U18 Wheat Kings ready for big year

With just seven returners from last year’s squad, the under-18 Brandon Wheat Kings lineup will feature a lot of new faces, but that doesn’t mean that the standards the team holds itself to will be any different.

Travis Mealy is back for his fourth consecutive season as head coach, fresh off winning coach of the year at the end of the 2025-26 Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League season.

“If you look at the last decade of our program and the success we’ve had … It starts in the room,” said Mealy. “The boys do a really good job of getting guys to buy in and pull the rope … There’s a high standard; there are expectations.”

Last year’s group made it to the final series where they lost 4-1 to the Winnipeg Bruins.

At the end of the year, the majority of the team moved on, including Easten Turko, who is playing with the Wheat Kings in the WHL, Reid Nicol, who joined the Everett Silvertips and Urijah Moosetail, who is now with the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. All three were named first-line all-stars in the Manitoba U18 League last season.

Just seven members of last year’s team are returning to the team, meaning the vast majority of the team will need to be taught how the Wheat Kings operate.

“We’re going to need a lot of first-year guys stepping up,” said Mealy.

TELUS CUP

In late July, Hockey Canada announced the U18 Wheat Kings as the host of the 2027 Telus Cup, which will take place from April 19 to 25.

As the hosts, the Wheat Kings automatically get a spot at the tournament, which will extend their season by more than a month.

“It’s such a long season to begin with for these young players,” said Mealy. “We have to focus on being the best we can in April, not worrying about the learning curve early in the season with so many first-year players, and take our licks then and keep building throughout the season so we’re peaking at the right time.”

Mealy attended the 2024 Telus Cup alongside current Brandon Wheat Kings Brady Turko, Jaxon Jacobson, Josh McGregor and former Wheat King Easton Odut.

The team went 4-3 during the tournament and made it to the final before losing 4-1 to the Cantonniers de Magog. He described the experience as thrilling and gruelling all at the same time.

“As a coach, playing seven games in seven days was exhausting, and I didn’t have to go on the ice,” said Mealy. “It’s something these guys will never forget. We’ve had alumni that go on to play for the Wheat Kings … those guys will still tell you that was one of their favourite hockey experiences.”

The advent of the Telus Cup at the Keystone Centre will give this year’s U18 Wheat Kings the experience of a lifetime, and the team wants to be ready to meet the challenge of playing some of the top teams in the country.

FORWARDS

Returning to the team are 2009-forwards: Hunter Ethelston, Crew Elder and Owen Stanley. Mealy noted that all three players will play a part in the team’s leadership whether they wear letters or not.

Joining them is 2010-born returner Kevin Knee, who will start the season sidelined with an injury. As of now, there is no timeline for his return.

The most interesting addition to the team is 2012-born forward Kale Nicol, who was granted exceptional status to join the group at just 14-years-old. He’s following in the footsteps of his older brother Reid, who played for the U18 Wheat Kings the past two seasons.

At 13, the younger Nicol brother scored 86 goals and added 55 assists for 141 points with the U15 Wheat Kings last year. With a points-per-game of 4.41, he beat the record of 4.02 set by Jonathan Toews in the same league at the same age.

“He’s proven himself,” said Mealy of Nicol’s ability.

Fellow U15 Wheat King Grayson Van Meijl will join Nicol as a member of this year’s forward group. The remaining additions are: Brayden Watt, Luke Crieser, Carson Fowler, Ashton Shields, Ty Aldcroft and Etienne Visser, who all made the jump up from the U17 level.

Watt led the team with 49 points in 35 games while also scoring three goals and one assist in the five games he was called up to play for the U18 squad last year. Visser finished second in the group with 44 points.

“A lot of the U17 players that we got from last year (are) very strong players,” said Mealy. “We will rely on them.”

As a group, there isn’t quite as much star power as there has been in years past, which could result in the team slightly altering its style of play.

“We’re going to have to learn to get to those hard areas and work a little bit harder,” said Mealy. “That’ll create opportunity in the offensive zone.”

DEFENCE

2009-born defender Theran Turner is back for a third season with the U18 Wheat Kings, and joining him is the 2010-born Nash Lenton.

Lenton, an Everett Silvertips prospect, scored one goal and added 14 assists in 44 games last season, while Turner put up one goal and 12 assists in 43 games.

Gavyn Yon, a 2009-born defender who stands at six-foot-two, comes over to the team after playing for Parklands last year.

Another veteran addition is 2009-born defender Brady Davidson, who played for Notre Dame last year.

“Our backend should be pretty strong,” said Mealy, who described both Yon and Davidson as being capable defenders.

Grayson Rome will also join the group, having played U17 with the Wheat Kings last season.

Rome was the highest-scoring defender on the team last year with four goals and 33 assists in 35 games. He also played six call-up games for the U18 Wheat Kings, where he picked up one assist.

As a whole, the group is big, with Yon, Rome, Davidson and Turner all standing above 6-feet. The only player under that mark is Melnyk, who stands at 5-foot-10.

GOALIES

This year the Wheat Kings will ice a goaltending tandem of 2010-born returner Cooper Dryden and 2011-born addition Aurick Veldhuisen, who joins the team from the U15 Wheat Kings.

“Last year, (Dryden) was 15-years-old,” said Mealy. “We haven’t taken many 15-year-olds, and next thing we know we are going back-to-back.”

Dryden played backup to Moosetail last year, though his numbers were strong. In 21 games, he maintained a 2.11 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

With Moosetail moving on, Dryden will now have the chance to show what he can do after a year of development at the level. At 6-foot-3, he fits the size of modern goaltenders.

Veldhuisen maintained a 1.96 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage playing with the U15 team last year. He will have the same opportunity to develop with the U18 team as Dryden last year.

“We will pick out spots when we put (Veldhuisen) in the lineup and (Dryden) will be our number one this year,” said Mealy. “Aurick will be a good asset to have and develop.”

The tandem is young, but Dryden is proven, and once Veldhuisen gets used to the level, they will be able to deploy both players. If nothing else, they are set for the future.

The U18 Wheat Kings start their season on Saturday with a road matchup against the Winnipeg Wild. From there, the team will host the Kenora Thistles on Oct. 3 and 4 for their first home games of the season.

Fans should expect a team that is going to work hard and win tight games.

“Offence is going to come at a premium, but we’re still going to work hard, and I think we will have to get to those hard areas a bit more,” said Mealy. “We’re going to be strong defensively and win a lot of games 3-2 or 3-1.”

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com