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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings to Battle Warriors

March 3, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, MB. - The Brandon Wheat Kings will be hoping to close out a mini 2-game Western Hockey League home stand on a winning note Friday night when they play host to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.

Fresh off Wednesday's 12-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades, the Wheat Kings begin the weekend sitting tied with Lethbridge atop the WHL's Eastern Conference with a record of 40-18-4-2.

Friday's game will be the sixth meeting of the season between the two teams, with Brandon having won four of the first five. In fact, the Wheat Kings and Warriors will play one another three more times this year and both clubs only have eight regular season games remaining.

Friday's game will be the first of another three-in-three for the Wheat Kings, who will play back in Moose Jaw on Saturday night before playing the Pats in Regina on Sunday night.

The Warriors meanwhile enter the weekend series with Brandon sitting in sixth place in the Conference with a record of 33-23-7-1. Moose Jaw trails both Calgary and Prince Albert by two points, with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

With their sights set on finishing first in the Conference for the second year in a row, veteran defenceman Mitch Wheaton says the club needs to bring it's A-game down the stretch.

"It's tough," Wheaton told the Brandon Sun recently. "One night you'll play your best hockey and you'll think 'Holy, where has this team been?' and then the next night we'll go out there - saying in the room that we can't have a letdown after the night we had before - and that happens. We're really working on that."

While the Wheat Kings enter March as the league's highest scoring team with 270 goals in 64 games, the Warriors boast the WHL's goal scoring leader in Dryden Hunt. The former Regina Pat has scored 50 goals and is second in league scoring with 103 points in 64 games.

Joining Hunt and providing Moose Jaw with a lethal 1-2 scoring tandem is Brayden Point, who is averaging close to two points per game this season. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect enters the weekend with 31 goals and 77 points in 40 games.

Hunt leads all Moose Jaw scorers against Brandon this season with four goals and 9 points while Brandon's Nolan Patrick has seven goals and 9 points in five games against the Warriors.

The reigning WHL Rookie of the Year is fourth in WHL scoring with 38 goals and 87 points and has scored at least a goal in thirteen of his last 14 games.

Patrick's linemate Jayce Hawryluk meanwhile is coming off winning the WHL's Player of the Month Award after scoring seven goals and 33 points in thirteen games. He then picked up in March where he left off in February by scoring five times in Brandon's win over Saskatoon on Wednesday.

Hawryluk will be recognized during the first intermission of Friday's game by the WHL, the Wheat Kings and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, presenters of the hockey club's IMPACT Award.

Tickets to Friday's game - presented by The Green Spot - are on sale at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at keystonecentre.com

Speaking of tickets, the deadline for fans to purchase their 2016 Playoff Packages is 5:30pm Friday. To those that renew their 2016-17 season tickets as well as their playoff packages, their first two playoff games (dates to be determined) will be free. Fans can visit the Wheat Kings office or fax in their ticket forms to (204) 726-3540.

ABOUT THE GREEN SPOT: The signs of spring are shooting up at The Green Spot. Geraniums, ornamental grasses, onions and herbs. The Green Spot - Home and Garden. Putting you in the mood for spring!

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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.

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