Victoria offers real home game for Pantelas

Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Gio Pantelas is a little bit excited about tonight’s Western Hockey League matchup with the visiting Victoria Royals.

The 17-year-old defenceman was born in Montreal and lived there until he was 10, when his family moved across the country to Vancouver Island.

“Obviously, living in Victoria for the past five years, it’s going to be a fun game,” Pantelas said. “I know a lot of the players now. Even last year when we went to Victoria, that was fun. I had a lot of parents, family and friends who came to watch the game, and that was great.

“Now that we’re in Brandon, it’s a little different with no family or friends in the stands. I think I know a lot more players this year on the team than I did last year. (Keaton) Verhoeff is gone but I have some past teammates on the team this year and I’ll be able to see them so I’m looking forward to that.”

Victoria’s trip, which includes six games in nine days, opens tonight and continues when they meet the Regina Pats on Saturday, the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday, the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday, the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday, and the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said his team (23-17-1-0) should expect the best out of the eighth-place Royals (17-14-5-3), who are part of an eight-team grouping separated by just nine points in the Western Conference that will determine the third through eighth playoff spots.

“Every team wants to start off on a good note,” Murray said. “It is a grueling trip when teams come out our way and vice versa when we go out west. I’m sure all coaches are saying it’s important to get off on the right foot on the road trip. They’ve been here today and practised and they’re going to be ready to play.

“They want to have a good start to the trip and it’s up to us to come to play. It’s our last home game for a while so hopefully we’re motivated.”

CLOSE SERIES

Brandon has met Victoria a dozen times since they entered the league in the 2011-12 after the Chilliwack Bruins relocated. Both clubs have six wins, with three on the road and three at home.

The Wheat Kings have won the last two games, 5-4 in Victoria on Jan. 15, 2025, and 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 9, 2024, in Brandon.

Murray said it’s not hard to guess what’s in store at Assiniboine Credit Union Place this evening at 7 o’clock.

“They’re going to be a typical James Patrick team,” Murray said. “They work hard and play with a lot of energy, and looking at their group, they have a lot of depth and can hurt you in a lot of different ways. The standings are incredibly tight on both sides of the league, so we’re battling and they are too. We expect a playoff-type atmosphere here and we’re going to have to be ready to play.”

Brandon has enjoyed some success against the B.C. Division this season, with victories over the Vancouver Giants (4-3 on Oct. 10), Kamloops Blazers (6-3 on Oct. 16), and Kelowna Rockets (6-3 on Dec. 12).

They finish up against the Penticton Vees on Feb. 20 and the Prince George Cougars on Feb. 24.

“Honestly, it’s not just Victoria but all the B.C. teams that come to Brandon,” Pantelas said. “I just love playing against them and really enjoy showing them how powerful the East is.”

While Pantelas, who grew up in Montreal, didn’t live in Victoria for a long time, he did go to some Royals games. In fact, he was on hand for a 5-2 Royals victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants on Dec. 11, 2021, when the team was handing out Griffin Outhouse bobbleheads to honour their star goaltender.

“I went to a few when Outhouse was their goalie,” Pantelas said. “I remember him specifically because I got one of his bobbleheads. I still have it in my room actually. It’s just one of those memories from when I was younger watching one of those games and not realizing it could be a path when I grew older.”

It’s proven to be the right path for the sturdy six-foot-two, 211-pound defenceman who shoots right. Pantelas was listed 58th among North American skaters in Central Scouting’s midterm rankings that were released Monday.

This is Brandon’s last home game until Feb. 6, when the Calgary Hitmen visit. In the meantime, Brandon heads west on their annual trip west to the U.S. Division, beginning against the Everett Silvertips on Jan. 23, and continuing to meet the Portland Winterhawks (Jan. 24), Seattle Thunderbirds (Jan. 27), Wenatchee Wild (Jan. 28), Tri-City Americans (Jan. 30), and Spokane Chiefs (Jan. 31).

They also visit the Lethbridge Hurricanes en route on Jan. 21 during their longest trip of the year.

“This game against Victoria will start us off strong,” Pantelas said. “We leave on the road immediately and we have Lethbridge on the way to America. I think these two games are going to be really important for setting a good foothold for our American road trip.”

BIG POINTS

The Wheat Kings, who have played 41 of their 68 games, currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference, which has split into four distinct groups.

Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, and Edmonton are at the top, Brandon, Calgary and Saskatoon are in the middle, Regina, Moose Jaw and Red Deer are battling for the final two playoff spots and Lethbridge and Swift Current are looking to the future.

“Every point is crucial at this stage of the game,” Murray said. “We’re getting inside that 25 games left in the year, and they’re going to go fast. When we get off this road trip, we’ll have close to 20 games left in the season. Every point is critical, especially at home. We haven’t played as well in the last couple, and we want to get back to being a team that’s hard to play against at home.”

They took a step in the right direction on Wednesday when they snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the host Saskatoon Blades, one day after a tough 5-2 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders.

The team will be playing without forwards Carter Klippenstein and Chase Surkan, however, who were both injured on Tuesday after hits by Raiders captain Justice Christensen. That will once again leave the team with seven defencemen and 11 forwards, with Easton Odut and Merrek Arpin also out.

There will be one more familiar face on the ice tonight, former Wheat Kings goalie Ethan Eskit, who was swapped for Jayden Kraus during the summer. Eskit has thrived as the starter on Vancouver Island, with a 2.90 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 31 appearances.

“We were really good friends last year,” Pantelas said of Eskit. “We’re still friends off the ice, but on the ice he’s just like every other goalie in the league, is how I’m going to try looking at it.

“I’ll see if the same move that worked last year on him works this year, but obviously I’m sure he’s improved a lot since last time I saw him. I’m just hoping we can find the back of the net as much as we can, especially on a goalie we’re quite familiar with.”

ICINGS: Organizers of the Yukon Showcase, a pair of sold-out preseason games between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Kelowna Rockets, have donated $55,861.65 to Sport Yukon’s Kids Recreation Fund.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com