Peterson breaks through with U18 Wheat Kings

Nolan Peterson felt the weight of the world come off his shoulders once he found out he had finally cracked the under-18 Brandon Wheat Kings roster.

The 17-year-old defenceman had spent the previous two seasons on the Wheaties U17 squad after failing to make the jump to Travis Mealy’s U18 lineup, but this time around, the monkey is off his back.

“A complete wave of relief just hit me,” said Peterson on Thursday. “Obviously, trying to make it the past two years, it just didn’t seem like I was fitting in or getting my spot, but when I got told by Meals (Mealy) and all those guys in there that I’ll be part of the team and I’ll be in a key role, it felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself. It was just pure excitement, and it felt great to finally break through.”

The Wheat Kings were in action against the Norman Northstars last night in a game that ended after deadline. They’re on the road next week, with their next home game on Oct. 31 when the Interlake Lightning visit J&G Homes Arena.

Peterson finally getting over the hump was no coincidence. He had spent years developing into a more well-rounded game after being known as a typical stay-at-home defender while coming up through Brandon’s ranks.

In Peterson’s first year of U17, head coach Dylan Halliday told him he was a defensive defenceman and needed to expand the skills in his toolbox by improving his offensive output if he wanted to take that next step, and that was the start of a new and improved Peterson.

“From there, I kind of grew and set my sights on being better offensively,” Peterson said. “It definitely took some time, but I feel like I’ve got the hang of it now.”

Following a bit of a disappointing first season with the U17 squad, when Peterson grabbed just four points in 34 games, he was finally able to break out to that next level in his second year after recording four goals and 12 points in 32 games. There were growing pains here and there, but Peterson feels that led him to where he is now.

“I really wanted to show them that I grew over the past two years, and I’m not just the stay-at-home guy or the one-way guy,” he said. “I wanted to show them that I could play up and down the ice and play that well-rounded game, so I grew a lot of confidence knowing my game had grown drastically, and I just had to show it during camp.

“Being one of the leaders last year and having the reins helped me grow my offence and confidence, and that kind of moved into this year.”

Peterson already has three points through eight games with Brandon this year, playing on a pair with 15-year-old Nash Lenton — a small but smooth-skating defenceman who’s also in his first year of U18. He felt jittery and gripped his stick a little too tight during his first couple of outings but said he now feels comfortable playing in a faster-paced league.

“The nerves were there, having played in front of that big of a crowd, being an older guy, but still being a rookie on the team. It all felt like there was a little bit more weight to it, not trying to mess up, but after those games I settled in and found my place and have just been rolling with it since,” Peterson said.

And it certainly helps when you have a great club to work around.

The Wheat Kings currently sit in second place in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League with a 6-2 record to start the season, after most recently blowing out Norman 12-1 on Thursday night at J&G Homes Arena in Brandon.

The Wheat Kings finished first in the regular season last year for the fourth year in a row, but fell in the league championship after the Winnipeg Wild, who they’ve matched up against in five of the last six finals, swept them 3-0.

Brandon will no doubt be contenders for a title again this year, so Peterson is looking forward to putting his best foot forward to help the team win.

“In Brandon, we have a pretty good expectation of what we should be doing, having had four or five years of really good teams in U18, so as an older guy, I feel a responsibility to be the best I can and step up,” said Peterson. “It’s pretty awesome thinking that we have a pretty good crew of guys who can put in the work and that we have a shot at the title to try and win it all.”

Peterson and company know their chances of success are greater when they stick to their identity — a hard-nosed, aggressive yet structural style of play with a balanced foundation — instead of trying to play their opponents’ game. It’s a strategic game of chess, but the team that calls “checkmate” is usually the one that stays most consistent.

“Meals has showed us the way, so we all know what we have to do to win,” said Peterson.

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com