A player-by-player look at the Wheaties

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This article was published 11/04/2024 (779 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings battled their way back into the Western Hockey League playoffs this season, although a sweep in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals by the Moose Jaw Warriors wasn’t what they had in mind.

Still, they improved on the 2022-23 season by seven wins and 12 points during a year in which they traded their captain and best player, Nate Danielson.

In an annual Brandon Sun tradition, the Sun compiled thoughts on each player and then asked head coach and general manager Marty Murray for his take on every player.

2003-BORN PLAYERS (GRADUATING)

FORWARDS

11. Jayden Wiens — 5-foot-9, 150 pound, left-handed shot.

67 games played, 25 goals, 19 assists, 44 points, 35 penalty minutes, -8 +/-

• SUN: When Wiens was acquired from Saskatoon, he was described as a hard-working, heart-and-soul player with the ability to score. The team’s smallest player led the way with his willingness to get into the dirty areas for chances and was a tremendous asset all season.

• MURRAY: “Jayden is a heart-and-soul guy. He helped us with what we were in being a blue-collar team. He had a strong season and played all situations. He was a real catalyst.”

74. Brett Hyland — 5-11, 194, left.

66gp, 32g, 27a, 59p, 69pim, +4 +/-

• SUN: The team’s leading scorer rebounded from a knee injury last season and became captain after Nate Danielson was traded, in no small part due to his incredible work ethic. The Brandon draft pick in 2018 and Washington Capitals prospect set offensive career highs across the board.

• MURRAY: “We’re going to miss Brett tremendously. He exemplifies what a Wheat King is. He works his tail off and Brett is a guy who you know what you’re going to get in terms of work ethic every night. Thirty goals is nice accomplishment in the Western Hockey League and I thought he earned that.”

DEFENCE

2. Jackson DeSouza — 6-5, 207, right.

53gp, 3g, 9a, 12p, 82pim, +1 +/-

• SUN: The lanky defenceman joined the team on Nov. 30 in a one-for-one trade for Kayden Sadhra-Kang and set himself apart with his shot-blocking and devotion to defending his own net. The outgoing American proved to be a popular teammate.

• MURRAY: “Talking about the identity of our team, I thought two things. He’s a real big personality in the locker room that I think we needed, and his commitment to eating pucks right from day one was contagious with our group. After he got here, we started getting a little braver getting into shot lanes as a group.”

2004-BORN PLAYERS (20 NEXT SEASON)

FORWARDS

18. Rylen Roersma — 5-11, 189, left.

64gp, 20g, 38a, 58p, 66pim, +12 +/-

• SUN: With the speedy forward’s ability to break away from defenders and his wicked shot when he gets in close, a huge offensive breakthrough always seems imminent. While he got past the 19 goals he scored the last two seasons, he’ll need to significantly increase his production next season.

• MURRAY: “Rylen had a pretty good year. One thing we challenged him with was consistency, and overall, he had a pretty consistent year. If he didn’t have that dry patch at the end of the year, it would have been an exceptional year. He got to that 20-goal plateau and you could see the weight of the world coming off his shoulders. I thought he was one of our better players in the playoffs.”

67. Matt Henry — 6-0, 215, left.

37gp, 0g, 1a, 1p, 100pim, -1 +/-

• SUN: While the tough guy was a fan favourite, he was capable of taking some head-scratching penalties and was suspended six times last season. While he was a popular teammate, his lack of offence makes him a difficult player to keep as an overager. Expect him to turn pro.

• MURRAY: “It was probably a frustrating season for him and for us quite frankly. Just being suspended a lot, he didn’t really get into a groove and obviously, without saying too much, it was kind of disappointing the way the season ended.”

91. Nolan Flamand — 5-9, 178, left.

67gp, 20g, 24a, 44p, 10 pim, +2 +/-

• SUN: He has the ability and hockey IQ to create offence, and the staff marvels at his ability to make plays in tight quarters and perform at both ends of the ice. While his 20 goals and 44 points were both career highs, more offence was likely expected.

• MURRAY: “Nolan is a guy we were really hoping would pop this year as far as production. He has it in him for sure. He does a lot of things well. He’s one of those guys who his teammates like to play on his line because he can make little plays and do good things. Unfortunately, it didn’t translate as much to point production as it should. He got 20 goals, which was a nice accomplishment but Nolan has the ability to pop and take it to the next level.”

DEFENCE

27. Luke Shipley — 6-0, 186, right.

65gp, 9g, 27a, 36p, 88pim, +12 +/-

• SUN: Shipley showed a new level of confidence in his fourth season in the league and first full campaign with Brandon after a deal with Victoria last season. He had a breakout offensive year while tying for the plus-minus lead with Rylen Roersma.

• MURRAY: “Luke overall had a pretty good year. He was just under 40 points and was a plus player. He’s another guy who is in a battle for a 20-year-old spot and being in his fourth full year in the league, does he have the ability to get to the next level?”

44. Andrei Malyavin — 5-11, 187, left.

63gp, 1g, 19a, 20p, 42pim, -4 +/-

• SUN: The Russian defender played a high-risk, high-reward game. The elusive puck-moving defenceman could lead the rush but also made some grievous turnovers. The team will have to decide if they want him as a two-spotter next season as an import and an overager.

• MURRAY: “Maly was up and down a little bit, kind of like he was last year. I thought especially when Quinn Mantei was hurt with a knee injury, I thought he really, really stepped up his game. With Maly, the consistency piece is the biggest thing. I think there’s a lot more offence than his points would indicate. His production with his skill set, I might have thought it would be quite a bit more.”

2005-BORN PLAYERS (19 NEXT SEASON)

FORWARDS

20. Hayden Wheddon — 5-9, 179, left.

45gp, 3g, 4a, 7p, 12pim, 0 +/-

• SUN: He proved to be a useful pickup when he made the club as a free agent out of training camp after being released by the Edmonton Oil Kings. He provided a boost to the energy line with his skating ability and flashed some sneaky offensive ability at times.

• MURRAY: “Hayden was a depth forward and did everything that was asked of him. It’s not an easy role being in and out of the lineup. In the locker room, the guys really liked him and he’s certainly a good teammate.”

26. Nick Johnson — 6-1, 191, left.

45gp, 7g, 19a, 23p, 26pim, +10 +/-

• SUN: Acquired in the Nate Danielson deal, Johnson had to get over a lower-body injury when he arrived and then promptly suffered an upper-body injury just as he was rediscovering his form. He plays a big, heavy game, and flashed some excellent offensive instincts at times in Brandon. He’ll be counted on to produce a lot more next season.

• MURRAY: “Nick is a big-body forward. He’s got some decent hands. We’re looking forward to seeing if he can start producing a little bit more. He played up in the lineup and had power-play time and is a player we hope takes it to that next level next season. He’s going to have to have a good summer. He needs to become more explosive in his skating. It’s up to him how much work he wants to put in this summer.”

82. Dominik Petr — 6-2, 165, left.

67gp, 17g, 28a, 45p, 16pim, -10 +/-

• SUN: The Czech forward had a reasonably smooth transition to North American hockey, and spent plenty of time on both special teams. He has tremendous hockey IQ and his ability to read plays was a revelation. If he can gain a step with his skating, he could be dominant.

• MURRAY: “Overall he had a pretty solid season. He was getting used to the schedule and how hectic it is and with the travel, it’s a lot for a European to come over. We liked his skill set, his hockey IQ and I thought he played some pretty good hockey towards the end of the year and competed pretty hard. I found his compete was a little inconsistent throughout the year but I thought he finished strong and was another who needs to have a good summer. If Dom can gain half a step or a step, it would really benefit him.”

88. Matteo Michels — 5-11, 170, right.

67gp, 17g, 14a, 31p, 20pim, -1 +/-

• SUN: The well-liked Texan’s blinding speed sets him apart, and his game is built on it. He doesn’t have elite hands — not many players do — but generates a lot of breakaways and capitalized on several of them after coming over the Regina Pats and setting career offensive highs. He could take another big step next season.

• MURRAY: “Matteo was a nice surprise. We kind of had him labelled as a depth guy coming in and I thought he got more and more comfortable as the year went on. His speed is evident and I think he got used to playing the wing a little more. He has primarily been a centre most of his life. He scored some goals for us and is another guy who was pushing 20 goals. We just need him to take that next step and jump in his junior hockey career.”

DEFENCE

5. Rhett Ravndahl — 6-0, 179, left.

55gp, 1g, 6a, 7p, 42pim, -11 +/-

• SUN: Also acquired in the Nate Danielson deal, Ravndahl settled into a spot on the third pairing and steadily gained confidence at both ends of the ice. He was playing his best hockey when the season ended. With an influx of youth on the blue-line next season, he’ll need to take another step as an older player.

• MURRAY: “Rhett needs to be a defence-first defenceman. We’re not asking him to lead the power play or putting him on him to provide offence. That’s gravy if he can produce some offence. For him, going into his third full season next year, he needs to focus on his defending and becoming a solid defender night in and night out.”

8. Quinn Mantei — 6-0, 179, left.

60gp, 4g, 30a, 34p, 51pim, +5 +/-

• SUN: The team’s top blue-liner was counted on to do more on both sides of the puck in his third major junior season and delivered, with highs in goals, assists and points while playing against the other team’s offensive threats. He’s Mr. Dependable for the Wheat Kings.

• MURRAY: “You kind of take him for granted back there. You feel like he’s been in the league for five years. He’s been a number one defenceman for the last two years and plays in all kinds of situations and against the other team’s top line every night. I think he is only going to get better and better.”

GOALIE

31. Carson Bjarnason — 6-3, 202, right.

46gp, 3.01 gaa, .907 save %, 24-17-4-1 record.

• SUN: At his best, the Philadelphia Flyers prospect was a significant difference-maker. The problem with playing net for the Wheat Kings was the team gave up a lot of five-alarm chances, and while all of his numbers were better than the year before, he simply couldn’t do it all. All of them need to be more consistent next year.

• MURRAY: “His regular season was certainly solid. He had the nagging injury that kept him out for about a month and that was hard. I thought he was certainly our regular season MVP. Everybody who watches probably points to goaltending in the playoffs, and Carson and we probably envisioned better numbers from him, but at the same time, you can’t just put the blame on goaltending. Every goal you give up, you have to rewind it 20 seconds prior and see where the breakdown was. Sometimes when the goalie is lacking confidence and is the last line of defence, they’re the person who gets the blame. I’m hopeful he’ll come back with a lot of confidence and be a premier goalie in the league next year.”

2006-BORN PLAYERS (18 NEXT SEASON)

FORWARD

10. Caleb Hadland — 5-10, 181, left.

68gp, 12g, 27a, 39p, 61 pim, +10 +/-

• SUN: The only Wheat King to suit up in all 68 regular season and playoff games plays a game based on his work ethic and sandpaper, and the young leader seemed to antagonize opponents on a nightly basis. Since he was rebounding from a leg injury that cost him half of last season, his offensive output came as a bit of a surprise. He could be a future captain.

• MURRAY: “Caleb is another heart-and-soul guy who brings his work ethic when he’s at his best. He missed a lot of time last year due to injury and this was his first full season. Overall, it was a pretty good season. Maybe he kind of got tired a little bit towards the end of the year and maybe didn’t have his jam that he has most of the time, but I think you can chalk that up to this first full season. He played every game and didn’t have that experience last year. He’s a guy we will lean on heavily in all areas going forward. We see him being a future leader on our team.”

13. Roger McQueen — 6-5, 190, right.

53gp, 21g, 30a, 51p, 50 pim, +5 +/-

• SUN: Nobody on the Wheat Kings made a bigger impression on his team and onlookers around the league than the lanky McQueen, who blossomed in a way that suggests future superstar. He has a late birthday so he’s a 2025 NHL draft pick. If he’s healthy, expect team-leading offensive fireworks.

• MURRAY: “I thought Roger took a huge jump from where he was last year as a 16-year-old, which was a tough learning experience for him. Coming into this season, he was still banged up a little bit from last summer and got playing and had a really good year production-wise. There is a lot of noise about Roger and unfortunately, he was battling this back issue. Hopefully he can take some time and heal up and get himself to 100 per cent, because Roger McQueen at 100 per cent could be scary at the junior hockey level.”

19. Carter Klippenstein — 6-2, 170, left.

66gp, 10g, 11a, 21p, 49pim, -8 +/-

• SUN: The big forward was one of his team’s more consistent players. His grating style and hard work didn’t make him many friends across the ice, and his offence came as a bit of a surprise since he had 13 goals in his last season of U18 a year ago. He’ll be an important player moving forward.

• MURRAY: “Klipper had a pretty solid first year. We envisioned him being a power forward, and he’s just figuring out how to play that role on a nightly basis. We see him taking a much bigger role on our team next year and being a consistent night in and night out who provides impact for us in a lot of different areas.”

DEFENCE

6. Seth Tansem — 5-9, 179, right.

49gp, 0g, 3a, 3p, 8 pim, +4 +/-

• SUN: The Kelowna product came over from the Prince Albert Raiders for a draft pick and was a healthy scratch quite often when the other six defencemen were available. The former second-round pick is still searching for the consistency he showed at other levels, but that might be a matter of getting enough opportunity.

• MURRAY: “It’s a tough year for Seth for sure, coming in and being in and out of the lineup. Seth has to have an understanding of what he is or show us what he is. He’s a bit of an undersized defenceman, and for me, he has to get quicker. For an undersized defenceman, you need to have quicker feet. He’s another guy who needs to have a good summer to prove he can be an everyday defenceman in our league.”

7. Charlie Elick — 6-3, 199, right.

65gp, 4g, 23a, 27p, 71 pim, +4 +/-

• SUN: The National Hockey League prospect looked more at home in his second campaign, most prominently in the way he looked for big hits. A terrific puck handler, Elick seems destined to become a top defenceman as he gains a greater degree of consistency with more experience.

• MURRAY: “He’s another guy needs to focus on what he is, and if he does that … to me he’s a physical defenceman who can provide a physical presence to our group. If he buys into that shutdown defenceman role, he could have a long pro career. The offence will come but I think he has to worry about his consistency … He has the ability to skate and we encourage our D to get up in the play when opportunities present themselves, but we want our defence to be more focused a defence-first mentality.”

GOALIE

1. Ethan Eskit — 5-10, 185, right.

4.06 gaa, .874 save %, 9-11-1-0 record.

• SUN: It was a big step up for the young goalie with the great glove, and some nights were better than others. The numbers he’ll want to remember are the .976 save percentage and 0.98 goals-against average he posted in 61 minutes in the playoffs in relief against Moose Jaw as he stopped 40 of 41 shots.

• MURRAY: “Ethan overall had a pretty decent rookie season. Sometimes the backup goalie gets thrown into the fire a little bit with the last game in a three-in-three or with tough travel and I thought he handled it pretty well. We went through a tough stretch where we lost Bjarnason for a month and it couldn’t have been at a worse time, and he battled for us and played his heart out. I thought he was very athletic, competed very hard and learned a lot throughout the season. We all wish he was six-foot-three but I was encouraged with his play in the post-season. Facing Moose Jaw’s top dogs, he handled himself extremely well.”

2007-BORN PLAYERS (17 NEXT SEASON)

FORWARD

17. Joby Baumuller — 5-11, 190, right.

52gp, 5g, 6a, 11p, 19 pim, -8 +/-

• SUN: After a slow start that is common to most 16-year-old rookies, Baumuller came on after the World Under-17 Challenge, only to hurt his hand in a fight with a well-placed punch. The stocky forward was noticeably more confident by the end of the season. Expect an offensive jump next season.

• MURRAY: “A 16-year-old year isn’t easy in this league. With Joby, consistency and just being engaged all the time is something he needs to do and really focus on. There were nights when you could see how he could potentially be a really effective player right now but especially down the road, but for me, the one thing Joby needs to do is be engaged all the time and be involved. He’s a strong kid with a low base and his motor should never be off. There are very few who shoot the puck and release it like he does, he just needs to utilize that shot, and in order to use it, he needs to have his feet moving and be ready to pounce when he has an opportunity.”

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