Two former members (Quinn Mantei, Roger McQueen) of the Brandon Wheat Kings have received recognition for their strong freshman seasons in NCAA Division I hockey with the Providence College men's hockey team. The honours were announced this week by Hockey East as part of the conference’s annual awards celebrating the top first-year players in the league. The All-Rookie Team recognizes the best freshman performers across the conference, with selections voted on by the league’s head coaches. Players named to the team represent several of the top collegiate programs in the United States and highlight the impact that first-year athletes can have at the NCAA level. For the former Wheat Kings, the recognition marks another milestone in their hockey journeys after developing their game in the Western Hockey League. During their time in Brandon, both players were key contributors and established themselves as reliable performers at the junior level before moving on to college hockey. Since making the jump to NCAA competition, they have quickly adapted to the faster pace and high level of play in Hockey East, one of the premier conferences in U.S. college hockey. Their strong rookie campaigns helped their respective teams throughout the regular season and earned them league-wide recognition among the top freshmen in the conference. The selections also underscore the reputation of the Wheat Kings organization as a pipeline for talent moving on to higher levels of hockey, including NCAA programs and professional leagues. For the Wheat Kings organization and its fans, the recognition is another example of former players continuing to find success after leaving Brandon, while carrying the development and experience gained during their time in the WHL to the next stage of their careers.

Former Wheat King and 2nd round NHL draft pick of the Florida Panthers Jayce Hawryluk has been playing for the last three seasons in Europe. Hawryluk now a Brandon resident has just come off a very solid season in EHC Olten in the Swiss SL league. The team recently rewarded Jayce with a 2 year extension.

  

The annual Hockey Brandon Tournament of Champions gets underway starting on February 5, 2026 in the Wheat City. Week one sees teams from Winnipeg, Moosomin, Minot, Regina, Moose Jaw and more in action in the following divisions. FEB. 5 - FEB. 8, 2026 Male U13 A Male U13 AA Male U15 A The following weekend sees teams from Warman, Swift Current, Stonewall and more competing in 3 different divisions. EB. 12 - FEB. 15, 2026 U11 A1 Female U13 AA Male U15 AA The schedule of games can be found here.

Congratulations to @neepawatitans Head Coach/GM Ken Pearson, on his 1500th regular season game coached & 750th win in the @cjhlhockey! #neeps