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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Look for Improvements from Veteran Defense

September 1, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


The Brandon Wheat Kings will simply be looking for a lot more from their blue-liners this season.

With seven returning veterans, an area of weakness at times last season following the 2022 graduation of Vincent Iorio and Chad Nychuk will need to be significantly more consistent this season for the team to enjoy much success.

The veterans include 20-year Kayden Sadhra-Kang, 19-year-olds Andrei Malyavin, Luke Shipley and Zach Turner, 18-year-old Quinn Mantei and Eastyn Mannix and 17-year-old Charlie Elick.

Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Luke Shipley joined the Brandon Wheat Kings after a deal with the Victoria Royals last November. He will be counted on in his 19-year-old season. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)

The conversation begins with Mantei, the six-foot, 179-pound Weyburn product who suffered an injury in the summer of 2022 that restricted his training, but overcame it to become his team's most consistent defender.

"I thought he really, really became a defenceman who is in the conversation with some of the best in our conference in the last half of the year," Murray said. "I thought a light switch went off at Christmas for him. He came back and was outstanding. I thought he was very, very consistent in the second half of the year, and as a 17-year-old, I thought he played beyond his years last year. There's no question he will be a key cog in our D corps this year. Quinn played against the other team's top line."

After the acquisition of Sadhra-Kang on Jan. 9 in a trade for overager Mason Ward, Mantei teamed up with his new defensive partner to play a shutdown role the rest of the year.

Murray said the night that neatly encapsulates Mantei's value to the team came on Feb. 24 in a 4-3 loss to the Regina Pats in front of a sold-out Westoba Place when he was tasked with playing against Connor Bedard. While the young superstar scored a late winner on a deflection, Mantei held him to just three shots.

"He did a heckuva job against him," Murray said. "He was like a wet blanket on him all night and kept him in check. I'm real encouraged by him, and I think he's had a good summer as far as summer. He was maybe a little limited last summer with an inner groin thing. I think that maybe set him back a little, and this summer he's going to come back healthy and in tip-top shape.

"He should be a real upper-tier defenceman in the league this year."

Camp opens on Friday at Westoba Place, with the annual Black and Gold game set for Monday afternoon at J&G Homes Arena.

The pressure will also be on the 19-year-olds Malyavin and Shipley to keep the puck out of their own net. Murray liked what both had to offer last year but wants more consistency from them this season.

"Both Shipley and Malyavin adopted the defence-first mentality and I think they're both going to get the offensive opportunity to produce, but as a D-corps, we really want to focus on keeping the puck out of the net and make sure guys understand that shouldn't take away from offence either," Murray said. "We have to have a defence-first mentality and get the puck out of our zone, and once we do, let's get up in the play and use your strength as an offensive defenceman."

Two of the unknowns are Turner and Mannix, both of whom were frequent healthy scratches last season, although Mannix was a rookie at 17. But the clock is ticking on both to make an impression, and the pre-season will be an important litmus test.

"The time is now," Murray said. "We have some young prospects coming up who are looking for jobs. You have to do something to separate yourself from the pack. It's not just being OK with being here.

"You have to do something separate yourself and those are guys who have to decide from within if they want to get out of the seven-eight D role and work their way up."

Elick enters his draft year after winning gold with Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

He came in burdened with the expectations and memories of the team's last highly touted young blue-liner - current New York Rangers defenceman Braden Schneider - but the two are very different players. While Schneider showed an incredible defensive poise and physical presence as a rookie and soon earned a spot on the top pairing, Elick's strength lies in his offence.

Murray noted the league isn't easy at 16, adding forwards can get away with mistakes that defenceman and goalies can't because there are layers behind them.

"If a defenceman or a goalie makes a mistake, everyone in the rink sees it," Murray said. "It's that consistency piece. Charlie had a real strong Hlinka. Being named one of the top six defencemen in Canada for his age group makes us realize we have something that is pretty good here.

"With the consistency, he has to keep it simple and not complicate it too much with the puck. Let's get the puck moving forward but he has the stature as a 17-year-old of a 19- or 20-year-old, he's a big physical defenceman.

"I know there is a lot of hype about him leading into the NHL draft next summer, but Charlie just has to play his game and not worry about the pressure and just be Charlie Elick and have that consistency night in and night out."

Among the signed prospects looking for jobs are 16-year-old Emerson Clark and Gradey Hope. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Dennis (2005), seventeen-year-olds Evan Lambert, Ethan Gonyeau of Texas and Dylan Ronald plus 16-year-old Tao Flory are also in the conversation.

A wildcard is WHL veteran defenceman Tre Fouquette, a former Prince Albert Raider who is 19 and attending camp on a free agent tryout. He spent last season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

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