Wheaties cut down after competitive camp

The Brandon Wheat Kings brass challenged the players who attended their training camp to battle for jobs, and they did.

And that’s meant Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray isn’t getting much sleep these days. “The kids have laid it all out there,” Murray said. “They’ve certainly made our job difficult and some guys are making a last-minute push, and you appreciate the hard work. It’s a tough part of the job, no question.

“There are a lot of quality, capable guys who could be moving on. We have to shrink down here at some point, and they’ve certainly made our job tough.”

The Western Hockey League club reassigned more than 50 players on Sunday, and is currently at 33, with some hard decisions to still to be made.

Brandon is down to three goalies, nine defencemen and 21 forwards, although those numbers are deceiving. They still have two 2011-born players in camp, forward Rylan Edwards and defenceman Marko Malbasa, who will play their rookie under-18 seasons this winter but will likely receive some WHL call-ups during the season.

“This is my third camp and I think this is the most competitive it’s been,” second-year forward Chase Surkan of Regina said. “I think the coaches leaned on the veteran guys to set the tone, and I think we did a good job of that. The younger players followed the lead and obviously they competed as hard as they could.”

Joby Baumuller, who was in his fifth training camp with the team, noticed the same thing.

“Camp was fun,” Baumuller said. “It was very competitive. It’s a lot of practices and games in that couple of days that we have but at the same time, everyone showed up and did an amazing job.”

The Wheat Kings have three players going to National Hockey League camps — goalie Filip Ruzicka (Minnesota Wild) and forwards Brady Turko (Anaheim Ducks) and Baumuller (a free-agent invitation from the Columbus Blue Jackets) — and three players hurt, forwards Jimmy Egan and Gunnar Gleasman as well as defenceman Ethan Young.

“That will be awesome, a great experience and a lot of fun,” Baumuller said of heading to Columbus. “It’s something that not everyone gets so I think it will be awesome experience at the end of it.”

In all likelihood, the team will carry three goalies until after Ruzicka gets back from NHL training camp, and if they keep eight defencemen, that’s settled.

Up front, however, there are 20 players competing for 14 or 15 jobs.

2011s SHINE

Camp provided the Wheat Kings with a first-hand look at their nine 2026 draft picks, with Edwards and Malbasa leading the way.

“I thought it was a good group,” Murray said. “Edwards, like a lot of 15 years olds who come into camp and they have to feel their way into it a little bit, but I thought he got stronger and stronger. He might have had four points (Saturday) night in the game and then four again (Sunday) morning in the prospects game.

“We’re real happy with him, and I thought (Marko) Malbasa was a kid who is 15 but looks like he is 17 or 18. Throughout our 2011 draft, the guys showed well. It says a lot about the work our scouts do.”

Goaltender Kasen Nuttall, rugged forward Austin Rideout, American forward Mason Corkish, defencemen Nate Harrington and Lucas Seidel and Wyatt Lowther also impressed. Forward Lachlan Kisio suffered an injury and was unable to finish.

“I thought they did good,” Baumuller said. “It’s their first camp. I bet they had a lot of nerves. I did too coming in at that age but I thought they all came out and played a great camp.”

Surkan added it’s easy to see how they will get even better.

“We have a loaded prospect pool, I would say,” Surkan said. “There are some young guys showcasing what they can do and probably some of them will get some pre-season games, which will help, and obviously take that back to their U18 teams and develop a lot more there.”

Allard was also impressed.

“I thought they worked hard, and that was all you can really ask of them,” Allard said. “I remember being that age and being scared walking in because there are some of these guys who are drafted to the NHL and they’ve been playing here for four years. I think they all handled it well.

“I can’t really name a guy who didn’t come out here and perform well. I’m super excited for what the Wheat Kings have in store in the next couple years.”

Brandon opens its four-game pre-season against the Regina Pats on Friday at home. The season opener is on Sept. 18 when the Saskatoon Blades visit.

“It will be awesome,” Baumuller said. “All summer you’re waiting to get back at the groove and now we’re finally at it.”

ICINGS: Former Wheat Kings defenceman Oleg ­Tverdovsky, who played seven games with the Wheat Kings during the 1994-95 season, has bought a minority share in the B.C. Hockey League’s Nanaimo Clippers as part of a group headed by Los Angeles businessman Roman Tkachenko. Tverdovsky, 50, played 758 regular season and playoff games over 11 seasons, and retired after the 2012-13 campaign. His only Brandon goal was a highlight-reel skate from behind his own net late in a period that saw him race down the ice with the puck and snipe before the buzzer.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

 

 

FORWARDS

2006-BORN (20-year-old season)

• Brett Wilson, L.

5-7, 169 lbs.

WHL: 18gp, 3g, 5a, 8p, 4pim, -1 +/-

• Kristof Muissu, L.

6-3, 216 lbs.

Picked: 2026, 1st Rd.

Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (U20)

57gp, 34g, 35a, 69p, 14pim.

2007-BORN (19-year-old season)

• Joby Baumuller, R.

5-11, 185 lbs.

WHL: 58gp, 40g, 22a, 62p, 35pim, +26 +/-

• Brady Turko, R.

6-2, 190 lbs.

WHL: 66gp, 18g, 18a, 36p, 34pim, -1 +/-

• Gunnar Gleasman, R.

6-4, 215 lbs.

WHL: 46gp, 5g, 0a, 5p, 74pim, -12 +/-

• Hudson Landmark, R.

6-2, 190 lbs.

Listed.

Canmore (AJHL)

39gp, 11g, 28a, 39p, 14pim.

• Colten Worthington, L.

5-11, 193 lbs.

Virden (MJHL)

48gp, 19g, 42a, 61p, 47pim.

2008-BORN (18-year-old season)

• Jaxon Jacobson, L.

5-11, 190 lbs.

WHL: 63gp, 25g, 60a, 85p, 32pim, +9 +/-

• Jimmy Egan, L.

n/a.

WHL: 68gp, 4g, 18a, 22p, 33pim, -1 +/-

• Ryan Boyce, L.

5-11, 179 lbs.

WHL: 34gp, 0g, 3a, 3p, 12pim, -5 +/-

• Cole Hunter, L

5-11, 180 lbs.

Waywayseecappo (MJHL)

58gp, 14g, 26a, 40p, 16pim.

• Kade Pierson, L.

6-1, 198 lbs.

Okotoks (U18 AAA)

35gp, 8g, 15a, 23p, 78pim.

2009-BORN (17-year-old season)

• Chase Surkan, L.

5-7, 171 lbs.

WHL: 45gp, 20g, 18a, 38p, 6pim, +5 +/-

• Prabh Bhathal, L.

6-2, 214 lbs.

WHL: 63gp, 8g, 23a, 31p, 26pim, +2 +/-

• Colin Grubb, L.

5-11, 185 lbs.

Picked: 2024, 1st Rd. US.

Shattuck St. Mary’s (18U prep)

51gp, 13g, 27a, 40p, 8pim.

• Carson Park, L.

5-8, 159 lbs.

Picked: 2024, 5th Rd.

Moose Jaw (U18 AAA)

35gp, 11g, 40a, 51p, 12pim.

WHL: 4gp, 0g, 0a, 0p, 2pim.

• Carson Ralph, L.

5-11, 191 lbs.

Listed.

St. Albert (U18 AAA)

33gp, 16g, 20a, 36p, 34pim.

WHL: 4gp, 0g, 1a, 1p, 0pim.

2010-BORN (16-year-old season)

• Levi Ellingsen, L.

6-0, 174 lbs.

Picked: 2025, 1st Rd US.

NAX (U18 prep)

27gp, 8g, 21a, 29p, 52pim.

WHL: 5gp, 0g, 1a, 1p, 6pim.

• Ahmad Fayad, L.

5-10, 188 lbs.

Picked: 2025, 2nd.

NAX (U18 prep)

25gp, 10g, 24a, 34p, 54pim.

• Cameron Coulter, R.

5-10, 173 lbs.

Listed.

Moorhead (Bantam AA)

54gp, 93g, 68a, 161p, 102pim.

2011-BORN (15-year-old season)

• Rylan Edwards, R.

5-8, 157 lbs.

Picked: 2026, 1st Rd.

NAX (U15 prep)

28gp, 17g, 26a, 43p, 10pim.

DEFENCE

2007-BORN (19-year-old season)

• Josh McGregor, L.

6-2, 198 lbs.

WHL: 62gp, 3g, 17a, 20p, 66pim, -34 +/-

• Ilari Kapenen, L.

5-11, 165 lbs.

Picked: 2026, 2nd Rd.

Timrå IK (U20)

8gp, 1g, 3a, 4p, 10pim.

2008-BORN (18-year-old season)

• Nigel Boehm, L.

6-2, 204 lbs.

WHL: 63gp, 2g, 14a, 16p, 89pim, +22 +/-

• Cameron Allard, R.

6-3, 205 lbs.

WHL: 62gp, 7g, 19a, 26p, 14pim, +29 +/-

2009-BORN (17-year-old season)

• Ethan Young, L.

6-0, 168 lbs.

Picked: 2024, 4th Rd.

Regina (U18 AAA)

41gp, 14g, 60a, 74p, 36pim.

WHL: 4gp, 0g, 1a, 1p, 0pim.

• Easten Turko, L.

5-10, 166 lbs.

Picked: 2024, 3rd.

Brandon (U18 AAA)

44gp, 14g, 49a, 63p, 14pim.

WHL: 2gp, 0g, 0a, 0p, 0pim.

• Will Katsilieris, L.

6-1, 189 lbs.

Listed.

Calgary (U18 AAA)

36gp, 8g, 17a, 25p, 18pim.

2010-BORN (16-year-old season)

• Cruz Jim, R.

5-9, 165 lbs.

Picked: 2025, 1st Rd.

NAX (U18 prep).

26gp, 4g, 17a, 21p, 34pim.

WHL: 4gp, 0g, 0a, 0p, 2pim.

2011-BORN (15-year-old season)

• Marko Malbasa, L.

5-11, 162 lbs.

Picked: 2026, 2nd Rd.

Rink Wpg. (U15 Prep)

30gp, 7g, 24a, 31p, 56pim.

GOALIES

2008-BORN (18-year-old season)

• Filip Ruzicka, L.

6-7, 248 lbs.

WHL: 42gp, 3.19 gaa, .906 save %, 26-14-1-0 record.

• Ryley Budd, L.

6-0, 178 lbs.

WHL: 11gp, 3.08 gaa, .888 save %, 4-4-1-0 record.

2010-BORN (16-year-old season)

• Joffrey Chan, L.

6-1, 201 lbs.

Picked: 2025, 4th Rd.

St. George’s (U17 prep)

20gp, 2.99 gaa, .913 save %, 9-9-1-0 record.