Wheat Kings reduce pre-season roster
Source: Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon, MB. – The Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings reassigned seven players Sunday night following their annual Intrasquad Game at Westoba Place.
Among the players were five 16-year olds and two 15-year old prospects, who are ineligible to play in the 2018-19 season.
Following is the list of the players reassigned:
Goal Connor Ungar 16
Defence Jack Zayat 16
Defence Jacob Hoffrogge 15
Forward Dylan James 15
Forward Noah Wagner 16
Forward Caiden Gault 16
Forward William Highet 16
In Sunday afternoon’s Intrasquad game, veteran Luka Burzan scored twice, including the game tying goal with 23 seconds to play and the overtime game winner as Team Black scored a come from behind 6-5 victory over Team White.
Burzan’s late game heroics overshadowed a brilliant performance from 16-year old center Ridly Greig. The Lethbridge product, who was the Wheat Kings first choice in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, scored three goals in a losing cause.
Jake Chiasson, Rylan Bettens, Schael Higson and Wagner also scored for the Black team, who outshot the Whites 33-27, including 13-8 in the third period. Highet and Chad Nychuk meanwhile rounded out the scoring for the Whites.
As a result of Sunday night’s moves, the Wheat Kings have trimmed their pre-season roster to thirty-four players – three goalkeepers, ten defencemen and 21 forwards, Of those, at least five will be attending National Hockey League training camps this coming week (Jiri Patera – Vegas, Stelio Mattheos – Carolina, Luka Burzan – Ottawa as well as Cole Reinhardt and Ty Lewis – Colorado) and two are 15-year olds – Chiasson and Brett Hyland, who were chosen 15th and 24thoverall in this year’s WHL Bantam Draft.
Following is the list of players on the Wheat Kings’ current pre-season roster:
Goal (3)
Ethan Kruger, Dylan Myskiw, Jiri Patera
Defence (10)
Schael Higson, Chase Hartje, Neithan Salame, Zach Wytinck, Ty Ettinger, Jonny Lambos, Chad Nychuk, Vinny Iorio, Garrett Sambrook, Braden Schneider
Forwards (21)
Jonny Hooker, Nolan Ritchie, Caiden Daley, Stelio Mattheos, Rylan Bettens, Ty Thorpe, Jake Chiasson, Ben McCartney, Cole Reinhardt, Luka Burzan, Ty Lewis, Baron Thompson, Linden McCorrister, Connor Gutenberg, Lynden McCallum, Drayson Collyer, Marcus Sekundiak, Brett Hyland, Reilly Funk, Ridly Greig, Bode Hagan
Sunday’s Intrasquad game marked the conclusion of camp for the Wheat Kings, who will now begin preparations for their 4-game pre-season schedule, which is set to begin Friday night in Brandon against the visiting Regina Pats.
Tickets to the Wheat Kings two pre-season home games as well as the 2018 Brandon Sun Home Opener, presented by TELUS, will go on sale Tuesday morning at the Keystone Centre box office. Fans can also order online at keystonecentre.com or by calling (204) 726-3555.
Speaking of tickets, this Friday (September 7th) is Season Ticket Pick up Day in the Keystone Centre’s south parking lot. For those that have not purchased one but would like to order one and get entered into the hockey club’s 20 Prizes in 20 Days Contest Giveaway, are encouraged to call the Wheat Kings’ office at (204) 726-3535 during regular business hours.
Brandon brings up the curtain on their 2018-19 WHL schedule on Friday, September 21st against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.