If the MasterCard Memorial Cup needed any more hype, today the host committee announced special events in hopes of making this year the biggest year for major junior hockey in Canada.

"Our committee wanted to create a great social element for the event," said Scott Ford, director of marketing for PotashCorp FanFest.

"Our FanFest will feature tons of interactive activities for fans and it will offer more than hockey over the course of the MasterCard Memorial Cup."

The work has already begun on the 2013-14 edition of the University of Regina Women's Basketball team.

Head coach Dave Taylor announced Wednesday they've received commitment from Caitlin Zacharias and Sara Hubenig, both of whom last played high school basketball in Regina.

Zacharias joins the Cougars from the Riffel High School where she helped lead the Royals to the city championship game. She was also named an all-star in 2011, 2012 and 2013; she also played for Saskatchewan's under-17 team the last two years.

It's another sign of spring, the Regina Thunder have released their schedule for the 2013 season.

The team will kick off the season at home against the Calgary Colts on Sunday Aug. 18 at 2 p.m, they will then close out the season Oct. 12 in Edmonton.

Overall the schedule is almost two different ones with the team playing three of four games at home to start the season, and then finishing the season with three of four games on the road.

The complete schedule is as follows:

Exhibition:

The 2013 Saskatoon Hilltops schedule has been released. The three time Canadian Bowl Champions will open the season at home against the Winnipeg Rifles on Aug. 17.  The Hilltops will make two trips to Edmonton and will not visit Calgary in 2013.  

Here is a look at the schedule:

REGULAR SEASON

Sunday, August 17: Winnipeg Rifles at Saskatoon Hilltops @12:00 pm Gordie Howe Bowl

Five weeks before the MasterCard Memorial Cup rolls into the City of Bridges, the Saskatoon Blades are hitting the ice in hopes of erasing the memory of a four-game sweep at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers last month.

“That’s behind us. That’s over and we know we have a good group of guys in here and we’re going to go out there and show the Memorial Cup that we can play,” said Blades captain Brendan Walker.

After running the 42.2 kilometres of the Boston Marathon, and enduring the chaos of the terror attack that followed, Lisa Schwann stepped off a plane and onto home soil in Regina Tuesday night.

“We were just very relieved to get back into Canada period and then to get back to Regina, it’s so nice to be home,” Schwann said.

The Yorkton Terriers defeated the Humboldt Broncos 4-3 in game six of the Canalta Cup Sunday night in Yorkton. The Terriers jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead thanks to goals from Patrick Martens, Nathan Murray and Austin Bourhis. 

The Broncos rallied with second period tallies from Neil Landry and Matthew Audette to cut the Terrier lead to 3-2.  

In the third period, Humboldt’s Adam Antkowiak tied the game at three, but with 28 seconds left Devon McMullen scored the game winner for the Terriers. 

The SJHL Canalta Cup Final is going at least six games, after the Yorkton Terriers evened the championship at two with a 4-1 win over the Humboldt Broncos on Thursday.

Tyler Giebel opened the scoring for Yorkton, and sealed the deal with a late empty-netter. Jeremy Johnson had a goal and an assist, while Devon McMullen scored the game-winner early in the third period.

David Miazga replied for the Broncos, just 17 seconds after McMullen found the net, but that was all the offense Humboldt could muster.

An intense soccer game became violent, and a referee was knocked out at the WCP 2013 World Cup in Regina Wednesday night.
 
"I've played soccer in this tournament and around Regina for the last 20 years and I've never seen anything like this," said Rilui Meloche, an organizer and player for Team France, and an organizer with the WCP.
 
The Sudan team was playing against Poland in a quarter-final game at the Credit Union EventPlex. The two teams were meeting for the second time; they had faced off in the quarter finals in 2012.