Klippenstein, Wheaties look for quieter start

When the Brandon Wheat Kings meet the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Western Hockey League action tonight at Assiniboine Credit Union Place, you can probably expect fewer goals in the first period this time.

The last time the two teams met was a game for the ages, and for all the wrong reasons.

On Nov. 7 at VisitLethbridge.com Arena, Brandon led 2-0 just over two minutes into the game, and trailed 5-2 just 10 minutes later. They then tied the game before the period ended.

The Hurricanes took one-goal leads twice that the Wheat Kings equalized, only to have Logan Wormald’s goal early in the third period stand as the winner in an 8-7 decision.

“It was one of the wildest games I’ve ever experienced or been part of,” Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said. “The first period was 5-5, which is crazy at this level. We were undisciplined, we took some penalties. I think we were five-on-three for four full minutes, and they capitalized.

“I thought once we tied it up 5-5 after one, that in the second and third period we would settle down a little bit, but it was just one of those games.”

The veteran overage forward Wormald had two goals and two assists, while Luke Cozens had two goals and five assists for Lethbridge (10-19-0-1).

While Brandon (14-11-1-0) somehow responded the next night to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 7-4, it’s a game nobody has forgotten.

“We’ve talked about it a lot,” Wheat Kings forward Carter Klippenstein said. “Obviously, defensively, we have to keep the puck out of the net. Lately we’ve been very good at that all around, top and bottom. The goalies have been excellent too.

“That was kind of a big thing coming out of that game for sure with a 10-goal first period. I’ve never seen that in my time. That was a crazy one.

“We’re fine with the puck going in. We just have to keep it out of our net.”

In the first meeting between the teams this season — at Assiniboine Credit Union Place on Oct. 25 — Jayden Kraus made 33 saves and Joby Baumuller had a hat trick as the Wheat Kings posted a 7-0 shutout victory. Klippenstein had three assists that night.

It will be a different Hurricanes team tonight, however.

In a huge deal on Sunday, the Hurricanes dealt Wormald — their second leading scorer and a player in his fifth year with the club — to the Spokane Chiefs for two third-round picks in 2026, a fourth-round pick in 2026, and a fourth-round pick in 2028.

In 30 games, he had 14 goals and 19 assists. They also dealt rugged overage forward Shane Smith to the Kelowna Rockets on Nov. 9.

The fact Lethbridge has just lost high-end players actually concerns Klippenstein, who said it will create a new dynamic in the Hurricanes dressing room.

“It’s going to be a young, hungry group, and everybody is going to be looking for ice time and fighting for their roles,” Klippenstein said. “When opportunity opens up, guys want to take it. We have to be ready to shut down their work ethic by using ours and using our skill to our advantage too.”

There is good news on the injury front for Brandon, which will have forwards Ryan Boyce and Easton Odut available, and leading scorer Jaxon Jacobson may also return.

The Wheat Kings did lose Russian defenceman Daniil Skvortsov to a lower-body injury during the Moose Jaw Warriors game on Saturday, but it appears to be a more short-term malady, and it’s possible he could also dress.

Brandon also remains without defencemen Merrek Arpin and Adam Hlinsky, who have both gone home to recover from injuries.

Regardless of who dresses, it will be a big night for the six-foot-three, 186-pound Klippenstein, who grew up in Lethbridge. Even with the passage of time, the 19-year-old forward said it’s still nice to play against them.

“It’s definitely a little different now being in the league three years, but it’s always a cool thing,” Klippenstein said. “You grow up watching them, and every time you step on the ice in Lethbridge, you’re wearing their logo. It’s always a special place for me. It’s still pretty exciting, and I’m always happy to play against them.”

In 24 games this season, Klippenstein has four goals, 13 assists, and a team-leading 50 penalty minutes.

The latter number already matches the career high he set a year ago in 58 games, and is something he’s thought about.

“You definitely have to find that line if you want to be successful,” Klippenstein said. “If you want to go to the NHL, you really have to find that line, especially when the ice time gets lower. “You’re not going to be playing if you’re sitting in the box all the time. For me it’s just finding that in-between and being a tough player to play against but doing it in the right way.”

His coach sees it exactly the same way.

“We want him to play with that aggression and want him to be in your face and hard to play against,” Murray said. “I think it’s him doing it during play and not after whistles and stuff, because you establish a reputation with officials too, so if you’re involved in that stuff every whistle, you’re probably going to get rung up at some point.

“It’s finding that line and not crossing it: Being hard to play against and annoying is something he’s good at, but we also feel he’s a real good player who can play in all situations and be productive. We don’t need him in the penalty box.”

Murray said Klippenstein found his way as a 17-year-old rookie, and then had a good 18-year-old campaign that led to him being picked by the Minnesota Wild. This season, with the sudden loss of Roger McQueen and Matteo Michels to the college ranks in August, Klippenstein shifted back into the middle for the first time in his major junior career.

“It was a big confidence builder for him to get drafted by Minnesota in the fourth,” Murray said. “Coming back into camp out of camp in Minnesota, he maybe didn’t play up to his standards, but he played a position he hadn’t played in a couple of years, at centre, and you have to take that into consideration.

“I know he was frustrated a little bit, but I’ve been real pleased with his game the last number of weeks where he’s found his groove and looks comfortable playing centre.

“He’s playing to his identity every night. He’s a straight-line player who’s not trying to do too much with the puck. He’s done a real good job and been responsible at both ends of the rink.”

The Wheat Kings host the Kelowna Rockets on Friday in their annual teddy-bear toss game. That’s their last home game before Christmas, with an impending Alberta swing that will see them meet the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday, the Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday, the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday, and the Calgary Hitmen on Friday.

The players then head home for the holiday, returning on Boxing Day for a quick practice and then a trip to Moose Jaw on Dec. 27 for a matchup with the Warriors.

The Wheat Kings are 9-7-1-0 at home this season, a number that’s a little misleading since they started 1-4-1-0. They’ve been 8-3-0-0 since, and are looking for more.

“We’ve sputtered out of the gate at home and it’s so important to play well and get the points at home,” Murray said. “I think we’ve been much better lately. There are four big points up for grabs before we go on a tough road trip to Alberta, so we’ll worry about Lethbridge Wednesday and then turn the page to Kelowna on Friday.”

The Wheat Kings are tied for the league lead with the Penticton Vees for having 17 of their 34 home games behind them, and have played a league-low nine road games so far.

They also have a three-game winning streak on the line, and Klippenstein would like to see that extended, starting with the two games at home this week.

“It would be unreal,” Klippenstein said. “We have three in a row right now, and we’re not even thinking about it. We want to keep winning, we’re not even thinking about losing. The big thing for us is staying strong defensively and the goals will come. We have to continue the pressure and create a little streak and separate ourselves from this other half of the league.”

The puck drops at 7.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com