Lots on the line in teddy-bear toss game

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This article was published 16/12/2023 (747 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A little more than two years ago, Brett Hyland set a Brandon Wheat Kings record which might stand for a very long time.

On Dec. 21, 2021, Hyland scored 20 seconds into the teddy-bear toss game in a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats.

“I didn’t really grasp the concept when it happened, but now I understand how special it was and it’s something I will truly never, ever forget,” Hyland recalled. “It will stay with me when I’m 80 years old and can look back at it and smile. It’s amazing.”

This year’s teddy-bear toss game will be held tonight as the Moose Jaw Warriors visit in the final game for both Western Hockey League clubs before the Christmas break.

Hyland’s goal in 2021 broke the record of 29 seconds set by Rene Hunter in 2013, which in turn shattered the previous mark of 1:29 set by Cale Jefferies in 2007. In the 25 games since Peter Schaefer scored the first teddy-bear toss 6:12 into a 10-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen on Dec. 6, 1996, all but five of the goals have come in the first period, with the others coming in the middle frame.

Hyland loves that he’s holding onto a neat record in franchise history.

“I’m hoping it stands for a long bit of time, but maybe I’ll break it tomorrow,” Hyland said with a chuckle. “That was unbelievable. I’m still kind of shocked by it.”

The goal is always a source of conversation in the dressing room prior to the game, and one which every player would love to get. In 2021, with Hyland’s goal coming on the first shot, the drama certainly didn’t have much opportunity to build.

“Guys were a little ‘Oh man, that’s cool and all, but did you have to get it so quick?’” Hyland said. “Twenty seconds into the game? To me, it was ‘Hell ya, I got a goal right off the start.’ It was awesome. It was the best feeling in the world.”

That may be true for Hyland, but it certainly wasn’t for one of his current teammates. Matteo Michels was playing for the Pats when the goal was scored and had to watch the cleanup from the other bench.

“I remember that game,” Michels said with a chuckle.

This year, he’ll be a lot happier to see the teddy bears fly, especially if he’s the source.

“It would definitely be a pretty sweet goal,” Michels said. “I almost had it last year (with the Pats) so it would be a pretty cool experience to have that.”

Perhaps more importantly for the Wheat Kings, they are playing their best hockey of the season and bring a six-game winning streak into tonight’s action at Westoba Place.

Michels said it would be nice to win one more before the players scatter across Canada, the United States and Czechia.

“That would be pretty sweet,” Michels said. “That’s what we’re all hoping for. I don’t think any of us are thinking ‘Okay, it’s the Christmas break.’ We’re going into this game thinking ‘Let’s keep this streak going.’ The teddy-bear toss game is a very important game.”

Second-year defenceman Charlie Elick agreed.

“It would be really nice,” Elick said. “We just have to stick to it and play it like a normal game. We’ve been strong the past six here and it would be really nice to finish off the seventh.”

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said with Christmas just around the corner, the key is maintaining focus for one more night. In their last two pre-Christmas games, the Wheat Kings fell to the Winnipeg Ice, but they also earned their last pre-Christmas win against Winnipeg, a 4-3 victory on Dec. 17, 2019.

“The challenge always for that last game before Christmas is who is the most sharp mentally,” Murray said. “You talk about going home and seeing friends and family and it’s exciting, but we have to take care of business first before we go.”

Brandon will be playing without two forwards, captain Nate Danielson, who is with Canada’s world junior team in Sweden, and Dominik Petr, who suffered an upper-body injury against the Kelowna Rockets and will likely return to the lineup shortly after Christmas.

Moose Jaw, meanwhile, will be without two Canadian junior players, defenceman Denton Mateychuk and forward Brayden Yager, but should have sniper Jagger Firkus in the lineup after he was a bit of a surprise cut from the team.

The game’s importance is amplified by the logjam atop the Eastern Conference. Brandon (16-11-4-1) sits in third place, with Moose Jaw (17-13-0-2) one point back going into last night’s action, which included the Warriors. The Kamloops Blazers finished up their swing through the East Division in Moose Jaw last night.

“They’re a very skilled group,” forward Hayden Wheddon said of the Warriors. “But when we play (tonight), they’re losing two of their core guys, but we’ve lost one of ours as well. I think it’s going to be a good game and we can come out with a win for sure if we work hard and play our game we’ve been playing lately.”

In their previous meetings, the Wheat Kings won 9-4 in Moose Jaw on Sept. 23, the Warriors emerged with a 5-2 victory in Moose Jaw on Sept. 29, the Wheat Kings eked out a 4-3 win in Brandon on Oct. 26, the Warriors triumphed 4-3 in overtime in Moose Jaw on Nov. 9 and the Wheat Kings earned a 5-4 shootout victory in Brandon on Dec. 8.

That game was notable for the callup of 14-year-old Jaxon Jacobson, who had a pair of goals in his regular season debut. Now 15, the youngster will be in the lineup again with Danielson and Petr unavailable.

His under-18 linemate Easton Odut was also called up.

After tonight, the two teams play in Moose Jaw on Feb. 15 and in Brandon on March 21 to finish the eight-game season series. Most of the Wheat Kings head home on Sunday, with Petr heading the furthest as he flies back to Czechia for the break. The team doesn’t return to action until Dec. 27, when Regina visits, although the Wheat Kings practise on Boxing Day.

There’s just that one last thing that comes first, tonight at Westoba Place.

“The guys have worked extremely hard and we’re deserving of this streak,” Murray said. “It would be real nice to go home for Christmas on a seven-game heater.”

ICINGS: There have been a pair of trades in the league this week, with the Calgary Hitmen sending 18-year-old forward London Hoilett of Winnipeg to the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday for a sixth-round pick in 2025, and the Red Deer Rebels dispatching 19-year-old defenceman Nicholas Andrusiak of Tisdale, Sask., to the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick in 2026.

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