WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings game notes

Published on January 2, 2006 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS will be out to snap a 2-game losing streak Friday night when they kick off a pivotal 3-game in three night Western Hockey League weekend against the visiting LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES..After opening up their post-Christmas schedule with an impressive 6-2 victory over REGINA on December 27th, the WHEATS dropped two games on the road last weekend - 4-3 in PRINCE ALBERT on Friday and 4-2 in SASKATOON on New Years Day.MARK DERLAGO scored twice in a losing cause on Friday while captain TEEGAN MOORE had both goals against the BLADES on Sunday.BRANDON enters Friday's game with a record of 11-21-4-1, good for 27 points and last in the WHL's Eastern Division..At home, BRANDON is 8-7-3 while on the road the WHEAT KINGS are 3-14-1-1.BRANDON finished the month of December with a record of 5-4-0, which represents their first "winning" month of the 2005-06 campaign..WHEATS are .500 (5-5-0) in their last ten games.Following Friday's game, the WHEAT KINGS will hit the road for games in PRINCE ALBERT on Saturday and back to SASKATOON on Sunday night.

NICE START TO WHL CAREER: BRANDON LOCKERBY made his WHL debut last Tuesday night, scoring his first ever WHL goal against REGINA.A member of the 2004 National Midget Champion AAA WHEAT KINGS, LOCKERBY was a seventh round draft choice of the WHEAT KINGS in the 2003 bantam draft. He's currently 19-16-35 in 23 games with the AAA midgets.

OTHER MILESTONES: KURT JORY picked up his first ever WHL shutout in a 2-0 BRANDON win over RED DEER on December 16th.RILEY DAY played in his 200th career WHL game on December 9th.

WHO IS HOT? Left-winger MARK DERLAGO has four goals in his last three games, giving him a career high of 12 on the season, and the team lead - one ahead of both CODEY BURKI and DEREK LEBLANC.BURKI leads the club in scoring (11-14-25).TYLER PLANTE is 4-5-2 with a 2.88 goals against average in his last eleven starts, improving his overall goals against average to 3.90 on the season.KURT JORY is 2-0 in his last two starts and has posted an impressive 0.97 goals against average during those two games.

INJURIES: The WHEAT KINGS hope to have veteran center JEFF TOPILKO back in the lineup Friday night vs. LETHBRIDGE. The former first round bantam draft choice has been out since October with a broken leg.Others on the mend include TYLER STRAUTMAN (shoulder) and DEREK LEBLANC (ankle). Both are listed as day to day.WHEAT KINGS have lost 121 man games to injury during the 2005-06 campaign.

BRANDON BITS: BRANDON is 4-12-0 in one-goal games this season..CODEY BURKI is ranked 5th among WHL draft eligible players by CENTRAL SCOUTING. Both MATT HALLICK and KEITH AULIE will rejoin the team this weekend after playing for TEAM PACIFIC and WESTERN respectively at the WORLD UNDER 17 CHAMPIONSHIPS in REGINA.WHEAT KINGS are averaging less than 3,100 fans per home game this year.BRANDON'S special teams are currently ranked 19th (penalty killing) and 20th (powerplay) this season.Defenceman RILEY DAY is currently among league leaders with 113 penalty minutes.Friday night is FAMILY SKATE NIGHT at the Keystone Centre - presented by THE FARM and THE HOME DEPOT.Tickets are limited for the 2006 CKLQ WHEAT KINGS' SPORTSMAN'S DINNER, scheduled for Sat. Feb. 4th. Speakers include DENNIS HULL, comedian RON JAMES and former WHEAT KINGS' captain KEVIN CHEVELDAYOFF, who is currently serving as the general manager of the American Hockey League's CHICAGO WOLVES...Performing the national anthem on Friday will be Brandon's own Canadian Idol CAROLYN BURGOYNE.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2006


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