Same opponent. New Year.
The Waywayseecappo Wolverines and the Dauphin Kings will meet once again in the first round of the MJHL Playoffs. It will once again be the Kings with home ice advantage, and the series schedule will go pretty similar to what it was like last year. The only difference will be the seeds, as last year the Kings won the West Division, while the Wolverines just squeaked into the playoffs on the final day, and were fourth in the West.
This year, things have been different, as the Kings started out as the top team in the West, but after Christmas lost their spot and fell to #2, and almost fell to #3 in the division. The Wolverines, started out okay before a disastrous November left them battling with the likes of the Swan Valley Stampeders and Northern Manitoba Blizzard. But the team has had new life since the Christmas Break, and went on a roll to get back up to the third seed in the division.
Unlike last year, where the Wolverines were just happy to be there, and the Kings had bigger goals, this series is expected to be a coin flip. The Kings beat the Wolverines in five games last year, with the team up 3-0 before losing in Game 4 in Waywayseecappo. They put the series away in Game 5. Dauphin would then go all the way to the Finals before losing in Game 7 of the MJHL Finals in triple overtime.
Regular Season Series: Dauphin 4-2-0-0
December 14, 2025 – Waywayseecappo 2, Dauphin 4
December 20, 2025 – Waywayseecappo 0, Dauphin 1
January 6, 2026 – Waywayseecappo 2, Dauphin 5
January 20, 2026 – Dauphin 1, Waywayseecappo 3
February 16, 2026 – Dauphin 1, Waywayseecappo 4
March 6, 2026 – Dauphin 4, Waywayseecappo 3 (OT)
GAME BREAKERS
Waywayseecappo Wolverines: The Wolverines are led by the two headed monster of Sebastien Hicks and Ben Roulette who are both 70+ point getters, with Hicks leading the way with 77. The two have been teamed up since the break, and have complimented each others games. Aidan Herring and Kurt Rookes have put up points as well, on a line with Cole Hunter. Rookes led the team in assists, while Herring was a welcome return back from injury had was a honorary mention for CJHL Player of the Month in January. On the back end, Ryley Cyca will man the powerplay, and play the team’s most important minutes. Cyca was top performer in the playoffs last year for the Wolverines.
Dauphin Kings: For the Kings, they work by committee, with 13 guys with at least 20 points this year. Ethan Stewart is the most impactful forward, with 48 points in 42 games this year. He also comes into the series on a 13 game point streak. On the backend, the Kings are led by Daniel Helary, who leads D-Men in the league with 17 goals. Ty Pratte also has 41 points in 44 games this year.
GOALTENDING
Waywayseecappo Wolverines: Unlike last year, the Wolverines don’t have a clear cut starter for Game 1, has it has been back and forth between Jase Wareham and Mariko Bercier all year long. The two have similar records, similar save percentage, and have given up basically the same amount of goals this year. Whomever starts Game 1, it might not take much for the backup to get back in net for the rest of the series. The team has played a “win and you’re in” strategy for most of the year, so a loss could switch the netminders.
Dauphin Kings: The Kings were mostly led by Bryson Yashyshyn at the start of the year, but after a trade acquiring Hunter Bauer, Dauphin has mostly been riding with him. Since getting to Dauphin, Bauer has gone 9-6, with a .904 save percentage. It’s a drop from his time in Steinbach at the start of the year, but he ahs won his last three games. Unlike in years past though, a switch during the series could happen for the Kings, as Yashyshyn is waiting in the wings, and played in 34 games this season, putting up a 18-12-2 record.
X FACTOR:
Waywayseecappo Wolverines: With the top two lines holding the top six spots in scoring for the Wolverines, the biggest X-Factor on the team is the only guy with a ring in the lineup, as Max Collyer will look to continue his playoff success with Wayway. Collyer won the championship with the Blizzard last season, and has put up 12 goals and 12 assists in 45 games this year as a 19-year-old. He is part of the third line for the Wolverines.
Dauphin Kings: Captain Rylan Gage was a member of last year’s Kings team that was one shot away from winning the Turnbull Cup. This year he has 13 goals and 13 assists and will be part of the secondary scoring for the team. Gage is part of the many players on Dauphin that will have the playoff experience, as the team has 214 games of Junior A playoff experience against the Wolverines 85 games.
SERIES SCHEDULE
| Game | Date | Away | Home | Time |
| 1 | Friday, March 20 | Waywayseecappo | Dauphin | 7:00 p.m. |
| 2 | Sunday, March 22 | Dauphin | Waywayseecappo | 7:30 p.m. |
| 3 | Tuesday, March 24 | Waywayseecappo | Dauphin | 7:00 p.m. |
| 4 | Thursday, March 26 | Dauphin | Waywayseecappo | 7:30 p.m. |
| 5* | Saturday, March 28 | Waywayseecappo | Dauphin | 7:00 p.m. |
| 6* | Sunday, March 29 | Dauphin | Waywayseecappo | 7:30 p.m. |
| 7* | Tuesday, March 31 | Waywayseecappo | Dauphin | 7:00 p.m. |
