Wheat Kings prepare for Virden debut

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/04/2025 (441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VIRDEN — The Brandon Wheat Kings enter the biggest game of their Western Hockey League season on unfamiliar ground tonight.

Brandon is the only team in the league that can’t play some of its first-round games in its own building — the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair rightly takes precedence over the entire Keystone Centre, including Westoba Place — so Games 3, 4 and potentially 6 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Lethbridge Hurricanes are 75 kilometres west on the Trans-Canada Highway at Tundra Oil and Gas Place

Brandon overage forward Nolan Flamand leads the Wheat Kings with a goal and two assists after their series-opening 6-3 and 4-3 losses in Lethbridge.

“It’s something I don’t any of us have ever done in our WHL careers,” Flamand said with a chuckle. “It almost feels like an away game but I’m hearing that we almost have a sold-out crowd and I’ve heard that Virden has a diehard hockey community here. I think it will be a loud one for us and a cool experience, especially for me as a 21 year old and the young guys as well.”

One of the few Wheat Kings who has played in Virden is goaltender Carson Bjarnason of Carberry, who spent time in it while he was growing up.

“It’s been a long time,” Bjarnason said. “I probably haven’t been here since I was 13 or 14, so I can’t really remember. I know the glass is a little harder than any Western League rink. It brings a lot of energy, just like the Art Hauser (Centre) up in (Prince Albert). I’m excited for it.”

The 1,200-seat arena, which opened in 2011 and normally hosts the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Virden Oil Capitals, has undergone a transformation this week, with Wheat Kings logos in different spots and the team’s mini store set up.

The team Wheat Kings had a brisk practice in Virden on Tuesday afternoon, which Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray suggested would help make the building more familiar for tonight’s game.

“I think it was a good idea to get out here today so the kids have an idea of what they’re walking into,” Murray said. “I think it’s going to be exciting. They’ve done some cool things to the rink here to make it feel like home. I know there is going to be a good crowd so there should be a real good atmosphere.

“The ice is good, the ice is fast, and it should be a fun time.”

Both teams will be skating without an overage player tonight following a melee at the end of Game 2. Brandon defenceman Luke Shipley, one of two experienced defenders in the Wheat Kings lineup and a 20-goal scorer this season, and Lethbridge forward Jordan Gustafson were both assessed a one-game suspension for their assorted shenanigans.

While Brandon is down two in the series, it’s not all doom and gloom with the Wheat Kings. They’ve found some things to like so far.

“I thought we had very good pushes to start both games, in Game 1 and Game 2,” Flamand said. “Especially coming into the series and going into their barn, there is a lot of emotion and they have all the jump and they have the fans behind them. For us to come out like that with all the big hits and all the energy we had was pretty good for us.

“We just have to keep it for a full 60. That’s something we’ve lacked.”

A major concern for the Wheat Kings has to be the way the Hurricanes have absolutely taken over the game for stretches. They outscored Brandon 3-2 in both second periods, and during one span on Saturday, had nine shots in a row as Brandon struggled to even get the puck out of their end as they faced Lethbridge’s withering forecheck.

“Marty always talks about shutting down the first two lines, but they can come with their third and fourth line as well,” Flamand said. “They have good lines up and down the lineup. We just have to stick to simple hockey and get pucks out into the neutral zone, take a quick breath and maybe ice it if we need it just so we can kind of shut down the momentum they have.”

Brandon has now met Lethbridge six times in the regular season and playoffs, and has one win to show for it.

Needless to say, the prospect of going down 3-0 in the series isn’t something the Wheat Kings relish.

“It’s a big one,” Murray said. “You don’t want to get down three nothing. We have to find a way to climb back into this series. We did some good things in Game 1 and 2, we just made some critical mistakes at the wrong time and they make you pay. We have to build off the good things we did. I liked our game in the last game for the most part, we kept them to 26 shots.

“We just have to generate some more second and third opportunities. For us, getting inside the dots a little more is going to be important for us.”

Bjarnason agreed.

“It’s definitely the most important for us,” Bjarnason said of tonight’s game. “I don’t think you really start a series until you lose at home. It’s important for us to carry that one-game-at-a-time mentality down to one period and one shift. Everything matters.”

If needed, Game 5 is back in Alberta on Friday at 8 p.m., Game 6 would be in Virden on Sunday at 4 p.m. and a deciding Game 7 is set for Lethbridge on Tuesday at 8 o’clock.

The puck drops tonight and Wednesday at 7 p.m.

“It’s going to be nice and loud in here,” Bjarnason said. “I don’t know where the tickets are at but we’re really excited and I hope Lethbridge is too. It’s going to be a good game and obviously we’re trying to crawl back into the series.”

ICINGS: The WHL named 20-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt of Calgary its player of the week after he posted five goals and an assist as the Tigers won the first two games of their series against the Swift Current Broncos … The goalie of the week is 19-year-old Victoria Royals netminder Johnny Hicks of Kamloops, who won his two starts with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .962 save percentage and a shutout against the Tri-City Americans … The rookie of the week is 16-year-old Spokane Chiefs forward Mathis Preston of Penticton, B.C., who scored three goals as the Chiefs won Games 1 and 2 against the Vancouver Giants … Five of the eight quarterfinal series around the league have one team up 2-0, with the other three tied 1-1. The higher-seeded hosts won 13 of the 16 games.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @PerryBergson