WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes

Published on January 21, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


BRANDON GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS will be out to snap a 3-game winless streak Friday night when they kick off a mini 2-game weekend home stand against the visiting MOOSE JAW WARRIORS.BRANDON put the brakes to a 2-game losing streak Tuesday night in SASKATOON, but a goal by RICHARD KELLY with 33 seconds remaining in the third period earned the BLADES the tie.TYLER DYCK, with his career high 25th and 26th goals of the season, led the WHEAT KINGS while RYAN STONE added a single.Rookie netminder MIKE NICHOL, in his first start since January 7th, stopped 30-33 shots for the WHEAT KINGS, who fired 51 shots on SASKATOON tender ADAM WARD.With the tie, BRANDON moved six points up on fourth place REGINA in the Eastern Division and to within three of the seventh place LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES in the Eastern Conference.The WHEAT KINGS enter the weekend with a record of 17-22-6-3.BRANDON is 11-10-3-1 at home and 6-12-3-2 on the road, with four of those road wins coming since Christmas.Before losing back to back games this past weekend on home ice, the WHEATS had gone ten games (7-0-2-1) with at least a point.BRANDON closes out this home stand on Saturday night against the CALGARY HITMEN - a club that handed the WHEAT KINGS a 7-1 drubbing on ROGERS SPORTSNET December 17th.

WHOSE HOT? RYAN STONE enters Friday's game riding a season high 8-game point scoring streak. During that time, the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS' second round draft choice is 3-9-12.Former KAMLOOPS BLAZER ERIK CHRISTENSEN has a point in eight of ten games since arriving in BRANDON. During that stretch, he is 7-8-15.WASHINGTON CAPITALS' first round draft choice ERIC FEHR has cracked the league's top ten in scoring (31-25-56). His 31 goals are fourth in the league; his 15 powerplay are third while his four shorthanded tallies are fourth in the WHL. MARK SHEFCHYK have 14 points in his last ten games. SHEFCHYK is currently 12th in the WHL with 32 assists.

MILESTONES: ERIK CHRISTENSEN recently collected his 250th career point in the WHL.Former BLADE defenceman STEVEN LATER picked up his first point - an assist - as a WHEAT KING last week in SASKATOON.JOSH HARDING is 200 minutes shy of 8,000 in his WHL career.BRANDON'S top three scorers - ERIC FEHR (31), TYLER DYCK (26) and LANCE MONYCH (24) - have career highs in goals this season.LANCE MONYCH is seven games away from 250.

THE CAPTAIN IS BACK: 19-year old TIM KONSORADA made his season debut Tuesday night in SASKATON and picked up an assist on TYLER DYCK'S third period go ahead goal.The COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS' draft choice had missed the first four months of the season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in September.A former first round bantam draft choice, T.K. is coming off a career year that saw him finish third in club scoring with 22 goals and 70 points in 72 games.

INJURY UPDATE: JEFF TOPILKO (knee) is scheduled to return to action this week.RICHARD JASOVSKY (shoulder) week.LANCE MONYCH (shoulder) is day to day.DEREK LEBLANC (shoulder) was injured in Saturday's loss to SWIFT CURRENT when he was dumped into the boards by ALEX LENTOWICH and is expected to miss at least another week.

STATISTICAL ODDS 'N ENDS: Former MIDGET AAA WHEAT KING scoring star MARK DERLAGO has moved past CODEY BURKI and into the team scoring lead for rookies (7-13-20) .BRANDON is 17-8-1 when opening the scoring.WHEATS are 1-3-6 in overtime games this year.Defencemen STEVE LATER leads BRANDON with 128 penalty minutes.ERIK CHRISTENSEN is among the WHL leaders with a +22 ranking (+6 since arriving in BRANDON last month).

DRAFTED PLAYERS: ERIC FEHR (Washington, 2003), RYAN STONE (Pittsburgh, 2003), LANCE MONYCH (Phoenix, 2002), TIM KONSORADA (Columbus, 2002), ERIK CHRISTENSEN (Pittsburgh, 2002), TYLER BOLDT (Atlanta, 2002), JOSH HARDING (Minnesota, 2002) and OLE-KRISTIAN TOLLEFSEN (Columbus, 2002).

DID YOU KNOW? BRANDON has announced plans for it's Second Annual SKILLS DAY to be held on Sunday, January 25th at the Keystone Centre. Admission is $2 with all proceeds going to the GOALS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION. Entering tonight's game vs. SASKATOON, the WHEAT KINGS powerplay is third in the league (23.2%) behind only PRINCE ALBERT and MEDICINE HAT, while it's penalty killing has been 80% efficient or fifteenth in the WHL.JOSH HARDING'S shutout last week in his "home" debut against SASKATOON made him only the third BRANDON goalie in league history to record a shutout in their debut at the Keystone. The only others were JAMIE HODSON (1997) and CHRIS OSGOOD (1991).Former SASKATOON BLADES' assistant general manager and the current play-by-play voice of the NHL's TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS will headline this year's SPORTSMAN'S DINNER to be held on Saturday, February 7th. Joining DENNIS BEYAK will be former NHL coach and general manager MARSHALL JOHNSTON, TSN football analyst GLEN SUITOR and comedian DEREK EDWARDS.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2004


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