WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Down Silvertips

Published on October 20, 2018 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, MB. - the Brandon Wheat Kings celebrated Jordin Tootoo Night at Westoba Place Friday night with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips.

Tootoo was in in town Friday to announce his retirement from the National Hockey League and was saluted with his family before the game, drawing a long standing ovation by over 4,300 fans in attendance.

Stelio Mattheos scored three times and netminder Jiri Patera turned aside 36 shots, including twenty in the second period when he made several key saves as the Wheat Kings snapped a 2-game losing streak and improved their record to 6-1-1-1 on the season.

After jumping out to a 2-0 first period lead, the Wheat Kings and Silvertips traded four goals in the second. In the third, Mattheos rounded out the scoring when he took a pass from Linden McCorrister and buried the puck into the back of the empty net.

Local product Lynden McCallum rounded out the scoring for Brandon, with his second and third of the season while Conor Dewar and Sahuan Klaira scored goals in a losing cause for the 'Tips, who were playing their first game in Brandon in two years.

"It's a good win for our team," Brandon coach David Anning told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun following the game. "We were playing a hockey club that we played once last year and once this year and both games were very similar in that it was intense and it was an uptempo, fast-paced game. I like the way Everett plays. They do a lot of things very well."

In addition to being honoured on the ice before the game, Tootoo - who was chosen to the hockey club's All Time Team during its 50th Anniversary season in 2016-17 - signed one thousand autographs on the main concourse.

The first Inuk player to make it to the NHL, Tootoo scored 93 goals, 209 points and accumulated 874 penalty minutes in 220 career games with the Wheat Kings.

Chosen by Nashville in the fourth round (98th overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Jordin went on to play thirteen seasons in the NHL, with the Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks and had 161 points, including 65 goals in 723 career games.

"I look back and I reflect on my hockey career and the opportunities it's given me away from the game," he goes on to say. "Personally I didn't think it would go this far but I am grateful for everything that's put in front of me - it's been a tremendous ride."

The Wheat Kings will close out a 5-game home stand Saturday night against Calgary. Tickets to the game, which will feature a special salute to western Manitoba School Patrols go back on sale at 10am in the Keystone Centre box office, by calling (204) 726-3555 or online at keystonecentre.com.

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 20, 2018


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