Wheat Kings prepare for new season

The Brandon Wheat Kings open their 60th Western Hockey League season tonight as they host the Saskatoon Blades in their only action of the weekend.

The puck drops at Assiniboine Credit Union Place at 7 o’clock.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said he and his club are ready to go.

“There are so many layers to a hockey season,” Murray said. “The off-season is long and there is a lot of admin stuff and behind-the-scenes stuff and you get to training camp. It’s exciting to be on the ice and then you turn the page to pre-season and that’s exciting because it’s real games against opposition, and now it’s the real thing.

“I told the guys all 68 games are big, obviously, and you should be excited to play, but these first ones of the year, especially the home opener, definitely have an asterisk beside them.”

Brandon has received some good news this week as two of its three National Hockey League campers are back. Joby Baumuller arrived back from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday and Brady Turko from the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

Goalie Filip Ruzicka remains with the Minnesota Wild, with 16-year-old Joffrey Chan backing up 18-year-old Ryley Budd until he returns.

“You never know, every NHL organization is different whether they keep guys around,” Murray said of Turko and Baumuller’s returns. “Turks actually stayed around last year for main camp and this year they sent all their junior kids back. You’re at the mercy of what the NHL teams want to do, which is totally fine.

“We’re certainly happy to have two of our better players back.”

It’s not the only roster news this week, with defenceman Will Katsilieris reassigned on Thursday morning.

Up front, Prabh Bhathal and Gunnar Gleasman are out of red non-contact practice jerseys, and forwards Hudson Landmark and Jimmy Egan are back practising with the team in red jerseys.

That leaves the team with two of their three goalies, seven defencemen and 16 forwards.

The Blades have been stout opponent in Brandon in recent years, posting a 10-4-0-1 record on the road and a 19-10-0-1 mark overall.

Murray said this early in the season, the approach is a little different.

“We’re familiar with their players and probably the way they want to play but I really think at this time of year you’re trying to focus in,” Murray said. “This will be the first time this year we have our group together. We’ll just focus on some of the details and the things we’ve harped on in practice and during camp and pre-season.

“It will be a good test. Saskatoon is a good team.”

The Wheat Kings host the Regina Pats next Friday and then visit the Moose Jaw Warriors a night later. After that, they head out on their West Coast trip through the B.C. Division.

“I’m really excited,” 17-year-old forward Jaxon Jacobson said. “The off-season felt long and camp and pre-season felt longer. You’re waiting for that first game. Everyone wants to play in it and everyone wants to get going. The meaningful games are awesome to play. Camp was fun but to get going is just a new level of excitement.”

It will be the regular season home debut for Brandonite Josh McGregor, the 19-year-old defenceman who the Wheat Kings acquired from the Swift Current Broncos in a three-way trade also involving the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“It should be awesome,” McGregor said. “Hopefully the barn is packed and we have a good crowd. I just can’t wait.”

Someone who will likely have to wait is second-year forward Jimmy Egan. The Minnesota forward suffered an injury on July 30 and has been rehabbing at home. He has been on the ice, but didn’t return to Brandon until this week.

“I should be good in a couple of weeks, I think,” Egan said. “Maybe a week or two. I’m feeling good.”

A year ago, missing the first couple of weeks of the season might have been a blessing. Brandon started the season 0-4-1-0, a hole they managed to dig out of to win 40 games.

“Last year we didn’t start very well and we still ended up with 40 wins,” Egan said. “If we can start good, that will help us a lot through the season. I think we have a great group.”

The Canadian Hockey League seems to agree. The CHL released its preseason rankings on Wednesday, and Brandon was in the 10th spot.

Jacobson feels the same way as his team comes together.

“It’s been great,” Jacobson said. “The first couple of days, with everyone getting to know each other, we all clicked really fast. Honestly, this is the best group I’ve been a part of. Everyone is buying in and everyone has their own role and all accept it and want to win. That’s the most important thing. I think we have a really good mix of guys. It’s going to be an exciting year.”

The league, which will stream all of its games on YouTube this season, will have three new rules in place after they were approved by WHL general managers.

• Coaches can challenge for possible offside goals, which will trigger a video review process. It has to be initiated before the ensuing faceoff, with coaches able to use a timeout if necessary.

Upon review, either the goal will be disallowed and the score clock will be reset, or the goal will be allowed and a bench minor penalty will be assessed to the coach for requesting the challenge.

If a team loses one challenge and later launches another, they will be assessed a double minor.

Murray said he’s always been an advocate of reviewing offside goals, noting a loss on a bad goal to the Prince George Cougars a couple of years back proved to be massive in the standings at the end of the season.

“I think it’s important to get it right,” Murray said. “It’s by no means trying to isolate the linesmen. It happens so fast and it’s not necessarily the ones that are a skate blade, it’s the ones that are maybe a couple feet where the linesmen can’t see through traffic. That’s what you’re trying to eliminate.”

• Referees will now do a video review of all major and match penalties, except fighting majors, on a video tablet at the penalty box. The review has three possible outcomes: The original call will be confirmed, the penalty will be reduced or rescinded entirely.

• The GMs will continue with the overtime pilot project they launched, which forbids attacking players from retreating back into the neutral zone after they cross the other team’s blue-line.

A puck that is carried out of the zone triggers an immediate whistle and a faceoff in the attacking team’s zone. If the puck comes out but the other team gains possession, the play continues.

The six-and-a-half month campaign launches tonight with five games, and ends on March 28 with a pair of contests in Alberta.

Murray is optimistic as he looks ahead.

“Guys seem to be hungry, they seem to be getting along and gelling well, and that’s a good sign,” Murray said. “We want to develop our habits and our identity with the hockey club, and if we do that, we’ll have a chance to win every night. We have some key personnel who put us over the top, and if you look at the league and our conference in particular, it’s so tight. “There’s not a night off.”

• ICINGS: The Prince Albert Raiders acquired 18-year-old forward Carter Kingerski of Headingley from the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2030.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

 

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

• Last season: 40-26-2-0, fifth in conference, ninth overall.

• General manager: Marty Murray (fifth season).

• Head coach: Marty Murray (fifth season).

• Assistant coaches: Ryan White, Aaron Rome (first year).

• Key losses: F Luke Mistelbacher (graduation), F Nick Johnson (graduation), F Caleb Hadland (college), F Carter Klippenstein (college), F Jordan Gavin (college), F Easton Odut (injury), D Grayson Burzynski (graduation), D Max Lavoie (college), D Merrek Arpin (college), D Gio Pantelas (trade), D Dylan Ronald (trade), D Daniil Skvortsov (released), G Jayden Kraus (trade).

• The imports: G Filip Ruzicka, F Kris Muissu, D Ilari Kapanen.

• Key returnees: G Filip Ruzicka, F Joby Baumuller, F Jaxon Jacobson, D Nigel Boehm, D Cameron Allard.

• New faces: F Kris Muissu, G Ryley Budd, F Colin Grubb, F Ahmad Fayad, F Levi Ellingsen, F Carson Park, D Cruz Jim, D Ethan Young, D Easten Turko, D Ilari Kapanen

• Noteworthy: The Wheat Kings will have four Americans on the roster this season, the most in team history. They are forwards Gunnar Gleasman of Snomass, Colo., Colin Grubb of Minot, N.D., Levi Ellingsen of Pasco, Wash., and Jimmy Egan of Stillwater, Minn.

• Did you know? Brandon won 40 games last season for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign,

• Prognosis: The team has key pieces returning in net, on the blue-line and up front but they can’t do it alone. The Wheat Kings will need significant contributions from their youngsters, especially on the blue-line, if they hope to thrive. They have significant draft assets in the piggybank if they are playing well and wish to upgrade so it could be a fascinating season to watch.

— Bergson

 

AT HOME AGAINST THE BLADES

Previous Brandon Wheat Kings home openers against the Saskatoon Blades.

2007-08

Brandon 5, Saskatoon 2

• Date: Sept. 21, 2007

• BWK goal scorers: Daniel Bartek (2), Darry Boyle, Matt Lowry, Scott Glennie.

• BWK goalie: Joe Caligiuri.

• Shots: 40-19 BWK.

• PP: BWK 2-9, Sas 1-8.

• Attendance: 5,027.

• RECAP: After a 12-goal season as a rookie, Czech forward Bartek sniped twice in three minutes in the second period as the hosts built a 5-0 lead. Glennie’s goal came in his WHL debut.

1986-87

Saskatoon 8, Brandon 6

• Date: Sept. 30, 1986

• BWK goal scorers: Chad Silver (2), Mike Morin, Terry Yake, Kirk Phare, Jason Phillips.

• BWK goalie: Kelly Hitchins.

• Shots: 38-24 Sas.

• PP: n/a.

• Attendance: 2,242

• RECAP: Yake scored on a penalty shot late in the first period to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Brandon was never able to tie the game, trailing 6-5 after 40 minutes. Both teams scored a short-handed goal.

1976-77

Brandon 3, Saskatoon 0

• Date: Sept. 24, 1976

• BWK goal scorers: Dan Bonar (2), Brian Propp.

• BWK goalie: Glen Hanlon.

• Shots: 36-27 BWK.

• PP: n/a.

• Attendance: 1,972.

• RECAP: Brian Propp scored the first of his 219 career WHL goals midway through the first period, and it stood as the winner. Rookie defenceman Brad McCrimmon added a pair of assists.

 

RECENT HOME OPENERS

2025-26

Moose Jaw 6, Brandon 4

• Date: Sept. 19, 2025

• BWK goal scorers: Chase Surkan (2), Jordan Gavin, Gunnar Gleasman.

• BWK goalie: Jayden Kraus.

• Shots: 44-40 BWK.

• PP: BWK 1-4. MJ 1-3.

• Attendance: 4,281

• RECAP: Brandon was down 5-1 just 27 minutes into the game in a preview of what the first three weeks of the season would look like. Brandon got back within a goal but gave a late empty netter. The Wheat Kings did get the first two goals of 16-year-old rookie Chase Surkan’s career.

2024-25

Brandon 5, Moose Jaw 2

• Date: Sept, 20, 2024

• BWK goal scorers: Roger McQueen (4), Rylen Roersma

• BWK goalie: Ethan Eskit.

• Shots: 46-25 BWK.

• PP: BWK 1-4. MJ 0-2.

• Attendance: 3,725.

• RECAP: Moose Jaw scored on their first shots of the first and second periods, and took a 2-1 lead into the third period. McQueen had the next three goals, including an empty netter, and Roersma also added an empty netter as the Wheat Kings went 6-2-0-1 against the Warriors in their home openers.

2023-24

Regina 7, Brandon 6 (OT)

• Date: Sept. 22, 2023

• BWK goal scorers: Caleb Hadland, Rylen Roersma, Roger McQueen, Dominik Petr, Luke Shipley, Hayden Wheddon.

• BWK goalie: Nick Jones.

• Shots: 37-24 Reg.

• PP: BWK 2-4. Reg. 2-4.

• Attendance: 3,545.

• RECAP: Brandon built a 3-0 lead in the first 10:05 and then imploded in a sloppy effort for both clubs. Regina tied it, the Wheat Kings took the lead, the Pats took the lead, Brandon took the lead and Brandonite Cole Temple tied it again for Regina with his first WHL goal. Braxton Whitehead notched the winner 52 seconds into OT.

2022-23

Winnipeg 4, Brandon 3 (OT)

• Date: Sept. 25, 2022

• BWK goal scorers: Brett Hyland, Mason Ward, Nolan Ritchie.

• BWK goalie: Carson Bjarnason.

• Shots: 43-30 Wpg.

• PP: BWK 0-2. Wpg. 0-4.

• Attendance: 4,017.

• RECAP: Winnipeg’s Zach Benson scored with 6.7 seconds remaining in overtime after Josh Medernach tied the game in the last two minutes of the third period. Brandon scored twice midway through the third period to retake the lead.