SPORTS briefs

Caps remain at No. 7 in CJHL rankings SUMMERSIDE – The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals remain No. 7 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s (CJHL) weekly top-20 rankings released Monday afternoon.

The Capitals sit atop the Eastlink North Division at 16-4-0 (won-lostovertime losses), and are second overall in the 12-team MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League). The MHL-leading Yarmouth Mariners (19-4-1) moved up from eighth to No. 5 this week.

The third MHL team to crack this week’s rankings is the Amherst Ramblers (14-5-2), who are 19th after receiving honourable mention last week.

The Capitals dropped their only game last week – a 5-4 home decision to the Miramichi Timberwolves (11-9-2). Summerside’s next game is at home against the Grand Falls Rapids (6-10-3) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Brooks Bandits, who defeated the Caps in the 2013 RBC Cup championship game in Summerside, are ranked first in the country after an impressive 24-2 start to the season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The Bandits are hosting the 2019 national championship tournament.

A media release issued by the CJHL notes the weekly rankings are compiled by an independent scouting service. A number of factors are used to determine the rankings.

Metros double up Maniacs in junior B hockey The second period did in the Eastern Maniacs as the A&S Scrap Metal Metros scored three times en route to a 6-3 victory in Island Junior Hockey League action Saturday in Souris.

Alex Hambly (1-2), Jordan Birt and Barrington Duffy (1-1) did the honours for the Metros in the second and gave the squad a 5-3 lead it never relinquished.

Tanner Lund (2-1) scored twice in the first frame, while Jacob Stewart rounded out the Metros scoring with a third-period score. Nick Currie and Taylor Runighan each chipped in two assists.

Jason Poley (2) and Andrew Campbell (1-1) netted the Maniacs’ markers. Cole Jenkins added two assists. Liam Jay earned the goaltending win over Cam Duffy.

Shots finished even at 30-30. Eastern was 2-for-8 on the power play while the Metros went 0-for-4 with the extra man.

The Metros led 2-1 after the first period and 5-3 at the second intermission.

Hockey

Handrahan’s three points pace junior Red Wings ABRAM-VILLAGE – Silas Handrahan recorded three points, and affiliated player Kennedy Gallant scored the winning goal for the Arsenault’s Fish Mart Western Red Wings on Sunday.

Handrahan had two goals and an assist as the Red Wings outlasted the Souris-based Eastern Maniacs 7-5 in an Island Junior Hockey League contest played at the Evangeline Recreation Centre. Gallant’s goal at 11:09 of the third period broke a 5-5 tie, and Handrahan added an insurance marker at 14:36. Gallant also assisted on Chasse Gallant’s goal that tied the game 5-5 at 7:36 of the third period. Chandler Wood (2) and Calvin McRae also scored for the Red Wings, who improved their leagueleading record to 9-3-0. Isaac Callaghan and Lucas Beaulieu each added a pair of assists. Andrew Campbell, Nick Steele, Jacob MacEachern, affiliated player Luke Garnhum and Eddie Jenkins replied for the Maniacs (0-10-0). Mike MacGregor contributed two assists.

The Maniacs held period leads of 2-0 and 5-4.

Winning goaltender Bronson Banks made 31 saves while Cam Duffy stopped 40 shots for the Maniacs. Summerside native Austin Taylor, who previously played with the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals of the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League), has signed with the Red Wings and made his season debut Sunday. Coyle records first shutout as a Viper KENSINGTON – Rookie goaltender Caleb Coyle recorded his first shutout as a member of the Kensington Moase Plumbing and Heating Vipers on Sunday.

Coyle, who backstopped the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild to the last two provincial major midget hockey championships, turned aside all 31 shots directed his way, including 16 in the second period, in the Vipers’ 5-0 victory over the Cap-Pelé Predators in an interlocking game with the New Brunswick Junior Hockey League at Credit Union Centre.

The Vipers, who sit in second place in the Island Junior Hockey League at 7-3-0 (won-lost-overtime losses), struck for four goals in a 4:16 stretch in the last half of the opening period to open a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes. Kensington took a 5-0 advantage into the second intermission, and a penalty-filled third period was scoreless.

Garrett Murray led the Vipers with two goals and an assist while CJ McCardle (1-1), affiliated player Dixon MacLeod and Riley Gallant also scored. Logan Vandervelden chipped in with two assists. Brown in on all five Express goals in win over Matrix CRAPAUD – It was a big day for Avery Brown on Sunday. Brown was in all five Eastern Express goals – one goal and four assists – in a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the Mid-Isle Matrix in a P.E.I. Major Bantam AAA Hockey League game at the South Shore Actiplex.

Caleb MacDonald (2-1), James Wood and Harry Clements also scored for Eastern, which overcame a 2-1 deficit after two periods. The opening frame was scoreless. Spencer Toole and Liam Wood replied for the Matrix. Angus Beaton added a pair of helpers.

The second-place Express are 5-5. Mid-Isle fell to 1-10.

Braves make free agent splash with Donaldson, McCann signings

NEW YORK - The Atlanta Braves added a pair of free agents following their first division title in five years, agreeing to one-year contracts with third baseman Josh Donaldson and catcher Brian McCann.

Donaldson agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. McCann’s deal was announced by Atlanta, where he became a seventime All-Star from 2005-13. He got a $2 million, one-year contract to play near his home. Donaldson was the AL MVP with Toronto in 2015 but has struggled since. He had a hip injury in 2016, was slowed by a strained right calf in 2017 and by shoulder inflammation and a calf strain this year.