WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Poised for Pats

Published on March 16, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Regina, SK. -- There will be a lot on the line at the Brandt Centre in Regina when the hometown Pats play host to the Brandon Wheat Kings in the opening game of a weekend home and home series to close the 2011-12 Western Hockey League season.

These two teams will bring the curtain down on the regular season on Saturday night in Brandon as the Wheat Kings and Westman Place host the hockey club's annualAwards Night.

Entering weekend play, the Wheat Kings hope to take care of business and therefore move up in the WHL's Eastern Conference standings. Going into Friday's game Brandon sits in the eighth and final playoff spot and staring at the possibility of facing the league leading Edmonton Oil Kings in the opening round of post-season play. However, the Wheat Kings are just two points back of both Kootenay and Saskatoon and three behind the fifth place Pats and could finish as high as fifth place.

While Brandon takes on Regina in back to back games this weekend, the defending champion Ice meet the Calgary Hitmen in a home and home series and Saskatoon goes up against the Swift Current Broncos in back to back games to close the season.

Because the 37-28-1-4 Wheat Kings could wind up anywhere from fifth to eighth in the conference, they still don't have any idea of who they will be facing in the best of seven Eastern quarterfinals. Besides the Oil Kings, Brandon could be facing Moose Jaw, Calgary or Medicine Hat.

Brandon coachCory Clouston knows the importance of the weekend series, but toldRob Henderson of theBrandon Sun that the immediate focus is the opener tonight in Regina.

"Our focus is basically on (Friday) night's game, not on Saturday's game and we're trying to worry about the process," he said. "We know what the standings are, we know what's ahead of us. We're just trying to focus on the task, not the outcome."

This weekend's series will be the fourth and fifth meetings between the Wheat Kings and Pats in the past month. Brandon has won four of the first six.

Through the first six games of the season series, the line ofMichael Ferland, Mark Stone andBrenden Walker have been dominant, teaming for 22 points. A Calgary Flames' prospect, Ferland leads the club with six goals and 10 points against the Pats.

Leading the Pats meanwhile has beenChandler Stephenson andJordan Weal with seven points each.

Weal is currently one point behind Stone in the overall WHL scoring race with 116 points. The Brandon captain is tied with Portland'sTy Rattie for second place with 117 points, including 39 goals.

Tickets to Saturday's game are on sale now at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at ticketmaster.ca

Saturday's game will be Brandon's last game at Westman Place until after theRoyal Manitoba Winter Fair. Due to the annual show later this month, the Wheat Kings will play their first two playoff home games at Winnipeg'sMTS Centre. While the dates for these two games have not been confirmed, tickets will go on sale at all Ticketmater locations on Monday morning.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2012


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