›› | SCOTT TAYLOR ’ S NOTEBOOK
WELCOME TO THE ‘ SECOND HALF ’ OF THE SEASON
KLIMPKE PLAYING PRO IN SWEDEN
In our season preview edition of Game On , Manitoba ’ s Hockey Magazine , we did a story on former MWJHL Northern Stars scoring leader Vanessa Klimpke . Klimpke , 23 , took the fall off to take care of some personal business although she had opportunities to play pro in Poland and Sweden or go back to finish her second year at Morrisville State University in upstate New York .
In December , she chose to play for Karlskrona HK in Sweden ’ s Division 1 Women ’ s League and she hasn ’ t missed a beat . In her first two games post-Christmas , she has three goals and four points .
Last season , she had 23 goals and 36 points in 26 games at Morrisville State . The MVP at the 2015 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship , Vanessa played two seasons with the MWJHL ’ s Northern Stars for Coach David Stoesz . She was a two-time MWJHL MVP , two-time MWJHL All-Star and two-time scoring leader .
So far , if she wants to do it , it looks like Kilpmke could have a long pro career in Sweden .
Vanessa Klimpke with the Northern Stars
Brett Howden Team Canada
OAKBANK ’ S HOWDEN WINS GOLD AT WORLD JUNIOR
While his older brother Quinton prepares for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea , Oakbank ’ s Brett Howden is already back in Moose Jaw with a gold medal .
Brett , a first-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning , was a member of Canada ’ s U-20 team that went into Buffalo , New York , and dominated the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship .
Canada beat Sweden 3-1 in the final , but Howden ’ s big game was Canada ’ s 8-0 win over Denmark when he scored two goals and was named player of the game .
Amazingly , seven years earlier Brett was in the stands when his brother Quinton lost the gold medal game to Russia in the same arena in Buffalo . This win was very special , especially with his brother now off to the Olympics .
“ You just get chills thinking about it ,” Brett told mjwarriors . com . “ I remember being in that exact building when Quinton lost against the Russians , I just remember being crushed as a little kid and I could see how sad he was and the rest of the team , so to win it there with those memories in the back of my mind , it was pretty amazing .”
120 | GAME ON | REGULAR SEASON EDITION 2018