Danielson returns, faces Giant challenge

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This article was published 06/01/2024 (725 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings have their captain back.

After nearly 24 hours of travel to get home from the world junior championship in Sweden, Nate Danielson arrived in Brandon late Wednesday night and was on the ice at practice on Friday.

“I’m still just trying to get adjusted and get back on this time,” Danielson said after practice. “… I didn’t feel good at all to be honest.”

He added. “My legs were heavy, but I’m sure I’ll feel better (today) after getting this skate in.”

The Wheat Kings (19-13-4-1) face the Vancouver Giants (14-21-2-0) in Western Hockey League action tonight at Westoba Place. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

Danielson is certainly back sooner than he hoped.

Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Tuesday when Czech forward Jakub Stancl’s shot hit a defenceman and was redirected past goalie Mathis Rousseau with 11.7 seconds left in regulation in a 3-2 loss.

Still, it was great experience for the 19-year-old forward from Red Deer, Alta.

“It was pretty cool just to wear the Maple Leaf and be a part of the whole experience,” Danielson said. “It went by a lot quicker when you’re on the inside than watching it at home. It was a lot of fun and a lot of good memories were made.”

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray went to two world junior tournaments during his tenure with the Wheat Kings, in 1994 in Ostrava and Frýdek-Místek, Czechia and 1995 in Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary.

He said returning is the difficult part.

“It’s not easy,” Murray said. “The physical and emotional drain from the tournament is a lot. I remember coming back after my first (WHL) game. I don’t remember the first one after Europe, but I remember coming back from Red Deer and that’s without the jet lag.

“It’s more of a mental toll it takes on you so we’ll have to manage it. I thought it was important that he get on the ice today. He hasn’t skated since the quarters so it’s been a few days. Probably the challenge for him is to just stay awake the rest of the day and try to get a good night’s sleep.”

Danielson missed six games, last suiting up with the Wheat Kings on Dec. 9. They went 4-2-0-0 in his absence.

“I would watch the highlights every morning when I woke up,” Danielson said. “It was the first thing I looked at on my phone. I didn’t get to watch any games because it was 2 a.m. there, but I kept up with everything.”

In their round-robin games, Canada beat Finland 5-2, pounded Latvia 10-0, lost 2-0 to Sweden and topped Germany 6-3.

Danielson said the team came together quickly despite some unfamiliar faces.

“There were a lot of guys I knew, but I lot of guys I didn’t know very well from the Ontario and Quebec leagues,” Danielson said. “They did a good job of integrating us and I think once we got to know each other we clicked right away.

“We definitely had some fun. (Conor) Geekie and (Matthew) Savoie and those guys, we knew each other before so we were already pretty good friends going into it.”

In five games, Danielson had a goal and two assists, with a plus-minus of two as he skated in the team’s bottom six forwards.

“I thought I was not bad,” Danielson said. “I thought I got better as the tournament went along and got more comfortable. I thought my last game was probably my best game of the tournament. I had a lot of chances, they just didn’t seem to go in.”

While he just scored once, it was a big goal. In Canada’s opening game against Finland, a shot by defenceman Maveric Lamoreux hit him as he battled for position in front of the net and went in.

He also added an assist and was named Canada’s player of the game.

“It was a bit of a weird goal just hitting me and going in but they all count,” Danielson said. “It was pretty cool to get the first goal of the tournament for our team. It’s an anticipated goal and everyone wants to get it so it felt nice.”

Danielson will have to reorient himself quickly.

Brandon has met three B.C. Division teams this season, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Prince George Cougars on Nov. 1, and beating the Kamloops Blazers 6-2 on Dec. 9 and the Kelowna Rockets 6-3 on Dec. 13.

The Wheat Kings finish up against Western Conference opponents on Tuesday when the Victoria Royals visit.

Due to the pandemic, it will be Vancouver’s first visit to Brandon since they fell 3-0 to the Wheat Kings on Oct. 4, 2019.

“They have some skill,” Murray said. “They have some D that get up the ice and I’m sure (Slovakian forward Samuel) Honzek will get back from the world juniors. Again, it’s a team we don’t know a lot about, but at the same time, like it was when we played the other B.C. teams, you kind of worry about your own game a little bit more on nights like this.

“It’s going to be a tough opponent. It’s that time of year where they’re fighting for a playoff spot, and we’re trying to stay in the mix too. It’s almost playoff hockey in January.”

LYNDEN McCALLUM

It was hard to miss one player on the ice during Friday’s practice

Lynden McCallum, 23, was literally shining since he was wearing a silver helmet from his time with the American Hockey League’s Henderson Silver Knights, the top farm club of the Vegas Golden Knights.

It was McCallum’s first full practice with the Wheat Kings, although he participated in some morning skates over the past month.

“Now that I can shoot and pass again I’m jumping in,” McCallum said.

The Brandonite is home recuperating from shoulder surgery after spending last season with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. He finished up his degree at Brandon University while he was on the mend, but hopes to land a contract and be back on the ice by the end of February.

“It felt good to be on the ice with a bunch of people and head the chatter and the excitement again,” McCallum said. “It was fun. It was a little bit of a different having to read and react off different guys. It was good.”

It’s been a reasonably common sight the past few years to see Wheat Kings alumni skating at practice. Murray said it’s a win-win when the team’s former players come back.

“It’s a no-brainer when there’s an opportunity to have alumni, especially a player like Lynden who had a lot of success,” Murray said. “He’s a pro player, and that’s a great example for our guys. The history of the Wheat Kings is as good as any in the Canadian Hockey League so we have to utilize it.

“When one of our alumni comes knocking, it’s a no-brainer to let them participate.”

NIGEL BOEHM

While McCallum’s major junior days are behind him, Boehm’s future plans very much involve the Wheat Kings.

Brandon grabbed the five-foot-11, 170-pound defenceman from Corman Park, Sask., with the 27th overall pick last May, but the 15-year-old had to weather some bad luck to finally skate in Brandon. He missed the team’s prospects camp last May due to a high-ankle sprain, and then broke his right arm prior to rookie camp in September.

“It feels amazing to be able to play with these boys and play with that fast pace,” Boehm said. “It’s better than back home. It’s super nice to have the fast pace on the ice.”

He is playing his under-18 AAA rookie season with the Saskatoon Contacts, with whom he has three assists and 26 penalty minutes in 24 games. He was able to rejoin the lineup in late September after healing from his broken arm.

“I got off to a rough start, but I’m trying to pick up the pace and make playoffs and hopefully go from there,” Boehm said.

He travelled with the Wheat Kings on the bus back to Brandon after their game in Saskatoon on Monday and heads home on Sunday after watching tonight’s matchup with Vancouver.

“I was a little nervous coming into it, but once I got on the ice and was able to finally meet the boys and they were all super nice and welcoming, it was super fun,” said Boehm, who participated in his second full practice on Friday.

“He’s an all-around defenceman,” Murray said, noting it’s nice to finally see him skate in person. “I was joking with Quinn Mantei yesterday, ‘Here’s the next you to come take your place.’

“He’s probably not too far off. He’s an all-around defenceman, a modern-day guy who won’t blow you out of the water with his dynamic play but is just a solid, all-around good defenceman.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

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