Murray reviews each Wheat Kings player’s year

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This article was published 12/04/2023 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An interesting summer lies ahead for Brandon Wheat Kings general manager Marty Murray.

After the club underachieved and missed the Western Hockey League playoffs, Murray and the team’s brain trust will have to decide if a group that is a year older is enough or if changes will have to be made to boost the club’s fortunes.

What follows is a player-by-player look at the players who were on the roster at the end of the season. The Sun reviewed each player’s season, and then asked Murray for a breakdown of what he saw.

The players are organized by birth year, with their jersey number, position, height, weight and whether they shoot left or right by their name.

2002-BORN

(Graduating players)

14. Calder Anderson — F, 5-10, 171, left.

65gp, 16g, 34a, 50p, 37pim, -6 +/-

SUN: The hard-working, high-character player appeared to be in tough to earn a spot as an overager, but beat out Riley Ginnell and found a spot on a line with his close friend Nolan Ritchie. Naturally, the pair showed incredible chemistry. The excellent penalty killer will be missed on the ice and in the room.

MURRAY: “It was definitely a feel-good story. There’s an old saying that good things happen to good people. He was probably against the odds to make our team as a 20 and exceeded expectations on the ice and was an absolute key off ice.”

15. Nolan Ritchie — F, 5-10, 181, left.

67gp, 27g, 43a, 70p, 56pim, +1 +/-

SUN: The team’s co-captain but wasn’t able to build on his offensive totals in 2021-22 when he led the team with 76 points, falling back to 70 this season. He showed dramatic improvement in the face-off circle, where he went from 44 per cent to 49.3.

MURRAY: “A 20-year-old captain. I appreciate people with hockey sense and Nolan has that and then some. He probably led the league in hit posts. He was just a great overall Brandon Wheat King for a number of years and we’re going to miss Nolan’s leadership abilities too.”

2003-BORN

(Entering 20-year-old season)

5. Logen Hammett — D, 6-1, 190, left.

68gp, 2g, 13a, 15p, 58pim, -18 +/-

SUN: The Saskatchewan U18 league’s top defenceman in 2019-20 had his highs and lows this season, which was reflected in his team worst plus-minus of -18 among players who spent the whole season in Brandon. At his best, he’s a strong defender who can get his shot on net in the offensive zone.

MURRAY: “Logen is a veteran defender. He did a good job and I thought he played some good hockey in the second half. Consistency and being that shutdown D is what he does best. When he’s at the top of his game, he does a real good job.”

47. Kayden Sadhra-Kang — D, 6-4, 202, left.

63gp, 1g, 17a, 18p, 50pim, +13 +/- (overall)

30gp, 0g, 8a, 8p, 20pim, +6 +/- (Brandon)

SUN: The veteran defender quickly found a home with his third WHL club, playing on a strong pairing with Quinn Mantei. He had a plus-minus of 13 this season, with a plus-6 in 30 games in Brandon. The big defender isn’t physically dominant but his positional play and strong stick are key assets.

MURRAY: “I was real happy with him. He and Mantei had some chemistry and he was +13 playing against the other team’s top line every night. He’s just a good defender with a real good stick. Maybe he’s not flashy but he gets the job done.”

71. Zakhar Polshakov — F, 5-11, 184, F, left.

63gp, 9g, 22a, 31p, 40pim, -10 +/-

SUN: The Belarusian forward will be in tough to earn a job next season as a two-spotter who would count against both the overage and import quotas. While his offensive numbers never quite hit the level he might have hoped, he was great on the draw at 57.2 per cent and a strong defensive forward.

MURRAY: “I thought he was much better in the second half. He’s kind of a Swiss army knife where you can slide him up and down the lineup at centre and wing and he kills penalties. Even at the end when Brett Hyland left with an injury, he stepped up and had some production with Danielson. It’s a little bit of everything with him. He’s a solid player.”

74. Brett Hyland — F, 5-11, 188, F, left.

42gp, 26g, 21a, 47p, 54pim, +11 +/-

SUN: The 19-year-old alternate captain was consistently his team’s hardest worker and jumped from 29 points in 61 games last season to 47 points in 42 games this season. His loss to a lower-body injury that required surgery late in the season was devastating to a team that struggled to score.

MURRAY: “When I heard the news he was done for the season, that was real deflating for us. He’s kind of a heart-and-soul guy who was having a terrific season with 26 goals in 42 games and was over a point per game. We really missed him. You don’t want to blame things on an injury but I thought that was a real turning point to our season.”

88. Dawson Pasternak — F, 5-9, 158, right.

55gp, 15g, 24a, 39p, 46pim, -11 +/- (overall)

27gp, 10g, 12a, 22p, 21pim, -5 +/- (Brandon)

SUN: The trade deadline addition from the Portland Winterhawks saw a significant increase in his offensive responsibilities in Brandon, sliding into Jake Chiasson’s spot on the top power-play unit when Chiasson was sent to Saskatoon. The Winnipeg product had 10 goals and 12 assists in 27 games in Brandon. He’s not big, but he’s skilled and fearless.

MURRAY: “We were kind of nervous when we traded Chiasson where we were going to get some offence from and Dawson came in, a skilled player who was always a second or third-line guy in Portland. I thought he came in and produced and found a home on Danielson’s right side. He produced just under a point-per-game pace. Going into next year, hopefully, he can take that next jump and become an elite forward at our level.”

2004-BORN

(Entering 19-year-old season)

33. Nick Jones — G, 6-0, 198, right.

24gp, 4.09 gaa, .864 save %, 4-14-3-0 record.

SUN: The 18-year-old starred at every level he played in but his rookie WHL season had its ups and downs as the backup to Carson Bjarnason. With a defensive corps in front of him that struggled at times, Jones was tested a lot and had some tough days at the office, but was also brilliant at times. He will be pushed by Ethan Eskit at camp next fall.

MURRAY: “It was a tough situation for him. He worked hard in practice and had a good attitude but obviously we went with Bjarnason a lot and it’s not easy playing once in every four games. There were some tough games he was thrown into and performed really well but like a lot of first-year players, especially goaltenders, you’re under the microscope and consistency is the biggest thing. Nick had some real strong games and had some games that when you’re the goalie and not at the top of your game, it’s evident.”

12. Zach Turner — D, 6-2, 183, left.

22gp, 0g, 0a, 0p, 10pim, 0+/-

SUN: The defenceman was a frequent healthy scratch for the second year in a row, getting into just 22 games after playing 41 a year earlier. That was in part to some incredibly bad luck when he got sick and it knocked him out of the lineup when they were short staffed on the back end. He’ll need a good summer of work and a great camp next fall.

MURRAY: “It was a tough spot for Zach. We carried eight D this year and I think around the trade deadline didn’t know if we were going to seven. With some injuries, we decided to carry eight, and he was put in a tough situation. He got mono right when we were down to five D and missed a lot of time when he could have played a lot of minutes. It was real unfortunate timing for him and us. Zach handled the situation very well, he’s a great teammate. As a 19 next year, he’s going to have to play every night … It will be his third year in the league and it’s time to take some steps.”

27. Luke Shipley — D, 6-0, 179, right.

62gp, 9g, 22a, 31p, 76pim, 1+/- (overall)

43gp, 7g, 14a, 21p, 47pim, 0+/- (Brandon)

SUN: The defenceman was acquired from Victoria and was sensational when he arrived. While he wasn’t able to maintain at that level for the rest of the season — there were some ups and downs — he was an important piece on the back end and will be counted on for some big minutes next season.

MURRAY: “One of the holes on our team was on the back end and I thought Luke provided a real strong spark in his first number of games with us. I think he has the ability to be a real good offensive defenceman and one of the things we talked about in his exit meeting was making sure he’s responsible defensively and making sure the positive chances he creates outweigh the negative ones. I’m excited about him being a 19-year-old next year with experience.”

44. Andrei Malyavin — D, 5-11, 177, left.

59gp, 6g, 21a, 27p, 30pim, -15 +/-

SUN: The Russian defender, who played with the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League last season, was another defenceman who had his ups and downs. In his 18-year-old season, he showed he could be a dynamic puck carrier but he also needs to strengthen his work in his own end.

MURRAY: “I thought he was really good out of the gate and then he took a hit right after Christmas and had a concussion, and I thought that set him back a little bit. I thought down the stretch, the last 10 games or so, he was real strong and back to where he needs to be. A real good skater, very elusive, he can break the puck out with his feet. He should be an important player coming back for us.”

11. Rylen Roersma — F, 5-11, 185, left.

65gp, 19g, 17a, 36p, 27pim, -7 +/-

SUN: The smooth-skating Albertan continued to flash his elite speed and wicked shot, but only grew his point total from 29 to 36. He’s easily the streakiest player on the team: After a nine-game stretch without a point, he had a hat trick on March 1 and ended up scoring six times in six games. A giant step will be needed offensively as he battles for a spot on the top two lines.

MURRAY: “Rylen is a player who we are going to count on next year. Hopefully, he can make that jump to be a consistent top six in our lineup. He’s a streaky guy, which is nice to hit those streaks but there’s also those streaks where you go dry. That’s been the story the last two years with him. Just finding that consistency is what’s going to take him to the next level.”

25. Nolan Flamand — F, 5-9, 181, left.

63gp, 13g, 18a, 31p, 16 pim, -11 +/- (overall)

28gp, 9g, 6a, 15p, 6 pim, -3 +/- (Brandon)

SUN: The trade deadline acquisition from the Kelowna Rockets is one of those players who does all the little things right. While he wasn’t necessarily rewarded for it all the time on the scoresheet, the natural centre who played the wing should be an indispensable part of next season’s team.

MURRAY: “I really like Nolan’s game. In his exit meeting, I talked about how it was probably unfair that his stat line and the points he ended up with, compared with what he actually did. He’s a guy that creates and has really high hockey IQ. He can make plays in small areas. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a breakout season next season because of his ability and smarts.”

28. Ben Thornton — F, 6-2, 180, left.

15gp, 3g, 3a, 6p, 2 pim, 2 +/-

SUN: The former first-rounder, who was acquired from Spokane, has had two lost seasons due to a shoulder injury in his 17-year-old campaign and a bad head injury this year. He is a gifted player who would have almost certainly been impactful if he wasn’t injured on Oct. 14 and didn’t return until March 1, and then was injured again before the season ended. His future rests in his recovery this summer and ability to stay healthy next year.

MURRAY: “It was a real difficult and frustrating year for Ben. I’m sure he had high hopes coming into the year and took a devastating hit in his seventh game in Vancouver and that set him back. He came back and I thought he played some really good hockey after what he went through for a number of months and then got hit again. He’s in a position now where he has to worry about his body and get that healthy. I know he wants to come back and play and be a major contributor to our team. He has the ability to do that but let’s get him healthy first.”

29. Nate Danielson — F, 6-1, 185, right.

68gp, 33g, 45a, 78p, 38 pim, -12 +/-

SUN: The Wheat Kings co-captain took another major step and also stayed healthy, playing in all 68 games. He was outstanding in the offensive zone, using his skating and slick stick handling to create chances, and was often the first forward back on defence. He is a certain National Hockey League first-rounder.

MURRAY: “What can you say about Nate? He’s a pro every day and is going to be a first-round NHL pick this year and have a great pro career. We’re lucky we’re going to have him for another year. I think with Nate, he’s got to continue to play as advertised as a 200-foot centre, and to have opportunities like the World Juniors, he has to buy into that role, and it shouldn’t take away from his offence. Nate is obviously going to be a big, big part of our team next year like he was this year but at the same time we don’t want him to feel like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I felt like maybe when Hyland went down that he tried to do a little too much at times and that doesn’t usually end well. Great player, he’s a pro and he’s one of those guys who are no maintenance guys to coach.”

67. Matt Henry — F, 6-0, 210, F, right.

57gp, 2g, 0a, 2p, 140 pim, -8 +/-

SUN: The Prince Albert product protected his teammates as perhaps the top heavyweight in the league, and was also an indispensable part of the dressing room. After two goals in the pre-season, he had just two goals in his rookie WHL campaign and will need to work on the skill-based parts of his game. He’ll also need to learn when to tone down the physical side of his game because he took some costly penalties en route to winning the league’s penalty-minute crown.

MURRAY: “You love having a guy like that on your team, especially with what he brings off the ice. He’s a colourful young man who is a team-first guy through and through. Sometimes we’ve had some discussions about understanding his role and picking his spots, a when-and-where type mindset. He needs to have a better gauge of understanding that. We don’t need to be killing penalties. It’s a big summer for Matt. One of the things we really talked about was working on his skills over the summer. I think if he does that, he’s got a chance to play pro hockey someday.”

2005-BORN

(Entering 18-year-old season)

31. Carson Bjarnason — G, 6-4, 180, right.

47gp, 3.08 gaa, .900 save %, 21-19-5-1 record.

SUN: The undrafted netminder played his way onto the Wheat Kings camp at 16 and was utterly sensational at times in stealing games for Brandon this year, his first as the starter. It was a heavy load for the team’s three-star award winner, co-MVP with Danielson and top Manitoban, and he wore down as the season went on due to nagging injuries and what was almost certainly a sense he had to be outstanding every night for his team to win.

MURRAY: “He’s an elite goalie at our level. Sometimes you forget he’s 17 years old. I think he had a lot of minutes this year and that was maybe part of his injury problems down the stretch. He’s going to be a good one, and the first goalie taken in the NHL draft this summer. We’re lucky we have him for a couple more years. You talk about building a foundation to your team, that’s Carson. You can rest easy knowing you have a premier goalie. Going into his 18-year-old year and coming through the draft and probably having a real good summer of training, I think he’s going to be really good next season.”

6. Eastyn Mannix — D, 6-3, 191, left.

25gp, 0g, 0a, 0p, 2 pim, -7 +/-

SUN: The lanky 17-year-old rookie was a frequent healthy scratch, suiting up just 25 games last season. As a result, it’s hard to get a good read on the youngster, who didn’t have much opportunity to build confidence. He came to the team as a solid two-way guy, and will have to earn his minutes next season to display those abilities.

MURRAY: “He’s a great kid, but it’s the same as the Turner situation where we have eight D and it’s hard to get guys in the lineup every night. He worked really hard and was a great teammate. He just has to continue to get stronger and maybe play with a little bit more edge out there. He’s a really nice kid but he doesn’t need to be nice on the ice. A player I compare him to is Sadhra-Kang, long stick, you don’t need to go out of your way to be overly physical but you have to get into people’s faces — I call it playing annoying defence — and I think that’s a great guy for Mannix to model his game after. There is nothing flashy there but in the end, they can be very valuable pieces of your team.”

8. Quinn Mantei — D, 6-0, 178, left.

67gp, 2g, 23a, 25p, 32pim, 10 +/-

SUN: The second-year defender started a little slow but got better and better, and was the team’s most dependable blue-liner by the end of the season. He somehow ended up +10 playing against the other team’s top players alongside Mason Ward and then Kayden Sadhra-Kang on a Brandon team that allowed 30 more goals than it scored.

MURRAY: “I was real impressed with his second half. I think he’s going to anchor our blue-line for at least a couple more years. I thought he took some real big strides in the second half. He had an injury last summer that restricted his training a little bit. Just like I said about Carson, he’s 17 and playing against the other team’s top line every night and he was +10, which was quite impressive for the role he was in at his age.”

21. Tony Wilson — F, 5-10, 189, right.

58gp, 7g, 9a, 16p, 37 pim, -21 +/- (overall)

40gp, 5g, 8a, 13p, 16 pim, -8 +/- (Brandon)

SUN: Acquired from Victoria with Shipley on Nov. 24, the energetic second-year player showed an abundance of speed and a willingness to engage as a forechecker. He demonstrated flashes of real skill and will be batting to work his way up the lineup.

MURRAY: “He’s a player who we want to play with speed and pace, and Tony has that ability. Tony has to find consistency in his game: There are nights when he can be a major factor in helping your team win a hockey game and there are nights when he’s not maybe mentally sharp enough. Him being in his third year next year, we’re looking for him to take those steps and be a reliable player every night for us. He’s another player who can play wing and centre and be a versatile guy who should help our middle six.”

22. Evan Groening — F, 6-1, 175, left.

57gp, 7g, 3a, 10p, 28 pim, -3 +/-

SUN: The smooth-skating 17-year-old forward got his feet wet in junior hockey last season with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Virden Oil Capitals, and it showed. He was fearless on the ice and also displayed a knack for scoring some important goals. He could develop into a key two-way player with plenty of offensive upside.

MURRAY: “We like his speed. He has the ability to be a little more physical, he has a good frame. We talk about a team getting in hungry on the forecheck and that could be led by a player like Groening. Like Wilson, it’s the consistency piece that is going to be crucial for him moving forward. As a third, fourth-line guy throughout the year, he had seven goals and hopefully we double that or more next year and he can provide a role of being a hard player to play against and at some point maybe you can match him against the other team’s top line at home and frustrate them.”

2006-BORN

(Entering 17-year-old season)

7. Charlie Elick — D, 6-3, 189, right.

56gp, 3g, 8a, 11p, 38 pim, -8 +/-

SUN: The third overall in the 2021 draft did almost exactly what was expected of him in his rookie campaign. He showed tantalizing glimpses of the high-end, puck-moving defenceman he will eventually be, but also struggled with consistency at times, especially in his own end. But the talented youngster is poised to take a big step next season and will be a mainstay on Brandon’s blue-line for years.

MURRAY: “I thought he had a solid season. It’s a hard league as a 16-year-old to come into for sure — I battled it personally — especially as a defenceman. If you make a mistake, it’s usually in the back of your net. Charlie had some learning experiences for sure but there were also a lot of times he looked like a million bucks. I think a good summer of getting stronger can elevate his role and solidify himself in a top-four role, and then after that, be a top guy for a couple of years for us.”

10. Caleb Hadland — F, 5-10, 174, left.

38gp, 3g, 4a, 7p, 6 pim, -7 +/-

SUN: Hadland’s game is built on grit and hard work, and after missing almost three months due to a broken leg suffered at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, he quickly displayed those attributes again. He has more offence to give, and is the kind of warrior teams are built around.

MURRAY: “A real tough start to his junior career when he went to Team Canada and broke his leg. We love his character. He’s a captain-type player who worked hard through his rehab. I thought he was fine coming out of his injury for five games and then he really elevated his play down the stretch. You can see what his makeup is. I label him as a Brett Hyland 2.0 and he can be that guy where he is a hard worker and give it all he has every night. The best compliment a coach can give a player is that you know what you’re going to get from him every night, and he’s one of those guys.”

13. Roger McQueen — F, 6-4, 182, right.

55gp, 4g, 10a, 14p, 26 pim, -16 +/-

SUN: The lanky rookie scored four goals in the pre-season and then matched that total in the regular season. The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft showed flashes of the elite ability and high hockey IQ he possesses but was physically overmatched at times with his slight frame. It will be a big summer for him to try to add weight and muscle.

MURRAY: “He’s a 16-year-old with a lot of attention on him. It’s a hard league to come into as a 16-year-old and I think a lot of Roger’s deficiencies are strength-based. He grew to six-four overnight so he’s still kind of growing into his body. The one thing I told all our guys, and Roger is one of the key guys, is the only good thing about being done this time of year is now we have time on our side to use to our advantage. Nobody on this list can use this time more than Roger to get stronger and get some more pop in his legs. There are things in his game that are real impressive, and the things that he needs to get better are mostly strength-based. He needs to have a good summer and turn from a boy into a man. You can see his potential.”

2007-BORN

(Entering 16-year-old season)

17. Joby Baumuller — F, 5-10, 178, right.

35gp, 25g, 14a, 39p, 28pim, n/a +/- (U18 AAA)

11gp, 2g, 1a, 3 p, 0 pim, -2 +/- (Brandon)

SUN: Brandon’s first rounder in 2022 was called up during the season and then joined the team for good in March. The stocky young sniper has a great shot and the willingness to take punishment to camp out in front of the net. He’s already got a physical edge as well that will mesh with the team’s other youngsters moving forward.

MURRAY: “A real impressive finish to the season. I thought he came in and helped our team. It wasn’t just we had that this 15-year-old and had to get him some experience, he came in and helped. He has the ability to score and he’s a strong kid. He’s not that tall but he’s strong and compact, and his release is as good as any on our team at 15. He’s a guy who I think can not only come in as a 16-year-old next season but come in and have an impact.”