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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Walleye this Week: Walleye Return Home to Host Regina

November 29, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


As the midway mark of the 2023-24 season nears and the standings begin to take shape, some games start to take on a greater importance. Because of their division rivalry, however, games between the Wheat City Walleye and Regina Pats always have a little extra importance.

The Walleye return home after a four-game slog of road trip that ended on a high note against the Prince Albert Raiders as they downed their division rivals 3-1. On several fronts, it was an important game for the team to win, even if the deck was stacked against them thanks to some unfriendly travel.

"That was big," said head coach and GM Marty Murray. "We talked about the importance of at least going .500 on the road trip, and it was a pretty grueling one at that. I was really pleased with the effort, not only to get the win but the way we played for 60 minutes was encouraging."

Because the tilt with Regina is their lone contest of the week, it becomes especially important for the Walleye to keep pace in the standings. Most of the teams around them hold games in hand, and several of those teams will use at least one of those games this coming weekend.

"Every game now is critical," Murray said. "We're still in the first half of the season but we all know how tight the standings are and for us to play well and give ourselves a chance to win on Friday is the goal"

The good news is, the Walleye not only gained some momentum from their last win over the Raiders, but they've found some stability between the pipes as well. When Carson Bjarnason was unable to play due to illness, Ethan Eskit stepped in and gave the team all the saves they needed to win. His victory over Prince Albert was the culmination of a stellar road trip for the young netminder, who took WHL Rookie of the Week honors for his effort.

"Ethan was really strong, and even the game he played before that in Regina I thought he played well," said Murray. "He gave us a chance to win, and really seems to be coming into his own. I thought all three appearances he had on the road trip were very strong, and you can see the confidence in our group playing in front of him."

Puck drop between the Walleye and Pats is 7:00 on Friday, December 1.

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