WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Patrick Is a Wheat King

Published on May 2, 2013 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Calgary, Alberta - The 2013 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft is underway and the Brandon Wheat Kings, with the fourth overall selection, opted for a power forward with some excellent bloodlines, in 6'1" 170 lb center Nolan Patrick of the Winnipeg Hawks.

Son of former Brandon Wheat King Steve Patrick, Nolan led Division 1 of the Winnipeg AAA Bantam Hockey League with 75 points, despite playing only nineteen of the team's 30 games this season.

Landing a player of Patrick's calibre made Wheat Kings' general manager Kelly McCrimmon a happy man this morning.

"Nolan is a tremendous player," McCrimmon says. "He does posess a lot of room for development...but we think he's going to continue to improve and be a great junior and certainly a successful pro."

According to Hockey Prospects founder Tyler Neisz, the Wheat Kings have landed a player with outstanding upside.

"He has very high-end offensive skill for a big player and his skating is improving all the time," says Neisz. "He has the best pro potential of any player in this draft according to many in the scouting world."

Patrick becomes the highest drafted Wheat King since Brandon chose Edmonton's Darren Van Oene second overall in 1993. Nolan's father Steve played three years with the Wheat Kings - from 1978 to '81. A former first round draft choice of the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres, Patrick played six years in the NHL. In addition to the Sabres, he saw duty with both the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.

In 250 career NHL games, Patrick scored 40 goals and 108 points. As a Wheat King, he had 179 points including 80 goals in 157 career games.

The Wheat Kings will be busy this morning as they have one more first round pick, three of the first 25 and five of the first 59 selections.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from May 2, 2013


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