WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Curtain goes up on WHL season tonight

Published on September 24, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, Manitoba -- The curtain goes up on the 2004-2005 Western Hockey League season tonight on seven fronts including the Keystone Centre where the Wheat Kings will play host to the visiting Regina Pats in the first of a weekend home and home series between the two teams.

Regina will host the Wheat Kings, who have won eight of their last ten home openers, on Saturday night at the Agridome in Regina.

The Keystone box office reports that close to two thousand tickets remain for tonight's Coca Cola Home Opener, which will feature special pre-game player introductions and the debut of several new contests and promotions.

As well, the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a Wheat Kings' cheering towel, compliments of M & M Meatshops and Operation ID.

20-year old defenceman Tyler Boldt will be one of several players not in the lineup for tonight's opener because of injury. He remains out with a bruised foot and is currently listed as day to day. With the former Kamloops Blazer unable to answer the call tonight, Wheat Kings' coach / general manager Kelly McCrimmon will go with captain Tim Konsorada and blueliners Andre Blanchette and Steven Later as his three overagers.

In addition to Boldt, left-winger Jamison Orr will not play due to a sore shoulder.

As for the Pats, left-winger Jordan McGillivray will sit out the first of what will be a 3-game suspension for last week's charging major that ended Mark Derlago's season before it began.

While the off-season may have seemed long for most hockey fans, it was a busy one for many young WHL players. For instance, 44 WHL players were selected at the 2004 Entry Draft in Raleigh, NC in June including eight in the top ten.

The WHL's success at the NHL draft proves that the league is one of the world's leading providers of talent for the NHL. SInce 1992, 625 players have been selected from the league, more than any other league in the world.

For other players, this summer simply meant more hockey. Six WHLers including Gilbert Brule of the Vancouver Giants and Devin Setoguchi of the Saskatoon Blades were part of Canada's team that won Gold at the Under 18 Junior World Cup in August.

Meanwhile, 25 of the 46 players that were selected to attend Hockey Canada's national junior team development camp in Calgary in August play with WHL clubs. Among them - Ryan Stone and Eric Fehr of the Brandon Wheat Kings.

In addition to tonight's clash between the Pats and Wheat Kings, opening night in the "dub" features several intriguing matchups. Among them - the Medicine Hat Tigers begin defence of their WHL championship title against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.

For a more comprehensive look at the 20 WHL clubs heading into the 2004-05 campaign, be sure to visit www.whl.ca.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from September 24, 2004


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