Brandon Wheat Kings Weekly: Oct. 6

On Friday night, Winnipeg Jets’ second round draft choice Eric Comrie turned aside 37 shots in backstopping the visiting Tri-City Americnas to a 4-3 overtime victory. Among the goal scorers for Brandon was rookie blueliner Mark Matsuba, who scored his first ever Western Hockey League goal in what was his first ever WHL game.The following night, the Wheat Kings scored 2 unanswered goals in both the first and second periods, en route to a convincing 7-1 win over the Red Deer Rebels. Tim McGauley set up three goals, rookie Russian defenceman Ivan Provorov added a goal and two assists as the Wheat Kings improved their record to 5-1-1-0 on the season.Through the first two full weeks of regular season play, Brandon is 3-0-1-0 on home ice and 2-0-0 on the road.Brandon doesn’t play another game at home until the October 17th-18th weekend when the Wheat Kings host Swift Current and Portland.As for this weekend, the Wheat Kings will spend the Thanksgiving long weekend in Albert.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:

Saturday, October 11th @ Red Deer Rebels
Sunday, October 12th @ Calgary Hitmen
Monday, October 13th @ Edmonton Oil Kings

NEXT WEEK’S HOME SCHEDULE:

Friday, October 17th vs. Swift Current – presented by Assiniboine Community College
Saturday, October 18th vs. Portland – Salute to School Patrols Night

THIS WEEK’S PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Monday, October 6th @ 2:15pm
Tuesday, October 7th @ 1:45pm
Wednesday, October 8th @ 1:45pm
Thursday, October 9th @ 1:45pm

Note: Wheat Kings will depart for Alberta on Thursday night

A BUSY WEEK OF DEALING:

The Wheat Kings begin the week with twenty-four players on their active roster – two goalkeepers, eight defencemen and 14 forwards, including 16-year old rookie Ty Lewis, who remains on the sidelines with an upper body injury.

Brandon coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon was busy on the phone this past week, completing two deals. On Sunday, the Wheat Kings dealt 19-year old defenceman Taylor Green to Moose Jaw for a fifth round bantam draft choice. The Port Coquitlam, B.C. product became expendable earlier in the week when Brandon and Lethbridge swung a 6-player deal.

Going from Brandon to Lethbridge were Kord Pankewicz, Ryley Lindgren and Brett Kitt. In exchange, the Wheat Kings acquired 19-year old blueliner Macoy Erkamps, Minnesota Wild prospect Reid Duke and the rights to 16-year old B.C. product Tak Anholt.

Duke and Erkamps made their Wheat King debuts this past weekend. Kitt, Lindgren and Pankewicz meanwhile led the Hurricanes to a come from behind win over Calgary in their Lethbridge debuts last Wednesday. For the ‘Canes, it was their first win of the young campaign.

SUBWAY SUPER SERIES TICKETS ON SALE NOW:

Tickets to Game 2 of the SUBWAY SUPER SERIES to be played Tuesday, November 11th at Westman Place are on sale now to the general public.

The game, which will feature some of the best junior aged prospects in the world, pits Team WHL up against Team Russia.

Tickets are on sale now at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at keystonecentre.com

INTRODUCING THE WHEAT KING CORPORATE GOOD GUY PROGRAM:

The Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings have unveiled their latest means of reaching out to the community with the debut of the “Corporate Good Guy” program.

The idea of the “Corporate Good Guy” program is for area businesses and organizations to donate Wheat Kings’ tickets to the charity of their choice so that less fortunate children throughout western Manitoba can also share in the experience of a Wheat Kings’ game.

The Wheat Kings are pleased to announce that six participating sponsors have purchased a block of one thousand tickets, to be distributed at ten designated home games. Those local partners include NET SET Communications, Manitoba Public Insurance, Pantages Salon and Spa, Assante Wealth Management and Precision Toyota.

For more information on the program or more details on how your group can benefit visit the hockey club’s official website at www.wheatkings.com or email [email protected]

FORMER WHEAT KING PENS A NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK:

A member of the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals and an ex-Brandon Wheat King is now a published author of a children’s book about a bullying bulldozer. Theidea came to him several years ago, first in the form of the title. Then he started working on story lines, finally partnering with Pamela Duncan Edwards.

The book, whose full proceeds will go to U.S. and Canadian charities, will soon be available online, at Verizon Centre in Washington as well as The Wheat Kings Team Store, located at the Keystone Centre.

“It’s about a bulldozer, all machines going to school, who’s a bit of a bully at school,” Fehr said. “And he learns that it’s not what he wants to do at the end. Pretty good story line I think.”

More details on the book, its availability and cost will be announced later this week.

BRANDON BITS:

17-year old Russian rookie Ivan Provorov currently leads the Wheat Kings and has a share of the league lead among first year players with two goals and eight points in 6 games … Other Brandon leaders through the first six games are Jesse Gabrielle (5 goals and 18 penalty minutes) … 18-year old netminder Jordan Papirny enters the week with a 2.14 goals against average and a .923 save percentage in six games … Duke had one assist while Erkamps was 0-2-2 this past weekend … By losing on Friday night, the Wheat Kings failed to open the year 5-0-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign … Brandon is averaging 5.17 goals per game this season, the highest rate in the WHL’s Eastern Conference … Rookies Nolan Patrick, Kale Clague and Tanner Kaspick were named by Hockey Canada last week to participate in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge next month in Sarnia, Ontario … 20-year old right-winger Richard Nejezchleb continues to skate with Hartford of the American Hockey league … Members of the WHL club will be travelling to Melita next week as Canadian Tire and The Construction Association of Rural Manitoba presents the first Minor Hockey Caravan visit of the 2014-15 season.

courtesy of  BrandonWheatKings.com