Michels eager to face former teammates
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/12/2023 (711 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Matteo Michels didn’t have to wait long to face his former club.
The newest member of the Brandon Wheat Kings was acquired from the Regina Pats on Nov. 13 for Tony Wilson in a swap of 18-year-old forwards, and is looking forward to playing against his buddies when the puck drops at 7 o’clock this evening at Westoba Place.
“I’m definitely a little excited to see some of my old friends again,” Michels said. “They’ve all been texting me and are excited to play me. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Brandon Wheat Kings forward Matteo Michels (88), shown during a recent game, will be facing his former Regina Pats teammates for the first time in Western Hockey League action at Westoba Place tonight at 7 p.m. The Wheat Kings have rebranded for a night and will be wearing Wheat City Walleye uniforms during the game. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)
Sixth-place Brandon (11-11-4-1) and 10th-place Regina (10-14-1-1) are in the thick of the dogfight in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference standings. Regina is just six points behind the fifth-place Prince Albert Raiders (13-12-0-2), with Brandon, the Swift Current Broncos, Red Deer Rebels and Calgary Hitmen in the middle.
Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said tonight’s meeting is all about how badly his group wants to win.
“I think first and foremost we need to have our work ethic ready to go,” Murray said. “They’re a team that prides themselves on working hard. I’ve been impressed in the four games we’ve played against them how hard they work. That for me is the biggest thing.
“You have to match their work ethic.”
Michels, who spent the first full two seasons of his career in Regina and played 20 games with the Pats this season, agreed.
“They work hard,” Michels said. “All of them are hard workers, that’s where they get their identity from. That’s how they get their wins, is they outwork other teams. If we use our skill, we have a lot more upside than them so if we use our team skill as our identity, I think we can beat them.”
Brandon has met Regina four times this season, with four matchups remaining.
In the WHL’s opening game this season, Regina edged host Brandon 7-6 in overtime, and on Nov. 3, the Pats earned a 6-1 victory in Saskatchewan. Brandon finally took a 7-5 victory on Remembrance Day at Westoba Place, but the Pats avenged the loss the next day with a 4-2 victory at Brandt Centre.
After tonight’s game, the teams face off in Brandon on Dec. 27 in Regina on Dec. 30 and finish up their seasons on March 22 in Regina.
The high-scoring series has allowed some players to put up some tremendous numbers, with 17-year-old Wheat Kings forward Roger McQueen and overage Pats defenceman Parker Berge leading the way with four goals and six assists each.
Michels had two goals and two assists against Brandon.
“I’m hoping I don’t get a brain fart or something where I pass the puck to the other team,” Michels said with a laugh. “I’ve been there so long, hopefully it doesn’t happen.”
Tonight’s matchup kicks off Brandon’s eight-game home stand, which includes meetings with the Red Deer Rebels (Tuesday, Dec. 5), Moose Jaw Warriors (Friday, Dec. 8), Kamloops Blazers (Saturday, Dec. 9), Kelowna Rockets (Wednesday, Dec. 13), Moose Jaw (Saturday, Dec. 16), Regina (Wednesday, Dec. 27) and Saskatoon (Friday, Dec. 29).
It’s also the launch of an unusual promotion.
The club has rebranded as the Wheat City Walleye for the week, and will wear special jerseys at tonight’s game. While the temporary change was made to the consternation of some longtime fans, Murray has seen it before.
“To me it’s harmless,” Murray said. “It’s a fun little thing. Obviously we are the Brandon Wheat Kings but just the way the game has evolved, it’s common in the junior hockey ranks: We did it in the States so it’s not something that’s new to me. It’s an opportunity to have a little fun and obviously we’ll be looking forward to getting back to being the Wheat Kings after the game.”
Michels agreed.
“It’s kind of funny,” Michels said. “It’s kind of cool to change it up a little bit, change up the name. We had a little Tik Tok we made where the guys came up with a name for the teams. It would be kind of cool to wear those jerseys and represent it.”
ICINGS: The Pats acquired 17-year-old goaltender Madden Mulawka of Edmonton from the Prince George Cougars on Monday for the seventh-round pick in 2026 that originally belonged to Saskatoon. They recently put overage goaltender Drew Sim on waivers.
» pbergson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @PerryBergson