WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings game notes

Published on September 22, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


The WHEAT KINGS will be hoping to kick off the 2004-2005 Western Hockey League season on a positive note Friday night when they play host to the visiting REGINA PATS in the first of a home and home weekend series between the two clubs.BRANDON will visit the Agridome in REGINA on Saturday.The WHEAT KINGS are coming off an up and down 2003-04 campaign - a season that saw them finish in third place in the WHL's Eastern Division with a record of 28-32-9-3.BRANDON did however finish strongly, going 7-2-1 in it's final ten regular season games and upsetting the heavily favored PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS in the opening round of the playoffs, before bowing out to the MEDICINE HAT TIGERS four games to one in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.Not including last year's post season play, the WHEATIES enter tonight's game riding a 5-game regular season winning streak. The WHEAT KINGS haven't lost a regular season game since February 29th against the PATS.Among the seven players missing from last year's club are goalkeeper JOSH HARDING, all star left-winger LANCE MONYCH as well as the likes of ERIK CHRISTENSEN, TYLER DYCK, RICHARD JASOVSKY and defenceman REAGAN LESLIE.Entering tonight's game, the WHEAT KINGS, who defeated MOOSE JAW 6-1 in last year's Coca Cola home opener, have 27 players on their roster including ten WHL rookies.

WHEATIES WITHOUT DERLAGO: The WHEAT KINGS will be without 18-year old left-winger MARK DERLAGO for the entire 2004-05 campaign, after the former Manitoba AAA Midget League scoring star fractured his second vertebrae during last Saturday's pre-season loss to REGINA, when he was struck by an illegal check from the PATS" JORDAN MCGILLIVRAY.A nephew of former WHEAT KINGS' scoring star BILL DERLAGO, MARK was BRANDON'S CKX Television Rookie of the Year last season after finishing with 28 points (8-20-28) in 65 games.

PRE-SEASON REVISITED: BRANDON was 1-3-0 in four pre-season games this month.The WHEAT KINGS only win came against MOOSE JAW (3-2 in overtime on September 10th).During the four games, the WHEATS were outscored to the tune of 15-10.Center RYAN STONE led the club in pre-season scoring (2-3-5).Rookie TYLER PLANTE was 1-1-0 with a 2.99 goals against average and an .897 save percentage.

WHEAT KING INJURIES: In addition to DERLAGO, several members of the club are nursing various bumps and bruises - TYLER BOLDT (foot), TYLER DITTMER (concussion), RYAN REAVES (groin) and 16-year old rookie defenceman MIKE CANN (groin) - day to day.

A LOOK AT THE NEW FACES: Among the new faces on this year's team is 18-year old left-winger JAMISON ORR, who was 3-0-3 in 35 games with LETHBRIDGE last season, 16-year old defenceman MIKE CANN, who was the WHEAT KINGS' first round selection in the 2003 WHL bantam draft and 17-year old power forward RYAN REAVES, who led ST. JOHN'S RAVENSCOURT to the provincial High School Championship last winter.

MILESTONES: Captain TIM KONSORADA enters the season, needing ten games to reach the 250-game plateau in his WHL career.Former KAMLOOPS BLAZER TYLER BOLDT is 35 games away from 300...RYAN STONE needs nine more points to reach 150 in his career.

BRANDON BITS: WHEAT KINGS lost back to back pre-season games to REGINA last weekend.BRANDON opens the regular season with four local products on it's active roster - DEREK LEBLANC, MIKE NICHOL, TYLER DITTMER and 17-yearold goalkeeper TYLER PLANTE.Friday's ceremonial opening face-off will be conducted by 2PPCLI Commanding Officer Lt. Col. STUART SHARPE.

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Western Hockey League Stories from September 22, 2004


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