Sports stats



WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Start States Swing against Tri City, Spokane

October 13, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Despite putting three cities three hotels, hundreds of miles, and an international boarder behind them, the Brandon Wheat Kings are in high spirits as they begin the U.S. leg of their longest road trip of the season. Given how the first leg of their journey went, you can hardly blame them.

The Wheat Kings emerged victorious in an instant classic with the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday, October 11. Nate Danielson scored the only goal of the game in overtime, and Carson Bjarnason was stellar with 36 saves. As a team, the Wheat Kings battled hard against the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes.

"It was nice to win a low-scoring game," said head coach and GM Marty Murray. "We had to battle for 64 minutes and sometimes that's what it takes. Both goaltenders played exceptionally well."

For almost all of the Wheat Kings, this will be the first trip south of the border for hockey in their WHL careers. Only forward Jayden Wiens, who was then with the Saskatoon Blades, has made this trip before.

"These kids kind of went through the COVID period of their careers and haven't had the opportunity to play in the U.S. Division," Murray said. "It'll be a fun experience for them. It's a little different with the vibe, the atmosphere in these arenas. I think the guys will enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to it."

As for their first batch of opponents, the Tri City Americans and Spokane Chiefs haven't been quite as busy on the young season as the Wheat Kings have. Tri City has played only four games and have won three of them. Of particularly impressive note, goaltender Lukas Matecha comes in with a stirling .972 save percentage and a goals against average of only 1.00.

Also of note, the Americans boast a physically imposing group. Their entire defense corps is at least 6-foot-1, and only one member (Pasha Bocharov) is that height. The rest are at least 6-foot-2.

Spokane has been the busier of the two opponents with a 3-3 record through six games. They're bolstered by probably top-ten NHL pick Berkly Catton. He leads their forwards with 9 points in 6 games, though defenseman Brayden Crampton leads overall with 10 points.

Friday's game in Kennewick will begin at 7:05 local time, while the next night in Spokane will start at 6:05.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from October 13, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Brandon Wheat Kings Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central