Wheat Kings Set for Prospects Camp

2012 first round pick Braylon Shmyr will be among the
players attending this weekend's Prospects Camp

  The Brandon Wheat Kings will host their 2013 Prospects Camp this weekend at Westman Communications Group Place.

  Just over 30 non-roster players are expected to take part including Nolan Patrick and Kale Clague, the fourth and sixth overall selections in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.

  In fact, ten of the club's 12 picks in the draft earlier this month will be in Brandon for the camp, with Minnesotans Ryan Lindgren and Joey Anderson the exceptions.

  "For the first-year players, it's basically orientation weekend for that group.  The '97's and '96's are trying to make an impression and show you how close they are to playing," said Brandon GM Kelly McCrimmon on Wednesday, "They're going to meet guys that they're going to end up playing on our team with and some of these guys will become some of their best friends they've ever had.  You start that process and give guys the chance to get to know one another and all the dynamics of being involved in a team setting, those things start to take shape."

  The camp is relatively low-key with each player having just two on-ice sessions and a scrimmage scheduled for Sunday morning to make an impression.

  The three goaltenders attending will have a pair of addition sessions with Wheat Kings' goaltender coach Brent Zelenewich.

  "With the 1996-born players at this camp, we're sure hoping that they're demonstrating to us by their play this weekend that they're ready to play in our league next year because that's our expectation with those players as 17-year olds," said McCrimmon, "For the 16-year olds, they have a chance to show us if they're ready to make the jump and, if they're not, how far away they are and what they need to work on."

  Among those not attending the camp will be 2012 second round pick Tanner Browne.

  The defenceman underwent shoulder surgery earlier this spring.

2013 Prospects Camp Schedule
(at Westman Communications Group Place)

Friday, May 24th  
2:00 p.m. - Registration
3:30 p.m. - Goalie Session 
4:00 p.m. - Practice
5:15 p.m. - Practice 
           
Saturday, May 25th
8:00 a.m. - Practice
9:00 a.m. - Practice
11:00 a.m. - Goalie Session

Sunday, May 26th
10:00 a.m. - Black vs. White Intra-squad Game

Pulocl, Roy Headed to Combine

Ryan Pulock is headed to next week's NHL Scouting Combine

  Brandon Wheat Kings' defencemen Ryan Pulock and Eric Roy are among the 101 players that have been invited to take part in the NHL Scouting Combine in Toronto.

'It's a huge part of your draft year," said Roy, "There's going to be 30 GM's there and I'm just really looking forward to it.  It's going to be an exciting week."

  The combine is split into two parts, with an interview phase taking place from May 27th to 30th and fitness testing on May 31st and June 1st.

'I'm going to be nervous at first, for sure, but you just have to be yourself," said Roy after the interview phase, "Tell them what they want to know and just try not to say too much.  Just really be yourself toward the GM's because that's what they're looking for."

  Pulock was ranked 12th and Roy 41st among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting Service rankings that were released last month.

  Pulock was 13th among Western Hockey League defencemen in scoring last season with 14 goals and 45 points while Roy finished tied for 22nd with 17 goals and 39 points.

  The NHL draft will be held on June 30th.

Ferland Chasing Memorial Cup

Ferland plays in the 2010 Memorial
Cup in Brandon

The quest for major junior hockey's Holy Grail gets underway this weekend with Brandon product Mike Ferland and the Memorial Cup host Saskatoon Blades bound and determined to bounce back.

Sasktoon suffered a first round exit from the Western Hockey League playoffs and will have been idle for 50 days when the team hits the ice for the tournament opener on Friday night.

"We're well rested but at the same time we all wish we were still playing hockey right now," Ferland told CKLQ's Tyler Crayston. "We can use that to our advantage; obviously we've been getting our rest and taking care of ourselves. We're feeling pretty good."

The Calgary Flames prospect returned to the WHL after the Christmas break and was dealt by the Wheat Kings to the Blades at the trade deadline.

Ferland fired nine goals and 31 points in 30 regular season games.

"There have been a lot of things that we've overcome this year. We battled adversity before I even got here. We're pretty use to that. I think we got a solid group of guys, we just got to come into the tournament prepared and ready to battle."

Ferland is back on the big stage for the second time in three years, having played with his hometown Wheat Kings at the 2010 Memorial Cup.

"Playing in it when I was 17 years old, I didn't really realize how precious it was. I know more about it now than I did when I was 17. It's a good feeling to be able to come back to junior and getting to host the Memorial Cup again, but I'd like to win it this time."

Ferland and the Blades face the OHL champion London Knights in their opening game while the WHL champion Portland Winterhawks and QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads round out the rest of the field.

Here's Ferland's full interview with Tyler Crayston that aired on this week's edition of Monday Sports Talk on CKLQ....

Wheat Kings Season Ticket Pricing Announcing

Pulled this off the Wheat Kings' website today.....

Brandon, MB. – Western Manitoba hockey fans will continue to enjoy the most affordable tickets in the Western Hockey League as the Brandon Wheat Kings have announced that they will be holding the line on Season Ticket prices for the 2013-14 campaign.

In addition, the WHL club has confirmed that it will again be offering an Early Bird Discount for those that renew and pay for their tickets by the June 20th Deadline. Those that purchase before next month's Deadline will receive a $25 discount.

In addition to guaranteeing your seat for just $11.11 per game (based on Adult prices), all fans that renew their seats by the Early Bird Deadline will be entered to win a prize package that includes a trip for two to Toronto to see the Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday and Sunday, July 20th and 21st at Rogers Centre. (hotel accommodations, flights and game tickets will be included).

Adult Season Ticket prices will again be $425 this coming year, which represents a saving of over $8 per game. In addition to the Adult price, the Wheat Kings will offer Senior (65 and over) Season Ticket pricing and will be available for $375. Youth (18 and under) Season Tickets will cost $200.

Early Bird prices are $400 (Adults), $350 (Seniors) and $175 (Youth).

The Wheat Kings sold over 2,500 season tickets in 2012-13 – three hundred less than the previous year - and averaged 3,800 fans per home game.

“Season ticket holders are the lifeline of the franchise," says Wheat Kings' Owner and General Manager Kelly McCrimmon. Our numbers have dropped each of the last two seasons, we need to get back to a base of 3000 season tickets. The value is there, we do everything possible to ice competitive entertaining teams, and we keep it affordable.”

The Wheat Kings, who finished the season with a record of 24-40-4-4, are coming off one of, if not their best Bantam Drafts that saw the hockey club pick up Winnipeg center Nolan Patrick and defenceman Kale Clague of Lloydminster with the fourth and sixth overall selections.

Fans wanting to purchase 2013-14 season tickets can stop by the Wheat Kings office, call 726-3535 or by email to office@wheatkings.com

As you note, there was no mention of pricing for single game tickets for 2013-2014 season.  It's currently $17 for adults plus a $3 ticket handling charge from the Keystone Centre.

Wheat Kings Make Splash at WHL Bantam Draft

Wheat Kings' GM Kelly McCrimmon got to go to the podium
twice in the first few minutes of the WHL Bantam Draft
on Thursday

The Brandon Wheat Kings made a big splash at the top of the 2013 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft on Thursday.

The Wheat Kings grabbed 6-foot-3, 175 poound Nolan Patrick with the fourth overall pick, and then made a deal with the Lethbridge Hurricanes to acquire the sixth overall pick -- using it to choose defenceman Kale Clague.

Brandon general manager Kelly McCrimmon made a comparison to this year's draft to the 2009 lottery when Derrick Pouliot, Morgan Rielly, Griffin Reinhart and Matt Dumba were the top four picks and all four were chosen in the first eight picks of last June's NHL Draft.

In other words, the top-end players could be 'franchise players' and the Wheat Kings picked up two of them today.

"I think it's a pretty important day for our franchise and for our team moving forward.  I think our fans are going to be so impressed with these players that were draft today, and playing our organization is going to be exciting," said McCrimmon after Thursday's draft ended, "It's so rare in a draft environment that one team would get two players at the top the way that we did, and that is really doing to be something that allows us to build around a group of players and, hopefully, those players as they grow older are going to have a chance to be a part of pretty good teams."

In order to acquire the sixth overall pick, Brandon sent goaltender Corbin Boes and the 17th overall selection to the Lethbridge Hurricanes while the Wheat Kings also dealt forward Geordie Maguire and the 60th overall pick to the Regina Pats in a deal centred around Regina leaving first round pick Nolan Patrick available for the Wheat Kings to select with the fourth overall pick.

Brandon also chose hometown products Tanner Kaspick and Ty Lewis in the second and third round respectively -- the first time since 2008 the Wheat Kings had chosen at least two players from the Wheat City.

"It's interesting with players from Brandon, Westman or even Manitoba, we like when we get can get players from the area because we always find they're proud to be Wheat Kings and yet we rank our players based on their ability," said McCrimmon, "One of the concerns we had about trading pick #17 in our deal to acquire pick #6, we were afraid it might cost us Tanner Kaspick, a player we really hold in high regard.  As good as it started for us, Tanner Kaspick being available at #25 was just a great turn of events for our organization."

"In Ty Lewis, we think we got a guy that's got tremendous instinct and hockey IQ and a real high skill level," added McCrimmon, "He'll compliment some of the other players that we took today."

Here's my full interview with Kelly McCrimmon at the conclusion of Thursday's WHL Bantam Draft.



Brandon Wheat Kings' Selections
First Round
4. F Nolan Patrick (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
6. D Kale Clague (Lloydminster, Alberta)
Second Round
25. F Tanner Kaspick (Brandon, Manitoba)
Third Round
37. F Ty Lewis (Brandon, Manitoba)
Fourth Round
69. D T.J. Brown (Lacombe, Alberta)
Fifth Round
91. Dylan Thiessen (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Sixth Round
No Pick
Seventh Round
135. F Linden McCorrister (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Eighth Round
157. D Ryan Lindgren (Lakeville, Minnesota)
Ninth Round
179. F Joey Anderson (Maplewood, Minnesota)
Tenth Round
201. D Branden Story (Grandview, Manitoba)
213. F Ben Dalke (La Salle, Manitoba)
11th Round
221. F Braden Billarney (Boissevain, Manitoba)

Western Manitoba Selections
Second Round
25. F Tanner Kaspick (Brandon, by Brandon Wheat Kings)
Third Round
37. F Ty Lewis (Brandon, by Brandon Wheat Kings)
Fourth Round
75. D Blake Jameson (Brandon, by Victoria Royals)
Fifth Round
90. F Morgan Geekie (Strathclair, by Tri-City Americans)
Ninth Round
190. F Tyler Kirkup (Virden, by Red Deer Rebels)
194. D Riley Shamray (Oak River, by Calgary Hitmen)
Tenth Round
201. D Brenden Story (Grandview, by Brandon Wheat Kings)
11th Round
237. Brett Evans (Grandview, by Saskatoon Blades)
240. Brenden Kokorudz (Brandon, by Edmonton Oil Kings)