Stonewall Jets forwards Peyton Bateman and Gavin Holod continue to set the offensive pace in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League as the Jets closed out January with a split in weekend action.
Holod leads the league in scoring with 54 points (13 goals, 41 assists) through 34 games, while Bateman sits second at 53 points on 24 goals and 29 assists in just 29 appearances. The Jets are the only team with two players inside the league’s top three scorers.
Stonewall opened the weekend with an emphatic 8–5 road win over the Charleswood Hawks on Friday, Jan. 30, at Eric Coy Arena.
Bateman scored three times, including an empty-net goal, to pace the Jets attack, while Cohen Cheung added two goals. Holod, Karson King and Dylan Vitelli also scored as Stonewall fired 51 shots on goal. Spencer Hunnam made 33 saves for the win.
After trailing 2–1 late in the first period, Stonewall erupted for three goals in the opening two minutes of the second to seize control. Bateman finished the night with four points, while King and Cheung each recorded multi-point outings.
The Jets were unable to carry that momentum into Sunday’s matchup, falling 2–1 to the Ft. Garry/Ft. Rouge Twins at the Hockey for Life complex.
Bateman scored his league-leading 24th goal early in the first period, but the Twins responded later in the frame and netted the game-winner on a third-period power play. Stonewall outshot the Twins 32–25, with Hunnam stopping 23 shots in the loss.
Despite the setback, the Jets remain firmly in the playoff picture. Stonewall sits third in the MMJHL standings at 20-13-1, trailing only the Transcona Railer Express and the St. Boniface Riels.
Charleswood, River East and St. James round out a tightly packed middle of the standings, with only a handful of points separating third through seventh place as the regular season enters its final stretch.
Stonewall is back in action Thursday, Feb. 6, when the Jets visit the River East Royal Knights for a 7:30 p.m. start.
