WHL NOTEBOOK: New season brings fresh storylines

Here’s a look at the news and notes from around the Canadian Hockey League as the Brandon Wheat Kings prepare to embark on their 60th season in the Western Hockey League.

• REASSIGNMENTS — The Wheat Kings reassigned three forwards on Monday, 19-year-old Colten Worthington of Brandon, 17-year-old Carson Ralph of St. Albert, Alta., and 18-year-old Kade Pierson of Chestermere, Alta.

That brings them down to three goalies, eight defencemen and 16 forwards. Forwards Brady Turko and Joby Baumuller and goalie Filip Ruzicka remain at National Hockey League camps, while Gunnar Gleasman, Prabh Bhathal, Jimmy Egan and Hudson Landmark are all nursing injuries.

• SCHEDULE — The Wheat Kings, who began play in the league in the 1967-68 season, open the year against the Regina Pats on Friday and close out their home schedule on March 26 against the Pats. Brandon plays its season finale in Regina on March 27.

— The U.S. Division visits Brandon this season: The Seattle Thunderbirds roll into town on Oct. 23, the Everett Silvertips on Oct. 25, the Portland Winterhawks on Nov. 11, the Wenatchee Wild on Nov. 13, the Spokane Chiefs on Jan. 9 and the Tri-City Americans on Jan. 12.

— The Wheat Kings play their six games in the B.C. Division between Oct. 2-10, their earliest West Coast trip in the Internet era. The next closest came in 2011-12 when they started on Oct. 12.

— The Wheat Kings have 13 Friday games — they all start at 7 p.m. — eight Saturday games (6 p.m.) and five on Sundays (4 p.m.). There is one Monday game — on the Feb. 15 holiday — just one Tuesday game, six Wednesday games and no Thursday games.

— By month, Brandon plays twice at home in September, five times in October, five in November, six in December, five in January, six in February and five in March in what’s an unusually balanced home schedule.

— Their longest home stretch is five games between Feb. 20 and March 5, with a pair of four-game stretches as well.

— The Wheat Kings visit Alberta three times to get their 10 road games in against the Central Division.

• GOOD TIDINGS — The league has no games scheduled between Dec. 20 and 26. Brandon finishes up on Dec. 18 in Saskatoon and resumes play on Dec. 27 when the Regina Pats visit. That gives the Wheat Kings players seven full days off, since they usually practise on Boxing Day before the second half begins.

• RIP — Cal Nichols died on Saturday at 84. Through his work in ownership with the Edmonton Oilers, he was instrumental in the WHL granting Edmonton an expansion franchise for the 2007-08 season on June 26, 2006.

• NEW FACES — There are five new coaches in the league this year.

— The Moose Jaw Warriors promoted Scott King after Mark O’Leary was hired as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.

— The Swift Current Broncos named Travis Crickard head coach and general manager, replacing interim bench boss Regan Darby. Chad Leslie resigned as GM to resume his scouting work with the organization. Crickard worked last with the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Saint John Sea Dogs.

— The Vancouver Giants rehired Michael Dyck as head coach and general manager, who worked for the team for five years from 2018 to 2023 before spending two seasons with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.

— The Red Deer Rebels named former Lethbridge bench boss Brent Kisio as their head coach after Marc Habscheid resigned in June to return to his home in Europe. Kisio worked in Lethbridge from 2015 to 2023.

— The Regina Pats hired David Bell to replace Brad Herauf, whose contract wasn’t renewed after last season. Bell spent the last seven seasons with the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

• CHL OPENER — The Canadian Hockey League opens with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs visit the Peterborough Petes on Thursday. The WHL and QMJHL open Friday.

• CELEBRATION — General manager Mike Fraser of Brandon and the Everett Silvertips raise their 2026 championship banner at home on Saturday. The bad news for the Silvertips is that the WHL hasn’t had back-to-back champions since the Kamloops Blazers did it in 1993 and 1994.

• ROCKET MAN — In major league news, Kelowna Rockets owner Bruce Hamilton stepped down as general manager in August after 35 years in the role, dating back to the team’s time as the Tacoma Rockets. His 34-year-old son Curtis will replace him, although Bruce will stay on as team president and governor.

• BIG SHOW — The Memorial Cup will be hosted by the Guelph Storm from May 20 to 30. Last year, the Kitchener Rangers defeated the Everett Silvertips 6-2 in the final in Kelowna.

• CAMPERS — In all, 92 WHL players attended National Hockey League camps, led by the Medicine Hat Tigers with eight.

• NEW ROLE — Calgary Hitmen general manager Garry Davidson, 75, has transitioned into a new hockey operations advisory role, with former assistant GM Cass Bruni promoted into the top job. The news was announced in June.

• TRADE FRONT — There were two deals on Monday, both involving the Red Deer Rebels. They sent 18-year-old goaltender Peyton Shore of Winnipeg to the Prince George Cougars for a sixth-round pick (from Penticton) in 2027. The Rebels acquired 18-year-old defenceman Kaden Meyer of Delta, B.C., from the Calgary Hitmen for a fourth-round pick in 2028.

On Saturday, Everett sent 18-year-old Nickolas Kovich to the Vancouver Giants for a conditional eighth-round pick. Those terms suggest Fraser was finding a fresh opportunity for a youngster who wasn’t in his team’s plans.

Prior to that, the Penticton Vees reacquired Danish 2006-born forward Tristan Petersen from the Saskatoon Blades on Sept. 5 for a ninth-round pick in 2027. He spent two seasons with the Vees before being acquired by the Blades on waivers.

• SAYING GOODBYE — The Calgary Hitmen will play their final season at the Scotiabank Saddledome, which is where they’ve skated since their inaugural campaign in 1995–96. The new Calgary Event Centre is scheduled to open in time for the 2027–28 season.

• PROSPECT CENTRAL — All three CHL leagues are holding their own prospects games. The QMJHL’s game is in Gatineau on Oct. 28, the OHL’s is in Owen Sound on Jan. 20 and the WHL’s is in Brandon on Feb. 17. The fourth game is the CHL USA Prospects Challenge on Dec. 1 in Chicoutimi and Dec. 2 in Québec City, with the top American players in the CHL meeting USA Hockey’s national team development program under-18 squad.

• INTERNATIONAL GAMES — The U17 World Challenge is in Oakville, Ont., from Nov. 1 to 7. The IIHF World Junior Championship will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. Finally, the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship is set for Duluth, Minn., from April 22 to May 2.

THIS AND THAT

• QUIZ — How many WHL teams have won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in consecutive seasons? Has any team ever won it more than twice in a row?

• SIN BIN — Victoria’s Cruz Waltze awaits the length of his suspension after earning a checking from behind major and game misconduct at Vancouver on Saturday. Meanwhile, Portland’s Jordin St. Louis received a one-game suspension for a boarding major and game misconduct against Seattle on Saturday.

The Prince George Cougars got themselves in some trouble during a pre-season 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sept. 6. Head coach and GM Mark Lamb received a one-game pre-season suspension for a multiple-fight situation and the team was fined $1,000.

Forward Jack Finnegan and defenceman Cooper Bratton each received three-game suspensions (two pre-season, one regular season) for fighting majors and game misconducts, while forward Koy Funk of Portage la Prairie received one game for a slashing major and game misconduct.

In a game on Sept. 5, Medicine Hat Tigers forward Luke Ruptash received a one-game suspension for a crosschecking major and game misconduct.

• ALUMNI GLANCE — Former Wheat Kings defenceman Luke Shipley left UMass Lowell after one season — he had 12 points and 35 penalty minutes in 33 games — to play at Michigan Tech this winter.

He joins a recruiting class that also includes former Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Lucas Brenton of Winnipeg, who was at the University of Manitoba, and former Seattle Thunderbirds, Saskatoon Blades and Spokane Chiefs forward Conner Roulette of Winnipeg (Saskatchewan).

Shipley, who was traded to Brandon by the Victoria Royals, played 271 regular season games in the WHL, with 41 goals, 99 assists and 330 penalty minutes. In eight playoff games, he had a goal, four assists and 14 penalty minutes. He graduated after the 2024-25 season.

• THE WEEK AHEAD — Brandon opens against the Saskatoon Blades on Friday in their only action of the weekend.

• ANSWER — It’s happened five times.

As mentioned earlier, Kamloops was the last team to win consecutive league titles. Prior to that, the Flin Flon Bombers did it in 1969 and 1970, the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1971 and 1972, the New Westminster Bruins in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978 to set a record, and the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1987 and 1988.

• IT’S TIME! — The 12th season of the WHL Notebook will run weekly in the Tuesday edition of The Brandon Sun, except after long weekends, when it moves to Wednesday. Watch The Brandon Sun every day this week for extensive coverage of the season ahead.