WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheaties return from grueling trip

Published on November 7, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Swift Current, Sask. -- The Brandon Wheat Kings longest road trip of the 2004-2005 Western Hockey League season came to an end Saturday night in Swift Current and now its back home for a couple of well deserved days off and preparation for this week's mini 2-game home stand at the Keystone Centre.

The Wheat Kings closed out the 7-game in eleven day excursion through British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan with a 2-2 overtime tie in Swift Current on Saturday night. Michael Szczachor's goal with just 12 seconds remaining gave the Broncos the tie. Lance Monych scored both goals - his third and fourth in two games - for the Wheat Kings, who finished off the trip with back to back ties. On Friday night, Calgary came from behind to tie the Wheat Kings at five.

Brandon posted one victory on the road trip (3-2 in Kamloops last Tuesday), but did manage to collect a point in four of the seven games, finishing with a 1-3-3 record, good for four points. The Wheat Kings are currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Division with a 7-6-3-1 record.

Center Ryan Stone, who is currently leading the WHL in scoring with 12 goals and 28 points in seventeen games, led Brandon out west with four goals and nine points followed by Washington Capitals' first round draft choice Eric Fehr (4-3-7), Monych (5-1-6) and defenceman Steven Later (1-5-6).

Although Stone may have led the Wheat Kings offensively, it was the play of netminders Mike Nichol and Tyler Plante that was so impressive. The two local products combined to stop 249 of 269 shots, which translates to a sparkling .927 save percentage. Plante's 2.76 goals against average is second only to Ryan Cyr of the Prince George Cougars among WHL rookie goalkeepers.

After a couple of days off, the Wheat Kings will return to the ice to begin preparations for this week's mini 2-game home stand at the Keystone Centre. Brandon will host the defending Western Conference Champion Everett Silvertips, coached by former National Hockey League bench boss Kevin Constantine on Thursday afternoon and the Tri-City Americans will make their one and only appearance of the season on Friday night.

Thursday's annual Remembrance Day game will mark only the second meeting ever between Brandon and Everett and the first game to be played between the two at the Keystone Centre.

Thursday's game - Brandon's Annual Remembrance Day clash will feature a Salute to Manitoba Minor Hockey Week and the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a full color Eric Fehr poster compliments of Simplot Agribusiness.

Tickets to both Thursday and Friday's home games are on sale now at the Keystone box office, by calling 726-3555 or on line at ticketmaster.ca.

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 7, 2004


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