WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Kick Off Busy Weekend

January 25, 2008 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, Manitoba -- Three games in three nights. Thats the task in store for the Brandon Wheat Kings this weekend as they complete a 5-game Western Hockey League road trip.

The Wheat Kings will be hoping to snap a 2-game losing streak (0-1-0-1) Friday night when they play the Rebels in Red Deer, before closing out the weekend with games Saturday and Sunday nights in Cranbrook, B.C. and Calgary against the Kootenay Ice (28-15-4-1) and Hitmen (33-13-1-3).

Brandon's weekend assignment may be a difficult one but it does provide the Wheat Kings with a golden opportunity to close to within striking distance of top spot in both the Eastern division and Conference.

The 28-17-0-2 Wheat Kings are currently third in the division and seventh in the conference. However, they're only two points behind second place Moose Jaw and eight behind the Eastern division leading Pats, with three games in hand on Regina. As for the Conference, Brandon is one point behind 6th place Medicine Hat, three back of fourth place Kootenay and five behind Lethbridge, as a result of Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes.

Among the other seven games on Friday's WHL menu include Kootenay playing host to Prince Albert, Portland visiting Calgary, Regina facing off against the Tigers and Swift Current hosting Kelowna. The Broncos are currently occuping the eighth and final playoff spot in the Conference with a record of 24-20-0-5 and sit five points behind the Wheat Kings.

Tonight's game will be the second for 20-year old captain Daryl Boyle, who returned to the Wheat Kings' lineup on Wednesday after missing seven games with a shoulder problem. The Wheat Kings, who have lost 67 "man games" to injury this season, are still without veterans Andrew Clark and Daniel Bartek. While Clark is out indefinitely with a broken leg, Bartek is listed as day to day with a sore knee.

While Brandon is currently 2-0-0 vs. Red Deer and Kootenay this season, the Wheat Kings will be entering Sunday night's game at the Pengrowth Saddledome, hoping to beat the Hitmen for the first time this year (0-2-0).

Winners of one of their last 5 games (1-3-0-1), the Wheat Kings have scored eleven goals during that span, while giving up 19. In their last ten, they're one game under the .500 mark at 4-5-0-1.

The Wheat Kings begin the weekend with two players currently averaging a point per game this season - veteran Tyler Dittmer and 16-year old rookie Brayden Schenn. A 20-year old local product, Dittmer has 28 goals and 49 points in 47 games while Schenn, the club's first round pick in last year's WHL bantam draft has 19 goals and 43 points in 42 games and is one of three Wheat King rookies currently in the top five in scoring among first year players in the WHL.

Shenn is third - behind 18-year old Jamie Benn of Kelowna (60) and Calgary's 19-year old T.J. Galiardi (44) - while Calvert is fourth (15-24-39) and Glennis is 5th (13-18-31).

The Wheat Kings are currently in the middle of a stretch of games that sees them play seven of 9 games on the road. Following the weekend, Brandon returns home to the friendly confines of Westman Communications Group Place to host the Rebels on Friday, February 1st.

Tickets to Friday's game, sponsored by Husky and Mohawk, are on sale now at the Keystone box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at ticketmaster.ca.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 25, 2008


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