WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

MSBL president to be recognized Wednesday

Published on January 31, 2007 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, Manitoba -- The man instrumental in the success of the 2006 Canadian Senior Baseball Championships in Brandon will be recognized during Wednesday's Western Hockey League game between the Wheat Kings and visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Keystone Centre.

The Wheat Kings have announced that Manitoba Senior Baseball League President Barry Wowk has been chosen January's winner of the Manitoba Blue Cross Performer of the Month.

Making tonight's presentation during the first intermission will be Manitoba Blue Cross Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Ken Hildahl.

Wowk's efforts at last summer's national senior baseball championship served to highlight his passion for a game that he's played for the better part of five decades. A provincial intermediate champion with the Angusville Cardinals, Wowk was the face behind the national tournament and a key reason that the city has landed the 2008 tournament as well.

Manitoba Blue Cross is a not-for-profit organization. Since it was established in 1974, it has been dediated to improving the well being and quality of life of Manitobans by offering essential services within the supplementary health care and travel benefit fields.

The Wheat Kings enter Wednesday's game riding a 2-game win streak after back to back victories in Calgary and Cranbrook this past weekend. Brandon is currently 27-17-2-6 on the season, good for top spot in the WHL's Eastern Division, eleven points up on the second place Regina Pats. As for the Conference, Brandon is in third place, twelve points behind second place Kootenay and four ahead of the Calgary Hitmen.

The Wheat Kings are currently 7-4-0-1 this month - a month that sees the Eastern Division leaders play eight of 13 games on the road. Leading the club has been veteran netminder Tyler Plante, defenceman Daryl Boyle and captain Mark Derlago. While Derlago and Boyle lead the team with 9 points this month, Plante has compiled a 5-2-0-1 record, a superb 1.58 goals against average and a .944 save percentage in eight appearances. As well, the Florida Panthers' second round draft choice had two shutouts, giving him a franchise record ten in his career. His last shutout came on Sunday when he backstopped the Wheat Kings to a 3-0 victory over the Ice.

Plante also became only the third goalkeeper in frachise history to play in 150 career games when he took to the ice in Cranbrook. The former WHL Rookie of the Year joins Glen Hanlon (172) and Byron Penstock (158).

Wednesday's game is a 7 p.m. star and is Rain Check Day at the Keystone, which means any unused ticket can be exchanged at the box office for this game.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2007


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