June 23, 2017; Virden, MB – The Virden Oil Capitalsare proud to announce that 1999-born forward ;McCullough Park,

June 21, 2017 Virden, MB – The Virden Oil Capitals are proud to announce that 1999-born defensemen Jayden Wojciechowski has committed to the club for the 2017-2018 season and beyond.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League released the 2017/2018 regular season schedule today

Virden Hockey Ventures Inc. announced today that former hockey pro and local product Jamie Hodson has been appointed to the position of Director

ROUND 1- PICK 5: BRAY ROOKES (DEFENSE)

The Virden Oil Capitals are excited to announce the completion of a trade made with the Winkler Flyers this past season . The trade involved 20 year old forward Tanner Lewis who was moved to Winkler along with a fourth round pick in the 2017 MJHL draft. In return the Oil Capitals receive eighteen year old forward Braden Billaney, and a fifth round pick in the 2017 draft. "We are very excited to acquire Braden" stated Head Coach Troy Leslie. " Braden is a player that is very hard to play against. He finds ways to contribute night in night out and brings an element to our group that we feel is certainly needed.” In 49 games with the Flyers last season, the Boissevain product had 20 goals, 19 assists for 39 points and 140 penalty minutes. The former Southwest Cougar was also a draft pick of the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2013 WHL draft. "It was one of those deals that benefited both teams, stated Leslie. "Tanner was one of our leaders, and a very respected guy in our room. To see him move on a play elsewhere was tough, but we are very proud of the way he finished out his 20 year old season." The addition of Billaney adds to an already deep forward group that is looking to make some noise this season. " Our team is another year older and stronger, especially with the addition of Braden" states director of player personnel and assistant GM Chad Leslie. " If you look in the box scores every night during the playoffs you see 19 and 20 year olds predominately doing the damage and carrying the load. Braden compliments our group quite nicely with his ability to push the pace, score important goals and play a tenacious, in your face style of game. We are thrilled to have him in Virden.” The Oil Caps head into this weekends MJHL AGM and annual draft feeling optimistic about the upcoming season. The caps have five of their six picks available and will add some new names and faces to the organization Sunday morning starting at 9:00 am. A full story and report from the draft will be coming out next Monday, May the 5th 

VIRDEN OIL CAPITALS JR A HOCKEY CLUB   THE FIRST FIVE YEARS: REFLECT AND EXPECT   It was only a short five years ago when in the spring of 2012 our local group announced the purchase of the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and their relocation to Virden. A couple of months later on a windy day at Victoria Park, the Virden Oil Capitals were unveiled and our first victory achieved. We knew very little about running a junior hockey franchise but we were excited and ready to conquer the league. Reflecting on the last five years, we have learned more than we could have ever imagined. We have had successes and we have challenges, and we are learning from both.   From the beginning, we wanted to establish a culture that fostered work ethic and leadership. Fans of the game only see what the players leave out on the ice, but from within the organization, we see more than just their athleticism. We have 20-25 young men, each with their own set of skills and circumstances, some are even still in high school. Our goal is to bring these young men into our community and not only teach them the game of hockey, but prepare them for the game of life. We want to challenge them by putting them into situations that will prepare them for success and teach them how to achieve it. Some of these young men are here for a short time while others spend their entire junior career with us. When they leave, we want them to take a piece of the Virden Oil Capitals culture with them. We want them to have an experience that will make them better hockey players, better students, and ultimately better citizens. One of the things we are very proud of is the establishment Virden Oil Capitals Foundation. The foundation was established to give back to local organizations, service groups and communities through monetary donations, team merchandise and scholarships. No different than in hockey operations, we have achieved both success and challenge with the business operation of the franchise. The Virden Oil Capitals are owned by a number of local investors looking to make a contribution to the community. They wanted to bring Junior A hockey to the southwestern region of the Province and give this area a team to be proud of and to rally around to build community pride. The challenge is, as anybody that has been involved in a Junior A hockey will tell you, it’s a tough business. In our five years, we have yet to turn a profit. In part, this is because we wanted to build this franchise properly from the beginning. We know this is not sustainable. Ideally, we will turn small profits from year to year that can be invested back into the hockey team. However, we do believe that we have given this franchise a good start in making the Virden Oil Capitals a great place for your players to play junior hockey.   Ultimately, the success of a hockey team is measured by whether or not it is winning. It has always been our belief that if we work hard to plan and prepare properly, winning championships becomes the result. In our short existence, we are still working hard to win that first championship. What we have done is built some natural and competitive rivalries. We have achieved some playoff successes, including two league semi-final appearances. These are experiences our team will draw upon and learn from as we continue to build towards being league champions.   We want to thank all our Virden Oil Capitals fans, season ticketholders, volunteers, billets and corporate partners. You have played a vital role in helping us to establish our organization as a great place for players to play hockey and for fans to watch hockey. You have helped create our culture and prepare this franchise for success. It is now up to us to take this team to the next level. We are excited for the 2017-2018 season and look to bring home a championship!  

LANGLEY, British Columbia – Trinity Western’s men’s hockey team took major strides in solidifying both its goaltending core and forward unit for years to come with the signing of netminder Garrett Mason (Okotoks, Alta.) and forward Dylan Cusmano (Abbotsford, B.C.). Mason and Cusmano, who both come to TWU from Junior A programs, join the already committed trio of defencemen Mack Wiens (Winnipeg) and Brendan Campbell (Cloverdale, B.C.) and forward Connor Burk (Coquitlam, B.C.) as coach Barret Kropf’s first five signees of the Spartans 2017 recruiting class. Garrett Mason Mason joins the Spartans after an impressive year with the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League) in which he posted a .919 save percentage and a 2.83 goals against average. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound goalie is coming off his third year playing at the Junior A level, having previously spent time in the AJHL (Alberta Junior Hockey League) with Okotoks, Drayton Valley, Spruce Grove and Whitecourt. His most successful stint in the AJHL saw him post a 1.21 goals against average and a .950 save percentage in nine games with Spruce Grove in 2015-16. “This is another high end recruit coming our way,” Kropf said. “Garrett has been a top Junior A goalie for the past three seasons with impressive numbers. With us graduating the best goalie in BCIHL history in Silas Matthys (Wollerau, Switzerland), we knew we would have to make a splash by landing a proven goalie with lots of experience. Garrett was the anchor in Humboldt this past season and gave them a chance to win every night. We expect the same from him with us over the next four years, as he slots into our strong core of returning goalies.” Mason, 20, graduated from Holy Trinity Academy in Okotoks in 2014 and plans to study education while at TWU. Dylan Cusmano Cusmano returns to the Lower Mainland after playing Junior A hockey in Manitoba and Ontario for the last three years. The Abbotsford product spent his last two years with the Virden Oil Capitals in the MJHL (Manitoba Junior Hockey League) where he put up seven goals and seven assists in 81 games. Prior to that, he played in the SIJHL (Superior International Junior Hockey League) in Ontario with the Dryden Ice Dogs, scoring 10 goals and adding 11 assists in 39 games in 2014-15. Before his time playing in the Junior A ranks, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward spent two years with the Abbotsford Pilots in the PJHL (Pacific Junior Hockey League). “Adding speed and size into the lineup is always exciting to announce, and with Dylan he checks off both of those boxes,” Kropf said. “He has the tools to be a great player in our conference and we are thrilled that Dylan is coming back to the Lower Mainland after developing his craft for the past few years. His speed will open lanes for his line mates and he will certainly be a valuable part of our offence for the next four years.” Cusmano, 21, graduated from Yale Secondary in 2014 and plans to study business at TWU.   http://gospartans.ca/sports/mice/2016-17/releases/Mason_and_Cusmano

Virden Oil Capitals are proud to announce that graduating defenseman Sam Schultz has committed to the Plattsburgh Cardinals of the NCAA Division III SUNYAC conference for next season.  “ We brought in Sam in a trade in the offseason to give us another guy that can move pucks and skates well,” said GM & Head Coach Troy Leslie. Schultz was acquired by the Virden Oil Capitals at the start of the 2016-17 season from the Dauphin Kings. He played in 56 games this year for the Oil Caps, registering 24 points (2G, 22A) with 39 PIMS.  “ Sam really picked up his game near the end of the season and had a strong playoff performance.  It is great for the club that we are able to send another player to a good DIV III program. We wish Sam nothing but the best at Plattsburgh State,” added Leslie.  In the playoffs this season, Schultz jumped up into the rush and scored one goal on March 17th game 5 against the Winkler Flyers.  The Cardinals finished with an impressive 17-10-1 record this season and 10-5-1 in conference play. The Oil Capitals would like to congratulate Sam on this achievement and wish him the best of luck in his pursuit of education.