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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Veteran Roersma Eager to Lead Next Wave of Wheat Kings

July 22, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


No one on the current roster has spent more time as a Brandon Wheat King than Rylen Roersma. With 214 games under his belt from 2021 to present, he's seen all the highs and lows a junior team can go through. Now, he wants to lead the team to a new height.

2023-24 was a breakout season for the soon-to-be 20-year-old forward, as he set a new career high in goals, more than doubled his previous career high in assists, and set a new personal best in the plus-minus category as well. And with that impressive leap under his belt, he's eager to take another step this season.

"That season was a great jumping stone for me to have a great year this upcoming season," said Roersma. "It was one of the best years of my life, we had a great group of people here. We had a lot of fun and it's only going to get better this coming season."

A lot of the players that made up that group are eligible to return, and that's an exciting prospect for Roersma on and off the ice. Off the ice, it means the return of a close-knit squad. On the ice, it means a dangerous bunch with a lot of depth and veteran savvy.

"It's always huge when you have a lot of returning players, there's that much more experience coming back for the next season," said Roersma. "That will help us for a deep playoff run. Hopefully we can really make some noise."

Roersma's optimism for the coming season seems to be shared by just about every member of the team, and both they and the staff talk about the same thing first when talking about the team's strengths: the impressive cast of returning forwards.

"I think we have a really deep forward group," said Roersma. "Lots of speed, lots of skill, it's going to be exciting to see what we can do. I think we have a good back end as well, and obviously we'll be pretty steady in net with (Ethan Eskit) and (Carson Bjarnason) in there so we're really looking forward to this season."

For Roersma, this season represents a chance that's been a long time coming. He was with the Wheat Kings in 2021 when they were the best team in the Regina-based hub but never got a chance to compete for a true league title. His second season saw the team decimated by injuries, 2022-23 was something of a rebuilding year, and last season was a definite step in the right direction but still a group that wasn't quite in their window to contend.

For the first time in Roersma's long Wheat Kings career, that window is open now and unimpeded by (touch wood) any global catastrophes. He recognizes his chance to not only win now with this group, but help shape the young players that will carry that window forward after his junior career is over.

"I think it helps a lot that I've been around this organization for a while, I know the ropes," said Roersma. "I'll have lots of confidence coming into this year and I'll be able to help the young guys coming up, we have a lot of really talented young guys coming so it'll be my job to kind of help them along the way."

For now, Roersma's goal is to come to camp having put on some lean muscle while staying light enough to maintain his speed. He's been hard at work through the offseason in his hometown of Lethbridge.

"Every hockey player enjoys a good offseason," he said. "Of course you miss the game, but it's always good to regroup and get your energy back for the coming season. I'm really looking forward to coming to Brandon and having a great year with the guys."

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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.

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