BWK TRAINING CAMP: Wheat Kings set to begin anew

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This article was published 25/08/2025 (259 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new era dawns for the Brandon Wheat Kings when training camp begins Thursday evening.

The Western Hockey League club was hit hard by the NCAA’s decision last November to welcome major junior players, losing National Hockey League first-round pick Roger McQueen, captain and top defenceman Quinn Mantei, and speedy overage forward Matteo Michels during the spring and summer.

For Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray, the days of having some kind of roster predictability have become a warm memory.

“It’s a challenge for sure, and believe me, I kind of knew what was coming after living in the U.S., for so long,” Murray said. “Those colleges now have free rein for our guys. There was a lot of thought that ‘Hey, we’ll give them our 20-year-olds after they graduate,’ but I knew that wasn’t the case.

“It’s happened to us and happened to others throughout the league that it’s not only players but key players. When it happens really late in the summer when you’re planning, you can’t just pull a rabbit out of your hat and replace somebody. I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon.

“We have to reassess everything and offer the players a great experience if they want it. But saying that, in all my years, if a school wants them, they’re pretty adamant now is the time.”

Brandon’s camp is set to have eight goalies, 27 defenceman and 42 forwards, although that is subject to change until the last minute. The players are split into four teams named after late but legendary Wheat Kings figures: Mark Johnston, Brad McCrimmon, Don Dietrich, and Al MacPherson.

Westoba Place, which will now be known as Assiniboine Credit Union Place, plays host to all but the team’s Black and Gold game on Monday afternoon.

The only member of this year’s draft class who won’t be attending is Minnesota forward Tristan Will, while the 2009-born class is missing Alex Letourneau, who was part of a massive draft-day deal that brought in overagers Luke Mistelbacher of Steinbach and defenceman Grayson Burzynski of Winnipeg.

Murray is just looking forward to seeing some hockey.

“It’s always fun,” Murray said. “There’s so much admin stuff over the summer. There’s nothing better than getting on the ice and getting it going. That’s what we’re all in the game for. It’s going to be a really competitive camp. I’m excited to see our veterans take some strides and to see our young guys come in and prove that they belong in the Western Hockey League.

“It’s an unprecedented time. Without the rule change, a lot of rosters across the league would look different, including ours. But there are the times we’re living in, and I’m looking forward to turning the page and focusing on who’s here rather than who isn’t because I think we have a lot of really good pieces.”

The team is returning eight forwards, five defencemen and no goalies from last year’s club, which lost in five games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals to the Lethbridge Hurricanes after finishing fifth with a record of 38-23-4-3.

Murray said the veterans had a mid-summer check-in to see how their workouts were going, and while team staff couldn’t see them in person, everyone seemed to be putting in the time they needed to for this season.

“I think those went pretty well,” Murray said. “You find kids are pretty committed nowadays. They understand it takes a commitment 12 months a year. Sometimes, it’s a little bit of a fight to keep them off the ice or away from the gym at times because that rest and recovery and recharging the batteries is so important to gear up for the upcoming season.”

With just 13 returnees from last year’s club, there will certainly be opportunities for players to earn a roster spot. That’s an attitude Murray hopes the club maintains this season.

“For jobs and roles and responsibilities, the internal competition never stops,” Murray said. “When they have that mindset, they have often excel. If guys come in thinking they’ve made the team and they can take their foot off the gas, they’re the guys who seem to be chasing it all the time.

“We want to have a pro mentality where guys come to work everyday and push each other in healthy competition, and obviously that translates to games.”

One thing that sets this camp apart from others is that there will be significant battles for spots in every position.

The Wheat Kings have a pair of 19-year-old players coming to camp from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winkler Flyers, forward Kam Thomas and defenceman Max Lavoie, plus Thomas Reis of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Yorkton Terriers. Lavoie was listed by the club and offers size and physicality to the back end.

Some other candidates to make the club include 17-year-old forward Ryan Boyce, a 2023 draftee who played last year in the BCHL, and Colorado’s towering Gleasman brothers, 18-year-old Gunnar and 16-year-old Axel, who made a strong impression at camp a year ago and were both listed.

“There are a lot of exciting things ahead,” Murray said. “You just sit back and watch it unfold and see who rises to the occasion and takes advantage of the situation.”

Czech defenceman Adam Hlinsky arrived on Saturday, but the situation with Brandon’s other two European players isn’t as simple.

For instance, the arrival time of 2008-born Swedish defenceman Samu Alalauri is unclear. Murray said the team knew Alalauri was going to start the season in Sweden when they took him in the first round of the Canadian Hockey League’s import draft in July.

“We were almost trying to get ahead of it a year,” Murray said. “If we get him at Christmas, it could be a bonus, or it could be next year. We’re waiting to see how that unfolds, but we knew it going in. He’s a high-end prospect, and we nabbed him.”

Murray said the move to carrying three imports allows teams to plan a bit more into the future than the old two-import system allowed.

Murray is hoping the problem that’s holding back big Czech goalie Filip Ruzicka will be resolved soon. His transfer is currently being held up by his club back home, a situation that could potentially be settled this week by the IIHF.

“That’s been an ongoing battle for two months,” Murray said. “Now we’re in an appeal process with his team in Czechia. His agent is confident that everything is going to work out. It’s been a real fight to get his release and transfer, even though he’s not on a professional contract.”

The Wheat Kings have six players headed to professional camps next month, including recent National Hockey League draftees Carter Klippenstein (Minnesota Wild) and Brady Turko (Anaheim Ducks), plus free agents Caleb Hadland (New Jersey Devils), Jayden Kraus (Colorado Avalanche), Luke Mistelbacher (Minnesota), and Grayson Burzynski (Boston Bruins).

For Murray, camp signals an opportunity to set aside the players he’s lost and instead focus on the players he has. And that excites him.

“I’m at the point of the year where I’m getting fatigued talking about who’s not going to be here,” Murray said. “I want to turn the page and talk about who is going to be here, and we’re excited with this group. We feel like we have a real deep group and a great opportunity for some guys to step up and play bigger roles.

“I’m confident we have the guys who can do that.”

ICINGS: The Vancouver Giants will celebrate their 25th anniversary in the league this season with a number of events. They also added to their staff, hiring Gaelan Patterson of Saskatoon as an assistant coach … The Moose Jaw Warriors have brought on former netminder Adam Evanoff of Pentincton, B.C., as their new goalie coach.

» Pre-camp coverage continues in the next two issues of The Brandon Sun.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com