Courtesy:  Brandon Wheat Kings Brandon, MB. – With Training Camp set to begin in less than two weeks, the reigning Western Hockey League Champion Brandon Wheat Kings have named their coaching staff for the 2016-17 season. 30-year old Winnipeg native David Anning replaces Kelly McCrimmon, who recently accepted the Assistant General Manager’s position of the new National Hockey League franchise in Las Vegas. McCrimmon will remain Owner and Governor of the club that announced a major restructuring to its Hockey Operations on Thursday. Joining Anning on the bench this season will be longtime coach and fellow Winnipegger Don McGillivray and former WHL All Star defenceman Aaron Rome. Former assistant coach Darren Ritchie meanwhile becomes the Wheat Kings’ new Director of Scouting and Tyler Plante rejoins the organization as the club’s Goaltending Coach. Anning joined the Wheat Kings in 2012-13 after spending six seasons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Winnipeg Saints, Dauphin Kings and Steinbach Pistons. After helping the Kings win the Anavat Cup as an Assistant Coach, he took over as Head Coach and General Manager of the Winnipeg Saints. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity offered to me by Kelly,” says Anning, who coached Team West on two occasions at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. “It goes without saying that this is a very proud and storied franchise and I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with great players and staff for the past four seasons in Brandon.” “I value the philosophy and loyalty that is engrained throughout the organization and I’m very excited for the challenge that lies ahead,” added Anning, who played four seasons with the MJHL’s Saints. “I am happy for David to get this opportunity,” says McCrimmon. “He is an excellent young coach, has great experience and embodies what we stand for and believe in.” McGillivray arrives in Brandon with a wealth of coaching experience, having served behind the bench in the MJHL with Portage, Neepawa, St. James and the Winnipeg Blues, the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders as well as three seasons with the University of Manitoba Bisons. He joins the Wheat Kings after spending the past seven seasons with the Blues, where he served as Head Coach and General Manager. In addition to leading the Blues to the 2014 MJHL Title, his Terriers captured the 2005 Championship. McGillivray was named the League’s Top Coach in 1995, 2005, 2012 and 2013. Last season his Blues finished fifth with a 32-18-10 record and lost out in the Semi-Finals. A 32-year old native of Nesbitt, Manitoba, Rome is a 5-year WHL veteran, having scored 31 goals and 155 points in 304 games during a career that saw him play in Saskatoon, Kootenay, Swift Current and Moose Jaw. A fourth round draft choice of the Los Angeles Kings in 2002, Rome played several seasons in the National Hockey League, scoring six goals, 28 points and 185 minutes in penalties in 226 career games. A member of the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks, Rome also played in Columbus, Vancouver and Dallas, where he played his final season on hockey in 2013-14. Selected in the second round by the Florida Panthers in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Plante played three seasons with the Wheat Kings, beginning in 2004-05, when he was chosen the League’s Top Rookie. A Brandon product, Plante is currently tied with Jordan Papirny for first place on the club’s All Time list with twelve shutouts, including six during his first year in Brandon. Plante, who played the last three years in Europe, spent six seasons in the ECHL and American Hockey Leagues and as a Wheat King, he compiled an average of 2.89 in 162 career games. He replaces Matt Cockell, who currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships for True North Sports and Entertainment in Winnipeg. “I’m very excited to have Don, Aaron and Tyler joining the staff,” says Brandon’s new head coach. “I feel these are very capable individuals who share similar views when it comes to developing players and people. I feel the staff will complement each other very well and each coach will work hard to help our players reach their potential and continue to develop.” A 9-year veteran of the Wheat Kings’ organization, Ritchie has served as an assistant to coaches Cory Clouston, Kelly McCrimmon and Dwayne Gylywoychuk. Following his junior career that saw him named to the 1995 Eastern Conference First All Star Team and capture the Brad Hornung Trophy as the league’s Most Sportsmanlike Player, he spent nine seasons playing professional hockey in both North America and Europe. As Director of Scouting, Ritchie will be responsible for coordinating the club’s scouting staff, overseeing all WHL and minor hockey scouting operations, assisting the development of the Wheat Kings’ 50-man Player Protected List and the recruitment of prospective players. “I’m really excited about this opportunity,” says Ritchie, who scored 152 goals (7th most in franchise history) and 278 points in 232 career games. “I am really looking forward to working with our strong staff of scouts in both identifying talent and the development of our young prospects.” “Darren is a real good hockey man,” says McCrimmon. “He loves scouting and for a few years now saw this as his next step. He will do a great job in this area and will still remain involved in all facets of Hockey Operations.” Meanwhile the hockey club announced the hiring of Athletic Therapist Chris Trivieri. A 27-year old from Welland, Ontario, Trivieri has spent the past two seasons with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. A Physical Education graduate from Brock University in 2012, he also graduated from Sheridan College with an Honours BSC in Athletic Therapy this year. The new Wheat Kings’ coaching staff will now spend the next twelve days preparing for what should be an exciting, competitive Training Camp, scheduled to get underway at Westman Communications Group Place on August 30th. Among the players that will be attending is 17-year old Daniel Bukac from the Czech Republic. The 6’4” 175 lb defenceman was Brandon’s second selection in June’s Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. In 38 games with Chomutov U18 Juniors last season, he scored three goals and 15 points. In other news from Thursday’s media reception at the Canad Inns – 2016-17 Season Tickets have surpassed the 2,000 mark and are up slightly from last year at this point. Meanwhile the WHL Champions provided more details on a number of special events and initiatives to take place during the club’s 50th Anniversary season. Among them – western Manitoba hockey fans will have a chance to select the Wheat Kings All Time Team. A committee, made up of members of the local hockey community, media and fans, will determine the top fifty and fans will be able to go online and vote for their choice of two goaltenders, six defencemen and 12 forwards. Voting will begin in late September. Brandon will open up defence of its WHL Title with a home and home series with Moose Jaw during the weekend of September 23rd-24th.  

When Kelly McCrimmon announced on August the 2nd that he was leaving his position as Coach and GM of the Brandon Wheat Kings to join the NHL's new expansion team in Las Vegas hockey minds in the city immediately began to speculate as to who he would get to fill these positions. Would he hire and promote from within the organization, or would be conduct a more expansive search looking for candidates with previous head coaching and management experience in the WHL like a Marc Habscheid, Dean Chynoweth or Victoria Royals AGM/Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong? A few weeks have since passed, and with training camp slated to take place in a few weeks, we here at www.bdnmb.ca reached out to several people involved in the hockey industry, as well as a few local fans to see who they thought would be named the next Coach and/or GM of the Wheat Kings. Scott Glennie (former Wheat King player and first round draft pick of the Dallas Stars) Coach: David Anning GM: no GM given Dave Shelvey (long time season ticket holder and owner Westman Reptile Gardens) Coach: David Anning GM: Mikey McCrimmon Prairie Sports Weekly Coach: the general feeling is that one of the Assistant coaches, most likely David Anning will take the reigns. He knows the system, players and strategy that Kelly has set up so it makes sense for that transition GM: Rick Dillabough could step in as an Acting GM until they find someone, or he could even be the GM. Knows the team, the league, the system you name it. He's been with the team for a long time and with Kelly so that could be the next step for him. Another thought is they may look at some former NHL execs to fill that title. John Hofer (long time season ticket holder and owner Total Farm Supply) Coach: Marc Habscheid GM: Marc Habscheid Darryl Wolski (PHPA Hockey Agent / Euro & KHL Player Agent) Coach: David Anning GM: Mikey McCrimmon Ass't GM: Dwayne Gylywoychuk Adrian Swain (fan, collector of Wheat King pucks and jerseys) Coach: Well coach choice has got to be either Anning or Ritchie. GM: Perhaps a former Player such as Wells? Maybe Dillabough?  

A pair of championship WSHL games were held tonight in Brandon as the Echo Fighting Irish captured the Division 3 Championship while Jeff's Clean Cut Yard Care took home the Division 2 Championship in thrilling fashion. Tanner Fluker recorded 5 points (3g, 2a) and Morgan Magwood had 3 points (2g,1a) to lead the Fighting Irish to a 6-4 victory over the West Fit Hermanators in the Division 3 Championship final. Grahame Hore also scored for the Irish while Brock Paddock and Jaxon Heeny replied with 2 each for West Fit in a losing cause. Paddock also had two assists, Brett Friesen picked up the win between the pipes for Echo.   In the Division 2 final Braedan Boschman fired 3 goals and Dustin Ferland chipped in with a pair as Jeff's Clean Cut Yard Care needed double overtime to beat Smitty's Piles 7-6. Paul Russel, Reigan Buchanan, and Shaq Houle each picked up 2 assists in the win. Chris Sitko had 3 points (2g1a) for Smittys as did Jarrett Day (1g, 2a), Brayden Cuthbert (1g,2a) and Tyson Holder (3a). Jeff Moore, a longtime WWHL and WSHL goaltender, faced only 20 shots in securing the win..    

Courtesy:  Brandon University News Release BRANDON, MB. — When Westman’s Isabela Onyshko competes in the women’s all-around gymnastics finals this Thursday, she’ll know that she has the support of friends and family cheering her on as they watch live across the country — and here at Brandon University. Onyshko, who earned a spot in the finals after a top-10 performance during Sunday’s qualifying round, will attend BU in the fall to study in the Faculty of Science. And this Thursday afternoon, BU will be rallying behind one of our newest students as Brandon University hosts a public viewing of the Olympic broadcast from Rio de Janeiro. The gymnastics finals will be projected onto to large screens in Harvest Hall, the dining area at BU, for the public viewing. The show is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11, with doors open at 1:30 p.m. Public parking will be available for free in Lot 10 at BU, which is south of Louise Avenue beside the Healthy Living Centre. Signs will direct people to Harvest Hall, with the best entrance through the residence link north of Louise Avenue, near 20th Street. “I am so excited for Isabela, and I am thrilled that everyone here at Brandon University is so excited and supportive as well,” says BU Associate Professor Kelly Saunders, who is also board president at the Brandon Eagles Gymnastics Club where Onyshko trains. Saunders says the Eagles quickly realized a bigger BU location was needed for viewing the finals, after more than 70 people showed up for Sunday’s qualifying round, which they streamed at the club. Harvest Hall fits the bill, with seating for well over 200 in view of the screens, plus plenty more standing room. Brandon University will also be providing complimentary punch, popcorn and chips. “It’s an exceptional honour to welcome an Olympian to Brandon University this fall,” said BU President Gervan Fearon, who says he’ll be in Harvest Hall, glued to the competition. “More than 700 new students will be joining BU at our Orientation in September; Isabela Onyshko will be amongst them and her participation in the Olympics is part of her amazing experience, helping make up the special community here at BU.” Onyshko will perform routines on the balance beam, floor, vault and uneven bars during Thursday’s all-around competition. She’s also qualified for the balance beam final, next week. Saunders says that Onyshko, known by her nickname Bela, will continue her gymnastics training while studying at BU. “She’s unbelievably talented, intelligent, and most of all, she’s a lovely, lovely young woman,” Saunders says. “It’s one of the great things about BU, that we have such amazing people in our midst.” BU has another connection at the Rio Olympics. Two former BU Bobcats, Steve Baur and Shawnee Harle, are on the coaching staff of the Canadian women’s basketball team. Brandon University, founded in 1899, promotes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, and educates students so that they can make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders. For More Information:   Kelly Saunders Associate Professor 204.727.9746 SaundersK@BrandonU.ca Grant Hamilton Marketing Communications Officer 204.571.8542 HamiltonG@BrandonU.ca

While I haven’t lived in Brandon since 2001, I still follow the Wheat Kings to some degree and am always happy to see them have success.  To people that know me fairly well, it’s no secret that while I lived in Brandon I didn’t always cozy up to Kelly McCrimmon and Bob Lowes.  In fact, I’m sure both of them would tell anyone who asks that I’m not their favorite person.   Far from it.  Truthfully, I felt I got along with Bob excellent up until they had a situation with assistant coach Mark Johnston that resulted in him leaving the team and then the on-ice product went into a ten game tailspin and I ended up asking some fairly pointed questions during a live interview with goalie Jamie Hodson prior to a game in which Lowes installed a call-up goalie to try and get a badly needed win.  The strategy worked perfectly.  Geoff McIntosh stood on his head and I attempted to do a glowing story about another Lowes hunch that pays off for the Wheat Kings.  Instead, Bob was hot about the interview I did with Hodson and didn’t give me any quotes to use for my story.  Being young and vindictive, I took Bob’s sarcastic quotes and used them to create my own equally sarcastic story.  It wasn’t flattering.  And, it ruined my relationship with him.  He was never nice to me again after that and I decided I didn’t like him either.  Our paths crossed many years later at an SJHL event in Saskatoon and we had another heated argument about my big mouth and about his hot temper and unwillingness to cooperate.  By the time we were done, I think we found some common ground.  I haven’t seen him since and am more than willing to admit I was young, stupid, mouthy, and to this day I don’t intimidate well.  When you push, I push back.  Much like Bob does, I think.  Still, I’ve never shied away from the fact I was always impressed at how he was able to get results from his players.  I believe, I was also the only media person he ever trusted to wear a wireless microphone during a game.  He let me follow him around on a game day one time.  It was, maybe, my favorite piece I ever produced at CKX.  I learned an incredible amount from him and about him that day. As far as Kelly goes, I have always found him guarded at the best of times.   Secretive and uncooperative at the worst of times.  However, over the years I admit that if I was in his shoes I wouldn’t have looked at me favorably either.  He’s a highly successful hockey executive with a business to run and why should he answer dumb questions from some 20-year-old who thinks he knows it all.  Today, I should be embarrassed, quite frankly.  Now that I’m out of the media, I see questions from people proclaiming to be journalists all the time and I often think, ‘Man, I wish they were interviewing Kelly McCrimmon so he could teach them a thing or two aboutasking questions.’  The one thing Kelly taught me, unknowingly, was how to do a good interview.  If someone is going to make themselves available for a few minutes and if you are going to put this conversation out in the public for the world to see, the least you can do is ask intelligent questions that require thoughtful answers and will generate interest from those watching.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen an interview of a sports figure and felt it was nothing more than complete filler.  I never ever viewed interviewing Kelly as ‘filler’.  When I talked to him, I made sure I was prepared because if I wasn’t, I would sure know that by the time I was done.  I don’t think I’ve spoken to Kelly in the fifteen years since I left.  I have no reason to and he, certainly, has more important people to talk to than me.  I suspect his opinion of me falls somewhere along the same lines as the one Bob had/has  when we came together at the SJHL event about seven or eight years ago.  Having said that, in light of Kelly landing a job as assistant General Manager with the new NHL team in Las Vegas, I can tell you there are very few people who would be more qualified for this job.  We used to sit in the sports office at CKX and laugh at how Kelly would fleece opposing WHL teams with trades.  It seemed he not only won the deals, he committed grand larceny.  Kirby Law for Jason Boyd still has me howling.  Here’s what I do know from my time in Brandon:  Kelly wore the Wheat King logo on his sleeve.   Yeah, it’s his business and who doesn’t want to run a goodbusiness, but the passion was always evident and it filtered down to a lot of the players, many of whom told me straight up they had the utmost respect for Kelly and would run through a wall for him.  Read Jordin Tootoo’s book. I really found an appreciation for Kelly, the man, upon learning some of what’s in there. So as Kelly McCrimmon leaves the Wheat Kings in body, I suspect his finger prints will remain on this team going forward and I think fans can rest easy knowing he will find a way to ensure the excellence you have all come to expect will continue for many, many years ahead.