Moore’s Morning Sports Briefing for Wednesday, March 27

Gooooooooodddddd Morning!

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers should be commended, and not critiqued for looking at different ways and means to generate “Non CFL” income at Investors Group Field. So if over the next week or so, Winnipeg Football Club President and CEO Wade Miller and his support group determine that hosting an NFL preseason game in late August makes dollars – and sense – why not take advantage of the apparent scheduling and logistics issues that forced the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Mosaic Stadium in Regina to take a pass.

The Bombers haven’t said yes, or no – like the Edmonton Eskimos did – to the question of whether they are going to make a bid for that game, which reportedly involves the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers on Aug. 23.

These events don’t come cheap for the hosting group, and the very real possibility of the Jets making another deep playoff run could affect sports fans’ pocket books. Playing on a Saturday night, right in the heart of cottage season, is also a factor to be considered. Then there is the matter of logistics for the Blue Bombers as well. Valour FC is scheduled to play host to FC Edmonton in a Canadian Premiere League game the night before. How quick can IGF be transformed from a soccer pitch- to Canada’s version of the Black Hole? Inquiring minds need to know because the NFL pre-season schedule comes out next month.

Speaking of IGF tenants, the U of M Bisons host the Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, Aug. 30 in their Canada West opener. Christian Aumell spoke with Bison Receiver Shai Ross on the CJOB Sports Show last night and the Dakota Collegiate Grad — coming off impressive showings at the CFL West Regional and National Combines this month — was not shy about sharing what he’d bring to the table of any CFL team who selects him on May 2.

Ross says he’s tried to pattern his game after former Bisons Anthony Coombs of Toronto and the Bombers Nic Demski.

Just when it appeared as though the wheels might be falling off for the Arizona Coyotes, the Desert Dawgs put the brakes on a five-game skid with a 1-0 win over Chicago. Darcy Kuemper stopped 31 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as Arizona moved back into a tie with Colorado for eighth place. But the Avalanche have a game in hand, which they’ll make up tonight at home to Vegas before hosting the Coyotes on Friday.

There will also be a game with huge playoff implications in the East tomorrow night in Columbus when the Blue Jackets host Montreal. The Canadiens stayed two points up on Columbus for the No. 2 wild card with a 6-1 win over Florida while the Jackets, who have a game in hand, were skating to a 4-0 home win over the Islanders. And Carolina is now just a point ahead of the Habs, and only three up on Columbus for the No. 1 wild card after losing 4-1 in Washington.

Los Angeles Kings’ Alex Iafallo (19) and Edmonton Oilers’ Oscar Klefbom (77) during third period NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Tuesday March 26, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent Hopkins both scored hat tricks in Edmonton’s 8-4 laugher over LA. The last time two Oilers scored three goals in the same game occurred 34 years ago when Paul Coffey and Jarri Kurri turned the trick, so to speak — and also at the expense of the Kings. Former Regina Pat Sam Steel scored his first career hattie in Anaheim’s 5-4 win at Vancouver, and Ottawa shutout Buffalo 4-0.

Ty Barnstable scored at 6:20 of overtime as Portage edged Virden 3-2 for a commanding three games to none lead in their MJHL semifinal. And St. Vital has forced a Game 7 in their MMJHL Quarterfinal series tomorrow night on their home ice after knocking off the Railer Express 3-1 in Transcona.

Manitoba rinks skipped by Terry Ursel of Arden and Dave Boehmer of Peterfield are both sitting in third place, heading into their final two games of the Championship Pool round at the Canadian Sr. Curling Championships in Chilliwack, BC.

Six Toronto Raptors scored in double figures in a non-intense 112-103 victory over the shoddy Chicago Bulls.

The Toronto Blue Jays finished off their spring training schedule with a 2-0 win over Milwaukee at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The Jays went 14-15 in Grapefruit League play and will open their 2019 regular season schedule just after 2:30 p.m. tomorrow when they host Detroit with Marcus Stroman getting the starting assignment.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, returns to Nikoloz Basilashvili, of Georgia, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

And Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime  and Denis Shapovalov are on to the Men’s Quarterfinals of the Miami Open Tennis Tournament. But not No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic who was upset by Roberto Bautista Agut. Auger-Aliassime plays Borna Coric in a late match tonight while Shapovalov doesn’t play until tomorrow against American Frances Tiafoe.

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