

A 24-year-old woman is facing a charge of arson after a fire at a Dufferin Avenue multi-unit residence on Monday.

Winnipeg police said on Tuesday officers were responding to a call about a fight at the residence in the 200 block of Dufferin Avenue at about 2:15 p.m., but when they got there, they saw smoke in the building.

Police said the officers were able to quickly evacuate all 12 suites so there were no injuries.

Police said the woman was arrested at the scene.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said on Monday they rescued three cats from the building.

The river skating trail at The Forks was given a new name, which pays tribute to the area’s rich history, as the first leg officially opened Tuesday.

The attraction is now known as the Nestaweya River Trail.

“Nestaweya is the original Cree name used for the site of The Forks and the area we now call Winnipeg,” said Niigaan Sinclair, The Forks’ Indigenous curator, in a press release. “Nestaweya literally means ‘three points,’ used here to mean that people came together to this site from three directions on the rivers.”

Cree came from the north on the Red, Ojibwa travelled from the south on the same river and Lakota/Dakota/Nakota or Assiniboine came from the west on the Assiniboine, said Sinclair.

The only section to open so far is the surface at The Forks Historic Port.

The trail is sponsored by The Winnipeg Foundation.

A fire in a home in the 600 block of St. John’s Avenue on Tuesday morning is believed to have been accidental.

Firefighters arrived at the one-and-a-half-storey home at around 6:42 a.m. and the fire was declared under control by 6:56 a.m. There were no injuries.

The fire was likely caused by smoking materials being thrown out improperly.

Premier Heather Stefanson, Education Minister Cliff Cullen and Dr. Jazz Atwal, the deputy chief provincial public health officer, are providing an update on children’s return to school.

The news conference will begin at 2 p.m. People can watch it on the province’s website and YouTube channel.