Hosts need ‘best game of the year’
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2010 (5763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
This is what Matt Calvert came back for.
The Brandon Wheat Kings co-captain turned down the chance to play professional hockey this season for a chance to win the MasterCard Memorial Cup with his hometown team. Tonight he’ll get that chance as the 20-year-old left-winger leads the Wheat Kings into the tournament final against the defending champion Windsor Spitfires (6 p.m., Westman Place).
A lifelong fan of the Wheat Kings, Calvert knows better than nearly every other player what it would mean to bring Brandon its first Memorial Cup final.
"It’d be unbelievable. I know I was out (Friday) night in a restaurant and everyone was coming up and talking to me and just saying ‘You don’t know what it’s done for the city,’ said Calvert, who scored a goal to help the Wheat Kings knock off the Calgary Hitmen 5-4 in overtime in Friday night’s semifinal. "… I know they’re all proud of us so far, but I know they want us to get that last win and it’s been electric in (Westman Place). It’s been awesome, pretty surreal, so it’s going to be a real exciting atmosphere."
Defenceman Colby Robak and centre Jay Fehr are the longest-serving Wheat Kings, both in their fourth seasons with the club. As an overager, Fehr will play his last junior hockey game tonight, while Robak is also likely to be gone next season as a signed Florida Panthers draft pick who is eligible to play in the National Hockey League club’s farm system in 2010-11.
Robak said the leadup to this game is something he never imagined when he was first lacing up the blades for the Wheat Kings.
"It’s something that’s totally hard to believe until you’re here," said Robak, who scored his first goal of the tournament in the semifinal against the Hitmen. "To be here is unexplainable and to be in the final of North America’s toughest challenge is something that you always want to be a part of and we’re happy and proud to be in it."
To be sure, the Wheat Kings are heavy underdogs in tonight’s contest. Their 2-2 tournament record includes a 9-3 opening-night whupping at the hands of the Spitfires, who rolled to a 3-0 round-robin record to clinch their place in the final.
The Wheat Kings have had their ups and downs since that blunder nine days ago, but approached their peak with the victory over the Hitmen, playing with an intensity not seen in the team the entire season. Wheat Kings head coach/general manager Kelly McCrimmon said as good as his team was in the semifinal, they’ve got to be prepared to take another step tonight.
"We’ve got to make sure that we play our best game," McCrimmon said. "(Today) has to be our best game of the year."
While the Spitifires have been resting since Tuesday after wrapping up first place in the round robin, the Wheat Kings are still flying after their win over the Hitmen and they hope that adrenaline, plus the excitement of the home crowd, will be enough to balance out the experience advantage of the Spitfires. That is, as long as they don’t get too carried away by the moment.
"That’s the thing, we can’t get caught up in that stuff," Robak said. "Our fans are amazing and it’s so easy to get up in our barn, but then it’s so easy to get distracted. You go out here in front of 6,000 screaming fans and you can’t hear anything, so you’ve just got to focus on the game and do what we do."
While first-liners Calvert and Brayden Schenn played their best games of the tournament on Friday, the second line of Fehr, Toni Rajala and Aaron Lewadniuk continues to play a starring role for Brandon.
Rajala has been a constant threat in the tournament, leading the Wheat Kings with seven points, including two goals, in four games and setting up Fehr for the overtime winner Friday against the Hitmen.
As big of a thrill as that was, Rajala figures he can still top it.
"It’s huge tournament. I’m very excited about the final," the Finnish left-winger said. "(Friday) night was maybe my second-best experience, ever. I think best was last April, bronze medal game against Canada, we won that in the world (under-18 championship). But I hope we win (the final), so that would be my best experience ever."
» rhenders@brandonsun.com