The Brandon Wheat Kings have made an exciting change to their off-ice staff and brought more responsibility to a Brandon native with deep ties to both the community and the team. The Wheat Kings are pleased to announce that Mike Filipchuk has been named the new VP of Business Operations. “I am excited to take on the position of VP of Business Operations with the Brandon Wheat Kings,” Filipchuk said. “The Wheat Kings are incredibly important to me and have been throughout my life, and to hold this position with them is an honour.” Growing up in Brandon, Filipchuk was a Wheat Kings fan from the time he was old enough to have a favorite team. He played his minor hockey in Brandon, including time with the U18 AAA Wheat Kings, and has worked in hockey as a volunteer coach or off-ice staff member for much of his time in Brandon. “We have a talented, hard working, and dedicated team on and off the ice and I am excited to continue to build on the strong relationship between the Brandon Wheat Kings and not only Brandon, but all of Manitoba.” Away from the rink, Filipchuk has given back to the sport that meant so much to him by helping coach the U15 AAA Wheat Kings to a provincial title in 2022-23. He lives in Brandon with his wife, Cheryl, and has three children, Matthew, Meghann, and Sarah. Source: Wheat Kings Release

I think a perception exists is that playing in the ECHL is a very good paying job and glamorous at the same time...well both of those assumptions are not correct. Salaries range from $575.00 to $1,100.00 USD per week.   Players do get free rent included in their contracts. Brandon’s Jordan Stallard, a former Winnipeg Jets draft pick, and Brad Schoonbaert are both suiting up this season in the ECHL for the Kansas City Mavericks. BDNMB.CA sat down with these two and fired some questions at them. What is a normal game day routine? Stallard - I don’t have any specific routine on game day.  I will always have a coffee at the rink, then hop on the ice for morning skate. After that I will eat a big pre game meal 5-6 hours before the game then make sure to get at least an hour nap in. I don’t like being at the rink too early for a game so I will show up 2 hours before, get another coffee as soon as I get to rink, have our meetings, do an off ice warm up and then we’re ready for the game. Do people recognize you guys at restaurants, stores, etc? Stallard - I haven’t been there long enough to really know what it’s like but my first time out to a restaurant after the game some fans did come and talk to us as we were leaving so that was cool to see Best part about playing in Kansas City? Stallard - The best part about playing is KC is being able to be a part of such a great organization and living in a city that is so passionate about their sports. And also being able to be there with two of my good friend is a bonus Do you think this ECHL is a big step up in talent from USPORTS? Schoonbaert - The pace is very similar to a good U Sports game but everybody is just a little better at everything and there are no easy nights. We have a record of 20-7-1 and we’ve only won by more than two goals twice. The style is a lot different as well because we play so many more games.   How hard is it to be patient to wait for more ice time? Schoonbaert - It’s not easy to be patient sometimes and there was a tough stretch in November for sure but I kept myself ready and have been playing lots lately and trying to help the team any way I can. What are the living conditions like and travel? Schoonbaert - Our living situation is one of the top in the league I would say. We are only 2 minutes from the rink and our apartment complex is brand new and there’s lots of things to do in and around the complex. Travel isn’t as bad as people think because we travel on a sleeper bus and drive through the night so when you wake up you are at your destination. And if it is a longer trip we fly. So the travel isn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting. Follow Jordan and Brad this year. Kansas City Mavericks https://kcmavericks.com/

The Portland Winterhawks November 30 announced the signing of defensemen Cole Slobodian to a Western Hockey League (WHL) Scholarship and Development Agreement. The 2006 born Slobodian has 4 points (2g, 2a) in 24 games to date this season with the MJHL's Virden Oil Capitals. Prior to joining Virden, he spent two seasons patrolling the blueline for the Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA squad. The undrafted Slobodian was added to the Winterhawks’ Protected List following the 2021 WHL Prospect Draft. Bolstering the blue line ???? Welcome to the Winterhawks, Cole! pic.twitter.com/gionqQTgjb — Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) December 1, 2023

The Brandon Wheat Kings, a renowned hockey team deeply rooted in the community, are thrilled to announce a unique and exciting event that will pay homage to the rich fishing heritage of the region. For one night only, the team will be known as the Wheat City Walleye. On Friday night, the Wheat City Walleye will take to the ice at Westoba Place for a thrilling game that promises to be a memorable experience for fans and players alike. This special event aims to honor the longstanding tradition of fishing in the area, showcasing the team's commitment to embracing local culture and engaging with the community in a meaningful way. To commemorate this extraordinary occasion, the Wheat City Walleye will don unique and eye-catching theme jerseys. These one-of-a-kind jerseys will be auctioned off, providing fans with an exclusive opportunity to own a piece of history! In addition to the themed jerseys, a wide range of special merchandise will be made available for purchase, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves in the Wheat City Walleye experience. Supporters will have the chance to showcase their enthusiasm for both hockey and fishing. Tickets for this highly anticipated game are avaialble now. Fans are encouraged to secure their seats early HERE For more information about the Wheat City Walleye event, including updates on merchandise availability and auction details, please visit the official Brandon Wheat Kings website at WheatKings.com or follow the team on social media channels.

The Brandon Wheat Kings have announced that the team is partnering with four local minor hockey teams once again to raise funds to support player development through the the second Brandon Wheat Kings Progressive 50/50 of the season. The first Progressive 50/50 pot of $52,730 was won by 21-year-old Mackenzie Phillips who planned to make a down payment on her first house and make a charitable donation with her winnings. This next Holiday Progressive 50/50 fundraiser will once again see one lucky ticket purchaser take home half the pot, with the remaining half of the pot being split amongst local Hockey teams. Twenty five percent of the pot will go towards the Wheat Kings Player Development fund, ten percent to the U18 AAA program, five percent to the U17 AAA program, five percent to the U15 AAA Female program and five percent to the U15 AAA Male program. This exciting fundraiser is now underway with the pot beginning at over $20,000 already.  The winner will be drawn at the conclusion of our annual Teddy Bear Toss game on Saturday, December 16th vs the Moose Jaw Warriors. Anyone located in Manitoba can get in on the action right now! TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE HERE: bwkmega5050.com Fans can also buy their raffle tickets in person at all Wheat Kings home games at Westoba Place at a special Holiday Progressive 50/50 kiosk at the south end of the arena, as well as home games at J&G Homes Arena, where the U18 AAA, U17 AAA, U15 AAA male and female programs play out of. New this season, fans can also purchase tickets at our Brandon Shoppers Mall Kiosk located at Entrance 3 at the South Main entrance, the Kiosk is located right across from Dollarama. The Wheat Kings next home action is the annual Remembrance Day afternoon game on November 11th at 3pm vs the Regina Pats.