The four freshmen from this season’s Lord Selkirk Royals varsity girls hockey team swapped jerseys last week at the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League Rookie Showcase, held Monday to Tuesday at Southdale Community Centre.
Wearing blue on Team Pro Blue were Selkirk’s own F Kennedy Simpson and G Isabella Ernstberger, while D Delaney Bush and F Lyla Landry represented the Royals on Team Yellow at the third annual showcase.
After a day and a half of games, 12 teams of Grade 9 and 10 players were whittled down to two for the final between Team Vegas and Team Pro Blue.
In the end, Team Vegas claimed a 5-3 victory Tuesday night to capture this year’s title.
Simpson and Ernstberger played key roles in Team Pro Blue’s second-place finish.
They opened the tournament with a 2-0-1 record in the preliminary round to finish first in Pool 3, earning 6-4 and 5-2 wins over Team Vegas and Team Royal, along with a 4-4 tie against Team White.
They then kicked off the playoff round Tuesday with a 3-2 semifinal win over an undefeated Team Grey squad before Team Vegas defeated them in the final later that evening.
As for Landry and Bush, Team Yellow came one win short of reaching the playoff round, with their fate decided in a Pool 2 finale against Team Grey.
Team Yellow tied Team Pink 2-2 in its opener before earning a 4-2 win over Team Dark Green to improve to 1-0-1.
They were then handed an 8-2 loss by Team Grey, which improved to 3-0 and secured the top seed and playoff berth from Pool 2.
The loss ended Team Yellow’s tournament as it finished 1-1-1, tied with Team Pink for second place in Pool 2.
All four Royals representatives will be eligible to return next year as Grade 10s for their second season in the MWHSHL.
In 2025-26, they helped the Royals to a 3-19-1-0-1 record, placing 11th in Division 1/2 East.
