Wheat Kings face massive challenge

The Brandon Wheat Kings are officially out of second chances.

The Western Hockey League club enters Game 4 of its best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup with the Calgary Hitmen down 3-0, and while all three losses have been razor thin, one more and their season is over.

“There is no lost hope,” forward Jaxon Jacobson said. “Every game has been super close, it was a one-goal game (Tuesday) night with an empty netter. One of these games, the bounces are going to go for us and we’re going to get that overtime goal. We just have to keep the mindset, that put-our-best-foot-forward, next-game mentality and stay positive.”

The series remains at Virden’s Tundra Oil and Gas Place with the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair taking over the Keystone Centre.

The puck drops at 7 tonight, and if Brandon wins, again on Friday for Game 5.

The task ahead of the Wheat Kings is monumentally difficult.

In WHL history, three teams have come back from down 3-0, the Spokane Chiefs against the Portland Winterhawks in the 1996 quarterfinals, the Kelowna Rockets against the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2013 quarterfinals and the Saskatoon Blades against the Red Deer Rebels in the 2023 conference semifinals.

It’s so rare, it’s only been accomplished four times in the National Hockey League, once in Major League Baseball and never in the National Basketball Association.

Of the eight quarterfinal series around the WHL, six teams are currently in the same predicament.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said his team can’t throw in the towel.

“It’s just shift by shift, period by period and game by game,” Murray said. “That’s all we can focus on right now. I think we’re frustrated a little bit because I don’t know if we deserve to be down 3-0 in all three games but that’s hockey, that’s life.

“Guys have battled adversity really well all year and adversity is staring us here in the face at the biggest time.”

Calgary won twice in overtime at home, 1-0 in Game 1 and 6-5 in Game 2, and in Virden on Tuesday, earned a 3-1 victory with an empty-net goal.

“I think we’ve had our chances to win,” overage forward Luke Mistelbacher said. “We’re hitting posts, and losing a two-goal lead in Game 2 is not ideal. It’s been close but I think we have more to give.”

A major problem for Brandon in the series has been its unbalanced scoring. Other than Jimmy Egan’s goal in Game 2, the other five goals have all been with the Jacobson-Mistelbacher-Prabh Bhathal line on the ice.

Mistelbacher has three of them, Jacobson has one and defenceman Grayson Burzynski potted the other with assists from Jacobson and Bhathal.

For a team that prides itself on its scoring depth, it’s been difficult. But Jacobson said it’s not an easy series to score in.

“It’s crazy,” Jacobson said. “Every play you make matters. It feels like everyone has adapted to how each other plays and we know guys’ strengths and weaknesses. Honestly, everyone is out there working a hard as they can and it’s tough to make a play. It’s a fun series to play in though, it’s really close.”

Calgary has 10 goals in the series, with six scorers and 11 players with at least a point.

The real showdown has been in net, where the two goalies have been outstanding.

Calgary’s Eric Tu has stopped 110 of the 116 shots he’s faced for a gaudy .948 save percentage. “He’s a real good goalie, now question about it,” Murray said. “I think those second and third opportunities are important on him. We’ve had some looks where even from the bench it’s ‘Geez, that has a chance’ and it hits our guy in the knee and stays out. It’s just sticking with it and not getting frustrated.”

Mistelbacher has noticed the same thing.

“I feel like we’re just getting unlucky, honestly,” Mistelbacher said. “I think we just need a bounce. He’s been making big saves too.”

At the other end, Brandon’s Filip Ruzicka has stopped 150 of 159 shots for a .943 save percentage.

“Filip has been our backbone the whole series,” Jacobson said. “We have to help him out a little more next game and moving forward. He’s had a heavy workload and we have to back him up a bit.”

If necessary, Game 6 is back in Calgary on Sunday at 6 p.m. and Game 7 on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

But before Brandon can even thinking about hopping on the bus to head back to Alberta, they’ve got a massive hole to dig themselves out of.

“We just have to take it period by period,” Mistelbacher said. “We’ve been these guys before and we’ve been close all series. That’s the focus, just take it period by period.”

Jacobson agrees.

“We just need to come out there and give it everything we’ve got,” Jacobson said. “Our backs are against the wall right now. It could have been a lot different but we can’t change the past. Hopefully we can get some bounces to go for us and work for those bounces and figure out their goalie. That’s been our struggle. He’s been pretty good for them so we have to get to them early.”

ALL-STAR NODS

Mistelbacher was named an Eastern Conference first-team all-star on Tuesday, joining twin forwards Liam and Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers, Prince Albert Raiders goaltender Michal Orsulak, Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph and Tigers blue-liner Bryce Pickford.

The second all-star team includes Brandon goalie Filip Ruzicka, who tied with Moose Jaw Warriors netminder Chase Wutzke, forwards Jaxon Jacobson of Brandon, Miroslav Holinka of the Edmonton Oil Kings and Kale Dach of the Calgary Hitmen, plus defencemen Jonas Woo of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Ethan MacKenzie of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Prince George Cougars defenceman Carson Carels of Cypress River was named a Western Conference first-team all-star, along with Everett Silvertips defenceman Landon DuPont, Cougars goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen, and forwards Tij Iginla of the Kelowna Rockets, JP Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers and Cameron Schmidt of the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The second all-star team includes Wenatchee Wild goaltender Tobias Tvrznik, defencemen Tarin Smith of Everett, Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants and forwards Jacob Kvasnicka of the Penticton Vees and Silvertips Julius Miettinen and Carter Bear.

HONOURED

Saskatoon Blades assistant coach Jerome (Beuf) Engele of Carmel, Sask., has been given the WHL distinguished service award, which was presented by commissioner Dan Near prior to Game 3 between Saskatoon and Edmonton.

Engele, who spent five seasons as a player with the team between 1966-71, later played 101 games with the Minnesota North Stars. He served as head coach of the Blades for the 1979-80 season before leaving to join the Saskatoon Police Service, later returning as an assistant coach in 1983.

He has been with the team for most seasons since, even pitching in with his Class 2 driver’s licence on the bus when the primary driver reaches their limit. The award, which has been presented annually since 2004, is given to individuals who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to improve their team and the league. An award is handed to one person from each conference.

Wheat Kings education advisor Glenda Zelmer won it a year ago.

MONTHLY STARS

The player of the month for March is 19-year-old Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla of Lake Country, B.C., who had 10 goals and 18 assists in 12 games. Iginla, who also won the award in November, was picked by the Utah Mammoth sixth overall in the 2024 National Hockey League draft.

The other winners this season were Kamloops Blazers forward JP Hurlbert (September/October), Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Bryce Pickford (December), Penticton Vees forward Jacob Kvasnicka (January) and Everett Silvertips forward Carter Bear (February).

The rookie of the month is 19-year-old Kelowna forward Vojtech Cihar of Chomutov, Czechia, who had 10 goals and 11 assists in 12 games. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round in 2025.

The previous winners were Brandon forward Chase Surkan (September/October), Kamloops forward JP Hurlbert (November and January), Calgary forward Kale Dach (December) and Everett forward Matias Vanhanen (February).

The goaltender of the month is draft-eligible 18-year-old Michal Orsulak of Tremosna, Czechia, who won his nine starts while posting a 1.33 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts.

The previous winners were Andrew Reyelts of the Penticton Vees (September/October), Joshua Ravensbergen of Prince George Cougars (November), Brandon’s Filip Ruzicka (December), Evan Gardner of the Saskatoon Blades (January) and Carter Esler of the Spokane Chiefs (February).

» pbergson@brandonsun.com