Wheat Kings acquire forward Thornton from Chiefs

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This article was published 25/09/2021 (1696 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings continue to corner the market on forwards from the first round of the 2019 Western Hockey League draft, acquiring Ben Thornton from the Spokane Chiefs on Friday.

The 17-year-old, a product of Chilliwack, B.C., cost Brandon a second-round pick in 2021. He was selected 15th overall in 2019, one pick before Brandon took Rylen Roersma. 

The Wheat Kings also grabbed Nate Danielson and Tyson Zimmer with the fifth and sixth selections.

Wheat Kings general manager Doug Gasper confirmed Thornton had waived his no-trade clause and asked for a deal, adding it was simply too good an opportunity for Brandon to pass up.

“He’s a big, strong kid, just filling out and growing into his body,” Gasper said. “He skates well, competes hard, has a lot of upside skill-wise. We just think any time that we can add a young skilled player into your organization, we’re certainly going to look at it and do everything we can to get him in.”

Thornton, who arrived early Friday and practised with the team in the afternoon, is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Wheat Kings face the Winnipeg Ice in their final pre-season tuneup. 

The regular season opens next Friday.

“I’m super pumped how things turned out, that I landed in Brandon,” Thornton said. “I’m super happy that Moults (Brandon’s director of player personnel, Chris Moulton) wanted me. My first day was awesome. I met all the guys and everyone was super nice, the dressing room is unreal, all the staff and coaches are unreal too. I’m excited to be here.”

The Wheat Kings sure didn’t have to look far to get a scouting report on Thornton. Moulton was Spokane’s assistant general manager when Thornton was drafted in 2019.

“Ben does a lot of good things,” Moulton was quoted as saying on the Chiefs’ website after the 2019 draft. “He’s a 200-foot player that contributes offensively. He’s got good size and huge character.”

He isn’t the only person with Brandon links who could discuss Thornton knowledgeably. Gasper’s son Mark was scouting for Spokane at the time, and Brandon scout Jared Craig, the younger brother of former Wheat Kings great Ryan Craig, coached Yale’s U15 prep team with Thornton’s father Erin.

“I’m just trying to develop,” Thornton said. “I’m a bigger body, good skater, I like to use my linemates with my passing and try to use my IQ too in the game. I’m working on my shot, trying to get it off quicker, especially with these goalies at this age. They’re all getting better and quicker so you have to release that shot quicker.”

In 10 games last season with Spokane, Thornton had a goal and no penalty minutes. In his final season playing prep hockey at the Yale Hockey Academy in 2019-20, he had 16 goals and 24 assists in 34 games with 10 penalty minutes.

In his WHL draft season playing under-15 at Yale, he had 13 goals and 32 assists in 30 games.

During the 2017-18 season, he skated with current Wheat Kings forward Jake Chiasson. 

“We played together growing up through minor hockey and then at our high school,” Thornton said. “It’s good to see that now we’re all grown up and we’re playing on the same team again. It’s nice.”

Chiasson texted Thornton on Thursday when he found out about the deal to welcome him.

The trade gives the Wheat Kings five forwards born in 2004, who are entering their 17-year-old seasons. Brandon also has Jesiah Bennett, who it took in the third round in 2019. 

It has 16 forwards on its roster, although four are at pro camps — Ridly Greig, Brett Hyland, Jake Chiasson and Marcus Kallionkieli — and Belarusian import Zakhar Polshakov hasn’t shown up yet as he awaits his visa.

Thornton certainly noticed the youth on the ice on Friday.

“It’s good to see,” Thornton said. “Now we have four first rounders from ‘04. I think it’s going to be really good for the future for us. I can’t wait to see how we all develop and get to know each other.”

The Wheat Kings have three 2021 first-round picks, which would suggest they were in a unique position to make the trade when the pandemic-delayed draft is held in December. But Gasper said it isn’t that easy.

“It certainly gives you more flexibility,” Gasper said. “Regardless of whether you have three first-rounders or one first-rounder, assets are valuable and they’re hard to come by so we’re very cautious of what we do with them and how we spend them. It is a bit of a safety blanket for sure.”

ICINGS: Alex Clarke became the first female linesperson in WHL and Canadian Hockey League history when she worked a pre-season game between the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors Friday. The Weyburn, Sask., product recently officiated at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and will become a member of the WHL’s officiating team for the 2021-22 season.

 

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @PerryBergson