Sports


Laine, Byfuglien enjoy success in Finland, but now it's back to work


Tampere, Finland native Patrik Laine scored four goals in two games for the Jets playing in front of family and friends in Finland last month. Photo Credit James Carey Lauder.


F


or many of the players on the Winnipeg Jets, the early-November week-long trip to Finland for the 2018 NHL Global Series was touted to be the high-


light of the 2018-19 NHL season – the regular season, that is. According to many members of the Jets’


squad, collecting the Stanley Cup in June 2019 as league champion is still the ultimate goal. However, the exciting back-to-back two- game neutral-ice set in Helsinki certainly provided an increased sense of elation to the players competing on ice. “It was an awesome, awesome week or so,


and I enjoyed every minute of it,” Jets’ forward and Tampere, Finland native Patrik Laine said following the trip. “It was just an awe- some experience that I am going to remember for the rest of my life. Yeah, I enjoyed every single minute of it.” The two sold-out games also served as


Dustin Byfuglien celebrates a goal at Bell MTS Place. Photo Credit James Carey Lauder.


before,” Head Coach Paul Maurice said about the 2018 Global Series upon returning home to Winnipeg. “It is truly a break in the normal NHL routine, so there’s a real positive there. We’d like to think that there will be more and more that comes from it down the road, from having your team being a little closer together, and you see that benefit further down the road.” For Jets’ forward and Tampere, Finland


Carter Brooks


a marketing campaign to the fans in Europe, all the while giving Winnipeg’s supporters back home in North America a reason to use up some sick time on back-to- back November afternoons. “It’ great, especially for the guys who haven’t done it


native, Patrik Laine, it was a homecoming long overdue. Te time spent overseas was immensely beneficial for the mindset of the struggling third-year pro. Entering the month of November, Laine (3-2-7) had been placed on Winnipeg’s fourth line after an exception- ally slow start to the 2018-19 season. In fact, last season’s Rocket Richard Trophy runner- up left for Finland on a five-game pointless streak. Te trip overseas did in fact prove to be


highly influential for the 20-year-old’s in-game perfor- mance. Whether it was the local fan support, the assort- ment of old fashioned Finnish dishes, or the moist air floating in off the Baltic Sea, the sharp-shooting winger exploded for four goals in the two-game stanza – includ-


ing a hat trick in game one – leap-frogging teammates Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor for the team lead. "I don't think you guys could even imagine how good


that feels," said Laine, following his hat trick in game one. "It might be different if I would’ve played really well the first games we played. But getting rewarded like that was pretty awesome. Obviously, it is good to be home and to be able to score those goals back here." Tree of Laine’s goals came on the man advantage (one


game on an empty net), helping boost the 2017-18 power play goals leader’s (20) total to a league-leading six power play goals through 14 games. Laine wasn’t the only player who found success while


overseas, as defenceman Dustin Byfuglien put up four points, including a three-assist game on November 1st, picking up helpers on both of Laine’s power play strikes. With four points in 2018, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound blueliner added to his previous total of four regular season points outside of North America (2009 with Chicago), moving past Teoren Fleury and Anze Kopitar for first all-time with seven points. Laine, Byfuglien and Co. have now been settled com-


fortably back in the confines of Bell MTS Place, where the goal for the remainder of the season is quite apparent: it’s playoffs or bust in Winnipeg.


Bison Jayden McKoy is the 2018 Russ Jackson Award Winner A


John Gaudes


fter having seven players recognized on the Canada West All-Star team, Bison football also has a spot at the


table with the conference’s major award winners. Fifth-year defensive back Jayden McKoy


has been selected as the 2018 Russ Jackson award winner. Presented since 1986, the Russ Jackson is awarded to a player who exemplifies the attributes of football skill, academic achievement, and citizenship in U SPORTS. McKoy, 23, is only the third Manitoba


player to merit the prestigious Russ Jackson award. Defensive back Cam Teschuk won it in 2016, while linebacker Tomas Hall was a back-to-back recipient in 2009 and 2010.


Troughout the last five years, Jayden Mc-


Koy has been recognized by his teammates and coaches as a leader within the Bisons football program, both on and off the field. In terms of community involvement,


McKoy has spent no shortage of time vol- unteering for numerous initiatives around the province, including: Israel Idonije's Inner City Youth Football Camps, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers “Crunchers” Football Camps. He’s volunteered every season in Tomp-


son, Manitoba — 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg — at football camps, which are part of suicide prevention programming in the community. On campus, Jayden has been involved


in several University of Manitoba Athletic Council (UMAC) initiatives. Tis includes the Bisons Against Bullying program,


which has seen Bison athletes visit over 200 schools to speak with youth, sharing an anti-bullying message. Other UMAC initiatives that Jayden has


been part of include: Bison Book Buddies (reading to local school children) and an- nual visits to Siloam Mission, where McKoy volunteers and serves meals to Winnipeg’s inner city homeless. Finally, McKoy has continued forward


Sam’s Christmas, an initiative started by former Bison football player Tomas Hall. This Christmas, McKoy and others will collect donations of food and other items, which are then distributed to Winnipeg families in need. In the classroom, McKoy is a three-time


U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian in the highly demanding Faculty of Computer En- gineering. He is currently taking 32 credit


hours in the 2018-19 academic year. On the field, he has amassed over 180


tackles and started every game for the Bisons in his five seasons. His 14 career interceptions are second all-time in the Manitoba record book. “Jayden’s nomination for the prestigious


Russ Jackson award is well-deserved. We’re extremely proud that he’s the representative for Canada West moving forward,” said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie. “His career at Manitoba has been out-


standing in all respects. He’s been the leader of our program and is certainly the most respected player in our locker room by both teammates and coaches alike. We wish him well as he represents both the University of Manitoba and Canada West at the All-Canadian Awards in Quebec City.” John Gaudes of Bison Sports


Valour FC selects Winnipegger with first draft pick W


ith just a few shorts months until the Canadian Premier League is set to kick off, the league held


the inaugural 2018 CPL-U Sports Draft following the 2018 U Sports Men’s Soccer Championship in Vancouver last month. All seven Canadian Premier League


clubs took part in a randomized lottery system to determine order of selection. Valour FC received the 2nd, 13th, and 16th overall picks in the draft. Rob Gale, Head Coach and GM of Winni-


peg’s newest professional sports franchise, used first pick, second overall, to select Winnipeg-born midfielder Dylan Carreiro from York University. Picking Carreiro with the club’s first ever draft pick was an easy one for Gale, who is


12 Manitoba Post


very familiar with the 23-year-old. “Dylan is a player that I have a history


with as former coach of the Canada U17 and U20 squads, so I know him very well,” said Gale, adding Carreiro has captained each one of those teams. Carreiro attended Clifton School and


Garden City Collegiate in Winnipeg before moving to Toronto where he attends York University. Since 2016, he has played with League 1 Ontario side Woodbridge Strik- ers, making 36 appearances and scoring 12 goals in both league and cup play. Te midfielder began his professional


career playing with Toronto FC’s youth team (MLS, 2010-2012) and moved abroad to play with the Queens Park Rangers (English Championship, 2012-2014). He


then signed with Dundee of the Scottish Premier League in 2014. Tat same season, he also played on loan to Scottish League One club Arbroath F.C. With their second pick, Valour FC


selected defender Lewis White from Cape Breton University 13th overall. Te 20-year-old from Musselburgh, UK, joined Cape Breton University after signing with the Glasgow Rangers in 2013, playing with their development squad. He was also called up to play for the U16 Scottish National team, making his debut April 9, 2013 against Italy. With their final selection, the club went


with another midfielder, drafting Cape Breton University’s Jack Simpson. Before coming to Canada, the 21-year-old spent


www.manitobapost.com


time in Scotland with both Heart of Mid- lothian FC and Hamilton Academical FC. “Lewis White comes from a good pedi-


gree with some professional experience under his belt, and Jack Simpson showed very well at the U SPORTS Championship. All three exhibit great character and have a lot to offer.” All three players have been invited to


Valour FC’s preseason camp in early 2019 for the chance to sign a development con- tract with the club. Te U Sports draft will send 21 players


to CPL clubs' pre-season camps. Tey will have the opportunity to sign either a de- velopmental contract for non-graduating student-athletes or a pro contract for graduating seniors.


December 2018


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