Brandon Wheat Kings are WHL regular season champions –
For the first time in nineteen years, the Brandon Wheat Kings are Western Hockey League regular season champions.
The Wheat Kings clinched their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy since 1996 Saturday night with an overwhelming 9-2 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
Nine different players scored for the Brandon Wheat Kings as they finished the regular season with a record of 53-11-4-4, good for 114 points. Only the record-breaking 1978-79 club (125 points) and the 1976-77 (116 points) Wheat Kings finished with better records in the 48-year history of the WHL franchise.
Saturday’s game, before over 5,300 fans at Westman Place, also featured the club’s Annual Awards Night.
Three veterans, including center Tim McGauley captured two trophies each. McGauley capped off an outstanding season by capturing the Meighen Haddad Most Valuable Player and Brandon Sun Scoring Championship Trophies. A 19-year old Wilcox, Saskatchewan product, McGauley finished the year with 42 goals and 105 points.
Joining McGauley as a 2-time winner were goalkeeper Jordan Papriny and defencemanColton Waltz. While Waltz was named winner of both the Canad Inns Hardest Working and Precision Toyota Unsung Hero Awards, Papirny was chosen the Shoppers Drug Mart Fans Choice Award winner as well as the winner of the Manitoba Blue Cross 3 Stars Award.
A 19-year old native of Vermillion, Alberta, Waltz enjoyed a career year this season, scoring five goals and 32 points. Papirny meanwhile became the first Brandon goalkeeper to win 40 games since Glen Hanlon set a league record with 49 in ’76-77. In 59 appearances this season, the former first round bantam draft choice compiled a 44-9-6 record and a 2.74 goals against average.
Rounding out the list of winners announced before, during and immediately following Saturday’s regular season finale againt Moose Jaw were Braylon Shmyr (Dennis Truscot UCT Most Improved Player), Neepawa’s Quintin Lisoway (McDonalds Frank King Most Community Minded), captain Peter Quenneville (Keystone Centre Most Sportsmanlike Player), 16-year old center Nolan Patrick (MNP Rookie of the Year), Macoy Erkamps (Coca Cola Rob Stouffer Most Inspirational Player), Tanner Kaspick (Maggie Janz Scholastic Player of the Year), Jayce Hawryluk (Manitoba Hydro Turk Broda Top Manitoba Born Player), 5-year WHL veteran Eric Roy (Art Marshall Top Graduating Player) and 17-year old Russian Ivan Provorov, who was named the hockey club’s Top Defenceman when he was recognized as this year’s winner of the Brad McCrimmon Memorial Trophy.
Brandon’s first selection in the last summer’s Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, Provorov leads all WHL rookies in scoring and is fourth among defencemen with fifteen goals and 61 points in 59 games.
One of three 20-year old veterans to play their final regular season game, Roy finished his Wheat King career with 49 goals and 200 points in 322 games. The former first round bantam draft choice brings the curtain down on his career, having played the second most games in franchise history. Only Dwayne Gylywoychuk (323) has played more games in a Brandon uniform.
In addition to being recognized as the club’s Top Graduating Player, Roy, Quenneville and defenceman Reid Gow were honored by the club’s general manager and head coach Kelly McCrimmon before the game. All three received a commemorative Silver Stick and framed photo, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the WHL team.
As for the game, Brandon got goals from Erkamps, Gow, Patrick, Hawryluk, Morgan Klimchuk, Kale Clague, Rihards Bukarts, Tyler Coulter and 15-year old Stellio Mattheos. The WHL’s first overall selection in last year’s WHL Bantam Draft joined the club in time for Saturday’s game and scored his first ever goal.
Now that the regular season is complete, the Wheat Kings will begin preparations for their opening round Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with the defending Memorial Cup Champion Edmonton Oil Kings.
Games one and two of the best of seven series will be played Thursday and Friday nights. Tickets to both games will go back on sale Monday morning at the Keystone Centre box office. Fans can also order online at keystonecentre.com or by calling 726-3555.
Courtesy of BrandonWheatKings.com
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