Bombers’ star running back is top Manitoba sports story of year
It was yet another unforgettable 12 months for Manitoba’s sports scene.
Local talent achieved historic milestones, several legendary figures bid farewell, and Winnipeg’s professional teams produced no shortage of headlines.
To recap everything that stood out in 2024, here is the fifth annual Top 10 Manitoba Sports Moments of the Year list, as voted on by the Free Press sports department.
10. Arniel guides Jets to historic start
The Winnipeg Jets shocked the hockey world to begin the season by becoming the first club in NHL history to storm out of the gate with 15 wins in 16 games.
Scott Arniel — who was hired as the team’s new head coach in May after former bench boss Rick Bowness retired — couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to his tenure.
Of course, the Jets couldn’t keep; that pace forever, but they still own the league’s best record (27-10-1) near the midway point of the season
It’s not how you start that’s important, it’s how you finish. The feat won’t be remembered for long if Arniel can’t buck the trend of the Jets fizzling out early in the playoffs.
SUPPLIED photo
Ste. Anne’s Raygan Kirk backstopped Ohio State to the NCAA women’s hockey championship.
9. Kirk leads Ohio State to Frozen Four glory
St. Anne’s Raygan Kirk brought her A-game to the big stage.
The senior goalkeeper posted a 26-save shutout in the NCAA women’s hockey national title game on March 24 to lift the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 1-0 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers.
Kirk was named the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player for her effort.
It was a remarkable end to a college career that initially started at Robert Morris University. After two seasons there, the school dissolved its hockey program in 2021 which forced the Manitoban to hit the transfer portal. Kirk took her talents to Ohio State where she started out as their third-string netminder before working her way up.
In her fifth and final year of eligibility, she proved good things come to those who wait.
8. Bisons spike UBC for first Canada West crown
The University of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball team brought home its first-ever Canada West championship with a 3-2 win over the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver on March 9.
Light Uchechukwu, Ella Gray and Raya Surinx each had 15 kills to lead the third-ranked Bisons to victory. A few days later, Surinx, a 19-year-old sophomore, was named the U Sports Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year.
The Herd advanced to nationals as the No. 1 seed but had to settle for bronze after a devastating 3-2 loss to the fourth-seeded Alberta Pandas in the semifinal.
7. Dobie retires after 29 years at U of M
After nearly three decades as the face of the Manitoba Bisons football program, head coach Brian Dobie announced in August that the 2024 campaign would be his final one.
While he didn’t get the storybook ending that everyone dreams about, he did have a memorable swansong by guiding the Bisons to their best regular-season finish (7-1) in 17 years before bowing out to the Regina Rams in the Canada West semifinal with a 28-25 heartbreaker at Princess Auto Stadium on Nov. 2.
The 71-year-old Dobie was named the Canada West coach of the year for the sixth time, and his first since 2006. In 29 seasons, he guided the U of M to three conference championships, two Vanier Cup appearances (winning in 2007), and helped 64 Bisons get drafted by the CFL and another three (Israel Idonije, David Onyemata, and Geoff Gray) sign NFL contracts.
Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS files
The storied soccer career of Winnipegger Desiree Scott came to an end in 2024.
6. Scott says goodbye to the pitch
The most accomplished soccer player to ever come out of Manitoba officially called it a career.
Desiree Scott, 37, revealed in October that she was retiring once the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season wrapped up in November.
After starring at the University of Manitoba for five years, Scott built herself an incredible resume with 187 caps for Canada — highlighted by three Olympic medals (bronze in 2012 and 2016, gold in 2021) and three World Cup appearances (2011, 2015, and 2019) — and an illustrious 14-year pro career that saw her play 10 seasons in the NWSL.
The Kansas City Current, who she played for from 2021-24, held a special ceremony honouring Scott after their final regular season game on Oct. 19.
5. Jones goes on a run at final Scotties, Einarson’s historic reign ends
The 2024 edition of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts won’t be forgotten anytime soon around these parts.
Jennifer Jones, arguably the greatest Canadian women’s curler of all time, informed everyone a week before nationals in Calgary that this season would be her last competing on the women’s curling circuit.
The six-time Scotties champ — who now only plays mixed doubles alongside her husband Brent Laing — came oh-so-close to capturing a record seventh Canadian title, but Jones, 50, and her fellow Team Manitoba teammates — third Karlee Burgess, second Emily Zacharias, and lead Lauren Lenentine — fell just short to Ontario’s Rachel Homan with a 5-4 loss in the final on Feb. 25.
A day earlier, one of the most dominant runs in curling history came to an end with Team Canada’s Kerri Einarson out of Gimli losing to fellow Manitoban Kate Cameron in the 3 vs. 4 elimination qualifier game. Einarson, who found out shortly before their opening game that lead Briane Harris was suspended for the event, was on a quest to become the first team to win five consecutive Scotties.
Seth Wenig / The Associated Press files
Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck earned his second Vezina Trophy in 2024.
4. Hellebuyck wins Vezina, but season ends with a whimper
The Jets were the top defensive team during the 2023-24 NHL season — largely thanks to Connor Hellebuyck, who won his second career Vezina Trophy, between the pipes.
The Jets, and Hellebuyck, completely lost their identity in the first round of the playoffs as they surrendered at least five goals in all five of their post-season games —becoming the first team in league history to do so — in an embarrassing 4-1 series loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Jets finished second in the Western Conference to earn home-ice advantage against the Avs but it didn’t help their cause. The 6-3 loss in Game 5 at home also ended up being the final time Rick Bowness stood behind the Winnipeg bench as the veteran coach went on to retire on May 6 after 38 seasons in the league.
Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS files
Winnipegger Skylar Park celebrates winning a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg taekwondo at the Summer Olympics.
3. Park wins bronze for Canada
Skylar Park made not only Manitoba, but the entire country proud in Paris this summer.
The 25-year-old from Winnipeg took down Lebanon’s Laetitia Aoun 2-0 to win Olympic bronze in the taekwondo tournament’s 57-kilogram event.
It was the first time a Canadian medalled in taekwondo since 2008 and the first time a Manitoban had done so since Dominique Bosshart grabbed bronze in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.
Park was one of seven athletes from the Keystone Province to wear the maple leaf in Paris as she was joined by Kelsey Wog (swimming), Tyler Mislawchuk (triathlon), Eric Loeppky and Luke Herr (volleyball), Shae La Roche (water polo), and Kelsey Mitchell (track cycling).
2. Deja Blue
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers once again fumbled an opportunity to achieve dynasty status.
The Blue and Gold dropped their third consecutive Grey Cup game in November, this time a crushing 41-24 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts and backup journeyman quarterback Nick Arbuckle at BC Place.
The Bombers were outclassed and out-coached by an Argos side that was written off by many when their starting quarterback Chad Kelly broke his tibia and fibula in the East Final. Winnipeg looked nothing like themselves on offence, especially Zach Collaros who struggled mightily (before and after injuring his throwing hand) and tossed four interceptions.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS files
Blue Bombers’ RB Brady Oliveira captured the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian and Most Outstanding Player awards in 2024.
1. Oliveira makes history
There’s a long list of Winnipeggers who have excelled in the CFL, but none had won the league’s most prestigious individual award — until this year.
The Blue Bombers star running back was named the CFL’s most outstanding player (MOP) and most outstanding Canadian (MOC), becoming just the fourth player to win both awards in the same season.
The 27-year-old led the three-down league in rushing with 1,353 yards and added four touchdowns and 476 receiving yards.
Oliveira earned 31 of 56 votes to get the nod over the East Division’s representative, Hamilton Tiger-Cats pivot Bo Levi Mitchell. Oliveira, who was also the MOC in 2023, lost last year’s MOP race to Argos QB Chad Kelly.
Despite being recognized as the CFL’s best, Oliveira inexcusably only had 11 carries — which he made the most of as he gained 84 rushing yards and a touchdown — on Grey Cup Sunday.
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Taylor Allen
Reporter
Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.
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