The Pembina Tigers scored four goals in the first period and added four more in the second en route to a 9-1 victory over the Garden Valley Zodiacs in the lone Zone 4 High School Hockey League game Tuesday night at the Winkler Centennial Arena. Max Jago had a hat trick for the Tigers while James Young scored twice and Tanner Anderson had a goal and four helpers. Ben Kubinec, Anthony Mckay and Carlos Pittet also scored for Pembina. Haiden Friesen had the lone goal for the Zodiacs. 


The Steinbach Pistons and Portage Terriers continue to stay in the top half of the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Top 20 Rankings. The Pistons moved up one spot from seven to six. The Terriers dropped from eight to nine. The Winkler Flyers received honorable mention. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Battlefords North Stars are the number one nationally ranked team for the sixth week in a row. 


Blake Wheeler had a hat trick and Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves as the Winnipeg Jets opened their four-game homestand with a 5-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche at Canada Life Centre. Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele also scored for Winnipeg. Cole Perfetti chipped in with three helpers. It's Hellebuyck's third shutout of the season and 31st of his career. The Jets (14-6-1) next game is Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.


The pre-tournament schedule for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship has been announced, with six communities slated to host games from Dec. 19-23. In total, 11 games will be played throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in advance of the World Juniors. The province of New Brunswick will host five matchups, with games scheduled in Bouctouche, Moncton and Quispamsis. All three medalists from the 2022 World Junior Championship - Canada, Finland and Sweden - will play pre-tournament games in New Brunswick. Canada will open its exhibition schedule with games at Avenir Centre in Moncton on Dec. 19 and 21, facing Switzerland and Slovakia. Six exhibition games will take place in Nova Scotia, in Antigonish, Halifax and Truro. The final pre-tournament game will be a rematch of the 2022 gold medal game, with Canada and Finland taking to the ice at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax on Dec. 23.


The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed all-star linebacker Adam Bighill to a two-year contract extension. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February 2023. Bighill returns in 2023 for a fifth season with the Blue Bombers and his 11th in the Canadian Football League. Bighill led the Bombers in total defensive plays in 2022, registering 72 tackles along with two sacks, one interception and one tackle for a loss. He was named a West Division All-Star for the eighth time in his career and a CFL Players’ Association All-Star for a fifth time. A three-time winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award – 2015, 2018 and 2021 – Bighill’s 72 tackles this year moved him into seventh place on the CFL’s all-time list with 817. A three-time Grey Cup champion – 2019 and 2021 with the Blue Bombers and 2011 with the Lions – Bighill has played in 164 games in his CFL career, including 65 over the last four seasons in Winnipeg.