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Photos by Jeff Miller, Bruce Fedyck, Graig Abel
BRANDON’ S BRYKALIUK PLAYING IN CHINA
Former two-time captain for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, Ashleigh Brykaliuk of Brandon, will play the 2017-18 season with the Vanke Rays( Shenzhen, China).
A 2016 draft pick( No. 12 overall) by the Boston Pride of the National Women’ s Hockey League, Brykaliuk has decided to play for the new Chinese team in the Canadian Women’ s Hockey League.
The club is based out of Shenzen, China and will play weekend series against the other CWHL teams. Brykaliuk was the expansion team’ s sixth overall draft choice out of UMD.
In her four years with the Bulldogs, Brykaliuk scored 62 goals and added 83 assists. Last year, she led UMD to the NCAA Division I quarterfinals.
Ashleigh Brykaliuk
FORMER MMJHL VICS’ STAR JAYSON NICKOL WINS INVICTUS GAMES BRONZE
Jayson Nickol, a member of the St. Vital Victorias Hall of Fame, returned to Winnipeg earlier this fall to a hero’ s welcome. Nickol, who grew up playing minor hockey at Dakota Community Centre and went to a solid career with the Vics, won a bronze medal in golf at the 2018 Invictus Games.
“ To win a medal and then to be able to bring it home to Winnipeg is unreal,” Nickol told CBC television.“ It was a fight right down to the end.”
Nickol, now 33, fired a 76 to tie for bronze at the Games in Toronto. He was badly injured in a firefight with the Taliban in 2008 in Afghanistan and said he was thrilled to take part in Prince Harry’ s World Games for Injured Service members.
He was a great soldier and a darn good hockey player. He played at Dakota until he was 15, made the jump to the Warriors Triple A Midget team and joined the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League’ s Vics in 2002. He was a four-year star defensive forward for the Vics who was always the one asked to check the opposition’ s top line. He was fast and dedicated and he played without shoulder pads. He was part of the 2003-04 Jack McKenzie Trophy-winning championship Vics team of 2003-04.
“ He was a leader, team player, respectful, respected, winner,” said his coach. Paul Johnson at the induction ceremony in 2013.“ He was a player every team wants and needs. A tireless worker wrapped within the heart of a lion. The first guy in line for every drill and the first to stand up for a team mate. An integral component of our‘ band-of-brothers’, championship core.”
138 | GAME ON | NOVEMBER 2017