WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Set for First Road Trip of 2018-19

October 5, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Moose Jaw, SK. - The Brandon Wheat Kings will be spending part of the Thanksgiving long weekend on the road.

The Wheat Kings will kick off a 2-game Saskatchewan road trip Friday night in Moose Jaw, before traveling to Regina to meet the Pats on Saturday night.

Brandon is currently 3-0-0 on the season, thanks to a sweep of their season opening home and home series with the Warriors. Friday's game will be the Wheat Kings second in Moose Jaw in less than two weeks. In fact, Brandon and Moose Jaw will meet four times in the first three weeks of the 2018-19 regular season. The Warriors will be back in Brandon next Friday when the Wheat Kings kick off a 5-game homestand at Westoba Place.

"We're facing Moose Jaw for the third time this year so that's a challenge in and of itself," Wheat Kings head coach David Anning told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun this week. "It's a different situation to face a team that many times to start the season so obviously we know what to expect and they know what to expect so we're going to have make sure that we make the necessary adjustments and make sure that we're ready to play. Both games, if you look back to the opening weekend, were hard-fought, close-checking tight games that required a good effort."

Friday's game will be Brandon's first since last Saturday's 8-4 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes - a game that saw former Warrior Luka Burzan explode for five goals and six points.

Burzan, who was acquired from Moose Jaw last January in the Kale Clague blockbuster, is one of two former Warriors on Brandon's current roster. Joining him is veteran defenceman Chase Hartje.

While the Warriors have lost a number of key players from last year's regular season pennant winners, the Pats have seen the graduation of such stars as Sam Steel, Matt Bradley and Emil Oksanen.

The Pats, who play host to the Swift Current Broncos on Friday, are still looking for their first win of the young season.

"We haven't seen them yet this year," Anning said when the conversation switched to the Pats.. "It's never an easy building to play in. They're a team that is always organized and we fully expect that they're going to be an honest, hard-working team. It's a tough road game. They're both divisional games, so it's a big weekend for us."

A former first round bantam draft choice who is eligible for the 2019 National Hockey League draft, Burzan leads the Wheat Kings with six goals and 8 points through the team's first three games. Captain Stelio Mattheos is next with two goals and 5 points and defenceman Schael Higson with four points, including a game winning goal.

Following the weekend the Wheat Kings will return home to host Moose Jaw and Swift Current next weekend.

Friday's game is the annual "Drive Away Hunger Night", in support of the Samaritan House and presented by Heritage Co-op and Farm Credit Canada.

Tickets to all remaining Wheat Kings' games are on sale now at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling (204) 726-3555 or online at keystonecentre.com.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from October 5, 2018


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