WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes

Published on January 29, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


BRANDON GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS play game three of a 4-game Western Hockey League road trip Friday night in SWIFT CURRENT against the Central Division leading BRONCOS.BRANDON will be out to snap a 2-game slide after dropping back to back games this week in MOOSE JAW and REGINA.Tuesday night, the WARRIORS scored three unanswered second period goals to beat the WHEAT KINGS 5-1 and move into a first place tie with PRINCE ALBERT in the Eastern Division.The following night, the fourth place PATS outworked and outshot the WHEAT KINGS to the tune of 34-22 en route to a 3-2 victory over BRANDON, spoiling a homecoming of sorts for 19-year old goalkeeper JOSH HARDING.MARK SHEFCHYK and TIM KONSORADA, with his first of the season, scored in a losing cause for the WHEAT KINGS, who has won just one of their last eight games, BRANDON has fallen seven games under the .500 mark for the first time this season and one game below .500 since the December Christmas break.BRANDON is currently sitting in third place in the Division - six points ahead of REGINA, with a disappointing record of 18-25-6-3.The WHEATS are 12-11-3-1 at home and 6-14-3-2 on the road, with four of those road wins coming since Christmas.BRANDON will close out this grueling 4-game in five night road trip Saturday night in MEDICINE HAT, before returning home to face off against the TIGERS Wednesday night at the Keystone.Wednesday night is also the second last RAIN CHECK game of the 2003-04 regular season.

HARDING'S HOMECOMING: Wednesday's game in REGINA was the first time since the January 7th trade between BRANDON and REGINA that 19-year old netminder JOSH HARDING took to the Agridome Ice wearing a WHEAT KINGS' jersey.Last year's WHL Player of the Year and Top Goaltender played two and a half seasons with the PATS and the second round draft choice of the NHL's MINNESOTA WILD is the franchise leader with nine shutouts.His 10th career shutout came on January 10th in his "home" debut for the WHEAT KINGS, blocking 17 shots in a 6-0 victory over SASKATOON.Since joining the WHEATS, the Regina product has played in ten of 11 games, posting a 4-6-0 record, a 3.07 goals against average and one shutout.HARDING continues to lead the Eastern Conference with a .911 save percentage.

WHERE'S THE OFFENCE: For a team that returned after Christmas and scored eight goals against REGINA on December 27th and went on a ten game points streak (7-0-2-1), the WHEAT KINGS have suddenly hit a dry spell when it comes to scoring goals.Not only has the club scored just six even strength goals during the past seven games, they're 0-12 with the man advantage through the first two games of this 4-game excursion.

INJURY UPDATE: JEFF TOPILKO (knee) and DEREK LEBLANC (shoulder) returned to the lineup in the past week.Veteran defenceman OLE-KRISTIAN TOLLEFSEN sustained a bruised sternum in SASKATOON last Tuesday and will miss at least the next two weeks. Another defenceman - newly acquired STEVEN LATER suffered a shoulder injury Friday night and is out indefinitely.RICHARD JASOVSKY and LANCE MONYCH are listed as day to day with shoulder problems.

THE CAPTAIN RETURNS: 19-year old TIM KONSORADA returned to the BRANDON lineup last week after undergoing shoulder surgery in September and missing the first four months of the regular season.A former first round bantam draft choice, T.K. finished third in club scoring last season with 22 goals and 70 points in 72 games.T.K. is 1-3-4 in five games this season, moving him to within five points of 150 in his WHL career.

WHOSE HOT? RYAN STONE had his career high 10-game point scoring streak snapped Tuesday night in MOOSE JAW. During that stretch, the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS' second round draft choice was 4-12-16. Stone has at least a point in 11 of his last twelve games (4-13-17).WASHINGTON CAPITALS' first round draft choice ERIC FEHR has cracked the league's top ten (32-28-60).

MILESTONES: 16-year old rookie defenceman MARK LOUIS picked up his first ever WHL poing Friday night, assisting on ERIC FEHR'S second period goal against the WARRIORS.Former BLADE defenceman STEVEN LATER picked up his first point - an assist - as a WHEAT KING last week in SASKATOON.JOSH HARDING surpassed the 8,000 minute mark in his WHL career Wednesday in REGINA.BRANDON'S top three scorers - ERIC FEHR (32), TYLER DYCK (26) and LANCE MONYCH (24) - have career highs in goals this season.LANCE MONYCH is seven games away from 250.

STATISTICAL ODDS 'N ENDS: Former MIDGET AAA WHEAT KING scoring star MARK DERLAGO leads BRANDON'S rookie scoring (7-14-21) .BRANDON is 16-8-2 when opening the scoring but when the opposition opens the scoring, the WHEATS are 1-16-3-3.WHEATS are 2-3-6 in overtime games this year.Defencemen JON WEBB leads BRANDON with 134 penalty minutes.Overage center TYLER DYCK has moved to within two goals of the league lead in powerplay goals (16).

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? JOSH HARDING'S shutout two weeks ago 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).TYLER DYCK captured the second segment in the MOLSON CUP 3 STAR PROGRAM.WHITE TEAM captured six of the seven events Sunday to win the 2nd ANNUAL SKILLS DAY. Individual winners included REAGAN LESLIE (Rapid Fire), TIM KONSORADA (Accuracy), MARK LOUIS (Breakaway Shootout), ERIC FEHR (Hardest Shot) and JEFF TOPILKO (Fastest Skater).$1,470 was raised for the BRANDON YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION during the 5th Annual RBC TOONIE TOSS at Friday's game vs. MOOSE JAW.Former SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDER GLEN SUITOR, MAPLE LEAFS' play-by-play announcer DENNIS BEYAK and former OTTAWA SENATORS' GM MARSHALL JOHNSTON headline this year's SPORTSMAN'S DINNER to be held on

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 29, 2004


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