In their second trade of the week, the Winkler Flyers have added G Devon Fordyce (94) from the OCN Blizzard in exchange for G Casey Parker (95) prospect F Matt Bullard (98) and future considerations. Along with goaltender Dasan Sydora, this move gives Winkler one of the best goalie tandems in the MJHL. Fordyce is a 6’1”, 200lbs goaltender from Cochrane, Alberta. The 20 year old had an (8-16-1) record with the Blizzard this season while sporting a 3.02 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. He is also tied with Dasan Sydora for the MJHL lead in shutouts with three. Fordyce has Western Hockey League experience with the Prince George Cougars and Seattle Thunderbirds. He also helped the Brooks Bandits (AJHL) win the RBC Cup in 2013. Going to the Blizzard are 19 year old goaltender Casey Parker (95), 16 year old forward prospect Matt Bullard (98) and future considerations. Parker started two games for Winkler after being acquired from the Melville Millionaires (SJHL) at the December 1st roster cutdown deadline. The Flyers now have one card remaining ahead of the January 10th trading deadline with 22 players currently on the roster. The Flyers would like to welcome Devon and his family to the Flyers organization and would like to wish Casey and Matt all the best in the future.

The Winkler Flyers fired 39 shots at Oil Caps goaltender Sean Kuehn and beat him only once in a 5-1 loss in Virden in the first of six straight games on the road. The Orange and Black had enough chances to win the game, but were forced to settle for their fourth road loss in their last six games away from home. Traveling to Virden for the first time this season, the Winkler Flyers were trying to keep their spot in second place in the MJHL standings, having earned at least a point in five straight games. The Flyers and Oil Capitals had met just once before this season with Winkler coming out on the wrong side of the decision at home back in November. The Flyers had also never lost a game at Tundra Oil and Gas Place since the Oil Capitals moved from Winnipeg before the 2012-2013 season. The Flyers had a good first period and had numerous chances to score only to be turned away by Virden goaltender Sean Kuehn. Winkler outshot Virden 11-6 in the period and went into the first intermission in a scoreless tie. Virden capitalized on their chances in the second and quickly had a 2-0 lead before the period was five minutes old. The Oil Caps took a 3-0 lead on the power-play with just under three minutes left on the clock and Winkler trailed by three heading into the break, despite generating offensive pressure in the Virden zone. Just after a Flyers power-play to start the third period, the home team extended their cushion to four goals, 1:36 into the period. Jordan Greig then scored his second of the game, on the power-play with just over eleven and a half minute left in regulation and Virden had a 5-0 lead. Winkler continued to fire pucks on goal and a bounce finally went their way with exactly three minutes to go in the hockey game. After taking the pass from Patrice Wren, Virden native Cam Whyte rung a shot off the cross bar. Luckily for Winkler, Tristan Keck was right there to knock the rebound into the net to cut Virden’s lead to 5-1. It was Keck’s league leading 37th goal of the season. Dasan Sydora (20-6-3) took the loss in goal suffering just his sixth regulation loss of the season. He made 22 saves in the game as Winkler out-shot the Oil Capitals 39-27 overall. Winkler went 0-for-5 on the power-play while Virden went 2-for-3. The Flyers (24-11-7) have the next six days off and will continue their six game road swing in Virden on Friday, January 16th. Puck drop at Tundra Oil and Gas Place in Virden is 7:30pm with Matt Friesen’s pregame show on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 7:25pm. The game can also be heard on CJRB 1220 in Boissevain. After the trades for forward Jagger Thomas and goaltender Devon Fordyce this week, the Flyers have one open roster spot to fill before the January 10th trading deadline. Stay tuned to www.winklerflyers.com, Twitter (@winklerflyers) or the Flyers Facebook page for up to date info on any trade deadline activity.   GAME STATS

Lawson McDonald scored a pair of goals to help the Winkler Flyers defeat the Swan Valley Stampeders 4-1 in the first game of their three game northern road trip. Dasan Sydora also made 34 saves on 35 shots as the Orange and Black snapped a three game losing streak. Still in search of their first road win since November 23rd, the Flyers returned to the Swan River Centennial Arena looking for their third win in as many games against the Stampeders. In their two previous meetings, the Flyers had outscored Swan by a count of 10-1. The Flyers had a strong opening period on Friday night but could not translate their chances into goals. Winkler outshot the Stampeders 13-7 in the first period and went into the intermission in a scoreless tie. Winkler managed to beat Stamps’ goaltender Graham Hunt just 38 seconds into the second period when Patrice Wren tipped in Connor Hamonic’s point shot and the Flyers had a 1-0 lead. Cam Whyte assisted on the captain’s 12th of the season. Just under five minutes later, Lawson McDonald buried his ninth of the season during a goal mouth scramble and the Flyers lead had doubled to 2-0. Brett Klassen and former Stampeder Jagger Thomas drew the assists. Near the end of the period, Klassen sent Bryce Enns into the Stampeders zone and the 20 year old Cartwright native fired in a wrister from the top of the circle pushing Winkler ahead 3-0 with 2:08 on the clock. The Flyers would add to their lead again in the third period, with this goal coming on a 5-on-3 power-play. With 8:42 to play in regulation, Cam Whyte and Jagger Thomas each picked up their second assist of the night on McDonald’s second goal of the game and 10th of the season. The third period was definitely in busiest period for goaltender Dasan Sydora who had his shutout bid broken with 5:49 to play in regulation when the Stamps cut Winkler’s lead to 4-1. Winkler would buckle down the rest of the way and skate away with the 4-1 road victory. Dasan Sydora made 34 saves on 35 shots while earning his 21st win of the season. Both teams finished the game with 35 shots on goal. The win snapped the Flyers three game losing streak and seven game losing streak on the road. The Flyers went 1-for-2 on the power-play and 2-for-2 on the penalty-kill. Along with McDonald’s two goals, Brett Klassen, Cam Whyte and Jagger Thomas all recorded multi-point games with two assists each. Thomas’ assists were his first points as a member of the Flyers. The Flyers (25-13-7) will continue their road trip, Saturday night in OCN (16-23-4). The Flyers are (3-0-2) against the Blizzard this season. You can catch the game live from the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com with Matt Friesen’s pregame show at 6:55pm. GAME STATS

The Winkler Flyers managed a single point Saturday night in OCN, losing 3-2 to the Blizzard in a shootout. Tristan Keck scored his MJHL leading 39th goal of the season and Connor Hamonic added his fourth as the Flyers completed their season series against the Blizzard with a (3-0-3) record, taking nine of twelve points against OCN. On the heals of a 4-1 win over the Swan Valley Stampeders the night before, the Flyers made their final regular season trip to the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre in OCN. Winkler had won three of their previous five meetings against the Blizzard, lost one in overtime and once in a shootout. The Flyers got off on the wrong foot in this one as Devon Muir gave the Blizzard an early 1-0 lead just 13 seconds into the hockey game. Winkler responded well and would get that one back just a few minutes later. With the faceoff in the OCN zone, Brett Klassen won the draw back to Connor Hamonic who scored his fourth of the season, tying the game at one, 2:33 into the period. Winkler would then take the lead just over two minutes later when Cam Whyte and Patrice Wren assisted on Tristan Keck’s MJHL leading 39th goal of the season. The Flyers took their one goal lead into the second period. The Flyers continued to outshoot and out chance the Blizzard in the second period but could not get their opportunities to translate into goals. OCN would tie the game with just 57 seconds remaining in the second period and the game was all square through 40 minutes. Both teams had chances to finish the game off in the third as the Flyers and Blizzard combined for 32 shots in the period only to have the game remain 2-2 after regulation. After overtime solved nothing, the game was headed to a shootout. The Flyers have not had much luck in shootouts this season, coming into the game with a (1-6) record in shootouts and already losing one to OCN earlier in the year. Dasan Sydora and OCN goaltender Brody Claeys kept the shooters at bay through five and a half rounds before Cole McCartan won in for the Blizzard in round six. Sydora (21-7-3) made 36 saves through 65 minutes of work as the Flyers outshot OCN 42-38 overall. Winkler went 0-for-3 on the power-play and 2-for-2 on the penalty-kill. The Flyers (25-13-8) will conclude their three game northern road swing, Sunday night in Dauphin (16-23-6) with their sixth straight game on the road. Puck drop at Credit Union Place in Dauphin is 7pm with the pregame show live on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 6:55pm. The Flyers are (5-0) against the Kings this season. GAME STATS

This season, the Winkler Flyers and the Manitoba Liquor & Lottiers "IMPACT" program have teamed up to recognize an outstanding member of the Winkler Flyers Hockey Club by naming the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries "IMPACT" Player of the Month. During the month of November, Cam Whyte led all Flyers in scoring with five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 10 games played. He has already surpassed his career high of 21 points which he recorded last season. Manitoba Liquor Lotteries "Impact" Ambassador, Reid Curruthers presented Whyte with the award. Learn more about the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries IMPACT program Click Here.

During the 2014-2015 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season, the Winkler Flyers and Kroeker Farms have teamed up to help fight hunger in Southern Manitoba. For every goal the Flyers score throughout the season, Kroeker Farms will donate 100 lbs of produce to various charities and food banks in the area. In 2013-2014, Kroeker Farms donated nearly 18,000lbs of food to local charities, and with another successful offensive year, we can take a bite out of hunger. Follow along on the "Kroeker Farms – Goal Tracker" on www.winklerflyers.com and on the board inside the Winkler Recreation Complex, you can see how many goals the Flyers have scored and how much food is going to those who need it. Thank you Kroeker Farms for your support.

Click on the following links to view the photo galleries of Winkler Flyers Photographers Ryan Sawatzky and Merle Peters.   Ryan Sawatzky   Merle Peters

The Flyers added leadership, experience and heart with their final move at the trading deadline, picking up forward Ryne Keller (94) from the Battlefords North Stars (SJHL). The pride of Wilke, Saskatchewan served the past two seasons as the North Stars Captain and comes to Winkler will 200 games of Junior Hockey experience. With the acquisition of Keller, the Flyers now have a full roster of 23 players including nine 20 year olds, eight 19 year olds, four 18 year olds, two 17 year olds. Keller is a 5’9”, 170 lbs forward who can play all three forward positions. In 36 games played this season in the Battlefords, Keller had 15 points (3 goals – 12 assists) and 16 penalty minutes. With exactly 200 games of Junior hockey experience, the Wilke, Saskatchewan native has 76 (25 goals – 51 assists) and 107 penalty minutes. He also Captained the North Stars for the past two seasons. “Ryne is a heart and soul kid and is very excited to come here” says Flyers Head Coach and General Manager Ken Pearson. “His leadership and experience will be valuable assets to our group moving forward into playoffs. He’s a great skater and will contribute as one of our top nine forwards” added Pearson. “The fact that he can play all three forward positions is great. He plays very well in his own end and can help out offensively too.” The trade for Keller is the Flyers third trade of the week after adding forward Jagger Thomas from Swan Valley and goaltender Devon Fordyce from OCN before the January 10th trading deadline. The Flyers would like to welcome Ryne and his family to the Flyers organization and look forward to seeing him on the ice in an Orange and Black uniform.

It was a game of missed opportunities for the Winkler Flyers in a 4-1 loss to the Virden Oil Capitals. Playing at Tundra Oil and Gas Place in Virden for the second straight game, the Flyers again failed to capitalize on their chance and the bounces went the home team’s way. With exactly a week off since losing 5-1 in Virden on Friday, January 9th, the Winkler Flyers returned to Virden looking for a better fate. Winkler has had trouble winning on the road as of late, with their last victory away from home coming November 23rd in Selkirk (4-3 win). Devon Fordyce made his first start for Winkler after being acquired from the OCN Blizzard at the trade deadline and was tested early on. Just 3:07 into the hockey game, Virden defenseman Jordan Grieg saw his point shot deflect off the back of teammate Kurt Johnas and past Fordyce, giving the Oil Caps a 1-0 lead. Winkler would find themselves on a series of power-plays after that and tied the game with 8:54 to play in the first when Zak Hicks scored his fifth of the season. The unassisted power-play goal came after Flyers leading scorer Tristan Keck took a stick in the face, forcing him to leave the game. He did not return. The Flyers and Oil Capitals went into the first intermission tied 1-1. The bounces continued to go Virden’s way in the second when a centering pass kicked off the skate of Virden forward Mack Hardy and into the back of the net, giving the Oil Caps a 2-1 lead just under three minutes into the period. It was a power-play goal. Fordyce was strong in the second as Virden carried a one goal lead into the third despite outshooting the Flyers 23-17 through 40 minutes. Winkler also had their chances to score but continued to be baffled by Virden goaltender Sean Kuehn for the second straight game. Early in the third period, the Oil Caps extended their lead to 3-1 when Jake Dudar scored after it appeared Virden carried the puck into the Flyers zone offside. Winkler, now trailing by two goals continued to search for some offense without their leading scorer. With 2:36 left on the clock, Corey Haverstick gave Virden a 4-1 lead when he deposited the rebound after being stopped on a breakaway by Devon Fordyce and the Oil Capitals had all the insurance they needed. Fordyce was very impressive in his first start as a Flyer. He made 31 saves as Virden outshot Winkler 35-22 overall. Winkler’s power-play struggled going 1-for-7, while their penaty-kill went 4-for-5. Along with Fordyce, forward Ryne Keller also played his first game as a member of the Orange and Black and was equally as impressive. The Flyers (24-12-7) will travel to Portage (41-2-2) on Wednesday night, beginning a stretch of four road games in a span of five days. Winkler is (1-3-1) in their four previous meetings with the first place Terriers. You can catch the game live on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com with Matt Friesen’s pregame show live from the PCU Centre at 7:25pm. Winkler remains in fourth place in the MJHL Standings, three points behind the second place Winnipeg Blues, one point behind the third place Steinbach Pistons and three points ahead of the fifth place Virden Oil Capitals. NOTE: The injury Tristan Keck sustained in the first period in Virden is not believed to be serious. He will be re-evaluated in the coming days. GAME STATS

The Winkler Flyers deserved a better fate in Portage on Wednesday night, losing 5-3 to the first place Terriers. With goals by Tristan Keck (38), Cam Whyte (20) and Ryne Keller (1), the Orange and Black played good enough to win but were forced to settle for their third straight loss. Beginning a stretch of four games in five days, the Winkler Flyers traveled to the PCU Centre in Portage for their final regular season against the Terriers. This was the Flyers first trip to Portage since handing the Terriers their first loss of the season back in October. After a few good shifts by the Flyers, the Terriers took advantage of a few defensive miscues and took a 1-0 lead, 3:19 into the game. Portage pounced again just over a minute later, increasing their lead to 2-0 before the game was five minutes old. Winkler settled down after that and started getting some chances of their own. With 8:12 to play in the period, Tristan Keck scored his league leading 38th goal of the season, finishing off a nice pass from Cam Whyte and the Terriers lead was cut to 2-1. Patrice Wren also assisted on the goal. Portage added to their lead just before the nine minute mark of the second period and the Flyers were again down by two goals. It was after that, that the bounces started going Winkler’s way. With under five minutes to play in the second, Cam Whyte stripped a Portage defender of the puck and sent the pass to Tristan Keck on the left wall. Keck then found Ryne Keller in the left slot and he quickly fed it across the goal mouth to Whyte who scored his 20th of the season, bringing the Flyers back to within one. Just over a minute later, Scott Gall skated right through the Terriers defense and nearly scored a highlight reel goal to tie the game. But luckily for Winkler, Ryne Keller was there to deposit the ensuing rebound into the net, tying the game 3-3 with his first goal as a Flyer. Now tied through two periods, the Flyers had 20 minutes to try and get their second victory of the season in Portage. Not long after a flurry of action in the Portage zone, Brad Bowles restored the Terriers lead with 9:59 to play in regulation. And thanks to a series of tough calls late in the period, the Terries added an insurance marker on the power-play with 3:10 to go, securing the 5-3 victory for the home team. Devon Fordyce had another strong game in goal for the Flyers, making his second straight start. The Flyers outshot the Terriers in the second and third periods and outshot them 30-29 overall.  Winkler went 0-for-3 on the power-play and 5-for-6 on the penalty-kill. The Flyers (24-13-7) will head up to Swan River on Friday night to play the Swan Valley Stampeders (19-18-5). Winkler is (2-0) against Swan Valley this season and have outscored them 10-1 in the two previous meetings. It will be the first of three games up north for Winkler which includes a game in OCN on Saturday (7pm) and Dauphin on Sunday (7pm). Friday’s broadcast can be heard live on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com begining with Matt Friesen’s pregame show at 7:25pm. GAME STATS