WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Brandon Wheat Kings Insider: Scouting Report

Published on March 20, 2008 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


3/21/2008: Brandon Wheat Kings @ Brandon

20:00, Keystone Centre

PLAYOFF GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS and HURRICANES kick off their best of 7 WHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series Friday...BRANDON is in the playoffs for the 15th time in the past sixteen years...WHEAT KINGS finished the season in second place in the East Division and sixth in the Conference with a record of 42-24-3-3, good for 90 points - one more victory than they had last season when they captured the Eastern Division pennant...This year marked the fifth time in the past 7 years that the WHEAT KINGS have reached the 40-win plateau...At home, BRANDON compiled an impressive 26-9-1-0 record (second only to the REGINA PATS in the Eastern Conference) and enter post-season play having won six straight on home ice and eleven of their last 13 (11-1-1-0) ...On the road, the WHEAT K INGS were 16-15-2-3...Winless in their last six (0-4-1-1) games away from home...Last road win came on February 20th (4-3 OT win over GIANTS in VANCOUVER)...During the regular season, BRANDON was 15-10-1-0 vs. Central Division teams...2-3-0 vs. LETHBRIDGE (1-2-0 at the Enmax Centre)...BRANDON was 4-2-1-1 in March and 6-2-1-1 mark in their last ten regular season games...BRANDON scored 253 goals (3.51/game) this year (3rd in the WHL) while giving up 209 (2.90/game)...Following Game two Saturday night, the series will shift to BRANDON for games three, four and five on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights.

VS. LETHBRIDGE: In the last game played between these two teams, BRANDON blanked the ‘CANES 4-0 on February 29th...BRANDON'S victory in LETHBRIDGE came on Oct. 6th 2007...During the 5-game season series, the WHEAT KINGS outscored the ‘CANES 17-14...ANDREW CLARK (2-6-8) led BRANDON in scoring against LETHBRIDGE this season while netminder JOE CALIGIURI was 2-2-0 with a 2.68 goals against average and an .881 save percentage.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: In 20 playoff games between BRANDON and LETHBRIDGE (Hurricanes and Broncos), the WHEAT KINGS have won eighteen of them...That includes four playoff series and a 3-team round robin affair in 1978-79...The last time that the WHEAT KINGS met the ‘CANES in post-season play was 1997-98 when BRANDON swept the best of seven opening round series 4-0...At least nine WHEAT KINGS will be tasting WHL playoff hockey for the first time...BRANDON'S active playoff leaders include captain DARYL BOYLE (41 games, 9 assists and 11 points), ANDREW CLARK (4 goals) and THERAN YEO (46 penalty minutes).

BOYLE, SCHENN HONOURED: 16-year old BRAYDEN SCHENN has been named the Eastern Conference Finalist for WHL Rookie of the Year, after leading the club and all first year players in the league in scoring with 28 goals and 71 points in 66 games...BOYLE was named to the Eastern Conference Second All Star Team, finishing the year as the 19th highest scoring blueliner (10-31-41).

BRANDON BITS: SCHENN was 4-6 in OT Shootouts this season (4th best in the WHL). He was second among rookies in goals (28), assists (43) and 6th in GWG (5)...Schenn became the first rookie since RON CHIPPERFIELD in 1970-71 to lead the WHEAT KINGS in scoring...Linemates MATT CALVERT (24-40-64) and SCOTT GLENNIE (26-32-58) finished 4th and 5th in rookie scoring...CALVERT was third in assists (40), 7th in SHG (3) and 5th in plus minus (+26)...GLENNIE was 3rd in goals (26)...Netminders JOE CALIGIURI and ANDREW HAYES teamed up for 7 shutouts, a franchise Single Season high...CALIGIURI finished with 30 wins (5th in the WHL)...DARYL BOYLE finished his 4-year WHL career with 100 assists...Coach and GM KELLY MCCRIMMON recorded his 200th career coaching win last Saturday vs. REGINA...Veteran LW TYLER DITTMER was 18th in goals (32) this season...JAY FEHR was 15th in GWG (6)...Defenceman MATT MCCUE was 7th in the WHL with 195 minutes in penalties...Linemates ANDREW CLARK and MATT LOWRY enjoyed 10-game point scoring streaks this past season to lead the team...BRANDON'S PP was 17th (16.5%) while its PK was 6th (84.2%)...WHEAT KINGS were 5-3-3 in OT and 15-11-2-3 in games decided by a goal.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central