Brandon Wheat Kings
Prince Albert Raiders Roster and Statistics #
FORWARDS 22Braid, Chance 14Conroy, Dakota 20Danyluk, Shane 29Draisaitl, Leon 19Gardiner, Reid 21Gennaro, Matteo* 18Hart, Jayden 8Leverton, Craig 25Perreaux, Carson 28Quinney, Gage* 16Vanstone, Tim 15Winther, Mike 17Yaremchuk, Lance* 27Zaharichuk, Darcy* # DEFENCE
HOMETOWN Chauvin, AB Edmonton, AB Salmon Arm, BC Cologne, Germany Humboldt, SK St. Albert, AB Spruce Grove, AB Dedben, SK Brandon, MB Las Vegas, NV Swift Current, SK Trochu, AB Prince Albert, SK Sherwood Park, AB
DRAFT Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2015 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Dallas '12 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014
POS HT WT HOMETOWN 5Andrlik, Tomas* D 5'11.5" 182 Plzen, Czech Rep. 23Busenius, Dylan D 6' 204 Sherwood Park, AB 2Dea, Tyler* D 6'4" 200 St. Albert, AB 4Guhle, Brendan* D 6'2" 178 Sherwood Park, AB 7Lange, Sawyer D 6' 193 Prince Albert, SK 6Morden, Evan D 6'2" 220 Swan River, MB 10Morrissey, Josh D 6' 180 Calgary, AB 3Stewart, Mackenze* D 6'5" 237 Calgary, AB # GOALTENDERS POS HT WT HOMETOWN
DRAFT Eligible 2014 Free Agent Eligible 2014 Eligible 2015 Eligible 2014 Free Agent Winnipeg '13 Eligible 2014
38Cheveldave, Cole 33McBride, Nick*
POS LW RW C C RW C C LW LW LW RW C LW/C LW/C
G G
HT 6'1" 6'1" 5'11" 6'1 5'11" 6'2" 6'2" 5'10" 6'3" 6' 6' 6' 5'7.5" 6'
5'10" 6'3.5"
WT 206 181 195 209 185 179 209 194 194 181 202 191 155 174
169 Calgary, AB 176 Maple Ridge, BC
DRAFT Free Agent Eligible 2015
Name 29 Leon Draisaitl 20 Shane Danyluk 25 Carson Perreaux 14 Dakota Conroy 21 Matteo Gennaro 18 Jayden Hart 15 Mike Winther 10 Josh Morrissey 5 Tomas Andrlik 28 Gage Quinney 19 Reid Gardiner 8 Craig Leverton 4 Brendan Guhle 16 Tim Vanstone 23 Dylan Busenius 7 Sawyer Lange 22 Chance Braid 6 Evan Morden 3 Mackenze Stewart Name 38 Cole Cheveldave
Pos GP G C 3 2
A PTS +/- PIM 5
7
-1
0
C 3 LW 3
0
5
5
3
2
3
1
4
2
2
RW 3 C 3
2
2
4
0
4
2
2
4
4
0
C 3 C 3
2
2
4
4
7
1
3
4
5
4
D 1 D 3
2
1
3
0
0
0
3
3
4
4
LW 3 C 3
2
0
2
4
0
1
1
2
3
2
LW 3 D 3
1
1
2
1
2
0
2
2
4
2
C 3 D 3
0
2
2
3
2
1
0
1
1
7
D 3 LW 3
1
0
1
2
4
0
1
1
-2
4
D 3 D 2
0
1
1
3
0
0
0
0
4
2
GP GAA W 3
4.00
3
L 0
OTL SOL SV % 0
0
.880
Brandon Wheat Kings Roster and Statistics NHL Draft
Name
35. Honey, Curtis
G 6'
174 Edmonton, AB
Eligible 2014
33. Papirny, Jordan
G 6'
170 Edmonton, AB
Eligible 2014
7 Eric Roy
Wt
NHL Draft
Goaltender (2)
Forwards (15) 13. Bukarts, Rihards 19. Cooper, Taylor 21. Coulter, Tyler 12. Gabrielle, Jesse 8. Hawryluk, Jayce 27. Kitt, Brett 26. Lindgren, Ryley
Pos Ht
Pos Ht
Wt
Hometown
Hometown
LW 5'9" LW 6'
189 Jurmala, Latvia 186 Sherwood Park, AB LW 5'11" 206 Brandon, MB LW 5'11" 201 Moosomin, SK C 5'10" 190 Roblin, MB LW 6'1" 192 Brandon, MB C 5'11" 183 East St. Paul, MB
Pos
GP G
A PTS +/-
D
3
1
6
7
4
LW
3
4
0
4
3
Eligible 2014
18 Richard Nejezchleb RW
2
2
1
3
-2
Eligible 2014
24 Jens Meilleur
RW
3
1
2
3
3
C
3
0
3
3
1
2
0
2
1
Eligible 2014
19 Taylor Cooper
8 Jayce Hawryluk
Eligible 2015
17 John Quenneville
C
3
Eligible 2014
13 Rihards Bukarts
LW
3
1
1
2
1
23 Tim McGauley
C
3
1
1
2
1
20 Chad Robinson
C
3
1
1
2
-1
0
2
2
-1
Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014
28. Lisoway, Quintin
C 5'10' 190 Neepawa, MB
Eligible 2014
23. McGauley, Tim
C 6'
182 Wilcox, SK
Eligible 2014
9 Rene Hunter
D
2
24. Meilleur, Jens
RW 6'1"
197 Elie, MB
Eligible 2014
5 Colton Waltz
D
3
0
2
2
-1
18. Nejezchleb, Richard
RW 6'2"
210 Praha, Czech Republic Eligible 2014
26 Ryley Lindgren
C
3
1
0
1
0
15. Palmer, Jack
RW 6'1.5" 183 Victoria, BC
15 Jack Palmer
LW
3
1
0
1
1
22 Braylon Shmyr
LW
2
0
1
1
0
17. Quenneville, John
C 6'1
186 Edmonton, AB
20. Robinson, Chad
C 5'11" 182 Minnedosa, MB
Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014
LW 5'8"
156 Calgary, AB
Eligible 2015
34 Dominic Thom
D
2
0
1
1
3
Pos Ht
Wt
NHL Draft
28 Quintin Lisoway
C
3
0
1
1
2
11. Green, Taylor
LD 6'7"
224 Port Coquitlam, BC
Eligible 2014
10 Kord Pankewicz
D
3
0
1
1
4
9. Hunter, Rene
RD 6'1"
208 Ebb & Flow, MB
Eligible 2014
12 Jesse Gabrielle
LW
1
0
0
0
0
10. Pankewicz, Kord
LD 5'11" 202 Drayton Valley, AB
Eligible 2014
2. Pulock, Ryan
RD 6'1"
218 Grandview, MB
NYI '13
11 Taylor Green
D
1
0
0
0
0
7. Roy, Eric
LD 6'3"
195 Beauval, SK
CGY '13
27 Brett Kitt
LW
1
0
0
0
0
34. Thom, Dominic
LD 6'2.5" 186 Calgary, AB
Eligible 2014
6 Riley Van Horne
D
1
0
0
0
0
6. Van Horne, Riley
LD 6'1"
175 Calgary, AB
Eligible 2014
3 Nick Walters
D
1
0
0
0
-1
3. Walters, Nick
LD 6'2"
202 St. Albert, AB
STL '12
5. Waltz, Colton
LD 6' 1" 187 Vermillion, AB
22. Shmyr, Braylon Defenceman (9)
Hometown
Eligible 2014
Name 35 Curtis Honey
GP GAA W 3
3.68
L 2
OTL SOL SAV% 1
0
0 0.911
Prince Albert Raiders Game Notes RAIDER REVIEW: The Prince Albert Raiders took a barnburner victory, 8-6 over the Brandon Wheat Kings at the Art Hauser Centre last night. 19-year-old centre Carson Perreaux scored his first career hat trick and added an assist for good measure, to top his hometown team. 16-year-old forward Matteo Gennaro opened the scoring, with 18-year-old forward Leon Draisaitl and Perreaux extending the Raiders lead to 4-0 before the first intermission. The Wheaties got on the board to start the second, but 18-year-old, forward Craig Leverton and defenceman Josh Morrissey each scored their first goals of the season to take a 6-1 lead. Brandon fought back, however, 3 consecutive goals before Morrissey added another. The ‘Kings kept coming, scoring another pair to get within one, but Perreaux’s empty netter sealed the victory for the Green and Gold. VS. WHEAT KINGS: The Raiders posted a 4-2-0-0 record against Brandon last season, including a 2-1-0-0 record at the Art Hauser Centre. Leon Draisaitl led the attack on the Wheat Kings in 2012-2013, with a goal and 6 assists against the Raiders’ East Division rival. The Raiders are 1-0-0-0 against Brandon so far this season. SIZZLING START: The Raiders are 3-0-0-0 to start the season for the first time since 2002-2003, scoring 20 goals to lead the league in scoring to start the year. LETTERED LEADERS: The team announced on Thursday that 18-year-old defenceman Josh Morrissey will be the Raiders’ new captain, with 20-year-old blueliner Dylan Busenius, 19-year-old forward Shane Danyluk and 18-year-old pivot Leon Drasaitl serving as the alternates. IMMEDIATE IMPACT: 16-year-old forward Matteo Gennaro is currently tied for second in WHL Rookies scoring with 4 points in 3 games. He is tied for first in Rookie goals, with 2, as well as plus/minus among first year players, with a plus-4 rating. MAKING THE LIST: 18-year-old imports, forward Leon Draisaitl and defenceman Tomas Andrlik, both made the preliminary ‘Players to Watch” list released by NHL Central Scouting earlier this week, with Draisaitl being listed one of seven WHL players in the “A” category and Andrlik being placed in the “C” category. ROSTER BREAKDOWN: The Raiders roster currently consists of 24 players, including 14 forwards, 8 defencemen and 2 goaltenders. The age breakdown is as follows: three 20-year-olds, eight 19-year-olds, six 18-year-olds, four 17-year-olds and three 16-year-olds. Alberta leads the way as the home of the most Raiders players, with 12 current players hailing from the province, while 2 are from British Columbia, 5 are home-grown Saskatchewan products, a pair of Manitobans, as well as a player from each the United States, Germany and the Czech Republic. EARLY PRAISE: The Raiders were ranked 3rd overall in the pre-season BMO Canadian Hockey League rankings this week, and were the top ranked team in the WHL, moving up from 6th spot last week. A HELPING HAND: 19-year-old forward Shane Danyluk, 18-year-old pivot Leon Draisaitl and 16-year-old defenceman Brendan Guhle are three of only six players in the WHL to have recorded shorthanded assists so far this season. UPCOMING GAMES: The Raiders will play their next two games at the Art Hauser Centre against the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings on October 2nd and 4th, respectively. They travel to Swift Current on October 5th before returning home to host the Vancouver Giants on October the 8th.
Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes Brandon Game Notes: The Brandon Wheat Kings look to rebound from their first loss of the 2013-2014 regular season Saturday night when they complete weekend doubleheader in Prince Albert. The Wheat Kings came back from 4-0 and 6-1 deficits but came up short in an 8-6 loss to the Raiders on Friday night. Eric Roy led Brandon offensively with a goal and two assists while Richard Nejezchleb and Tim McGauley had a goal and an assist each.
Injury Report: None
Roster Moves: The Wheat Kings assigned D Kale Clague to Lloydminster (AMHL) and F Duncan Campbell to Brandon (MMHL) earlier this week, reducing their roster to 26 players (15 forwards, nine defencemen and two goaltenders). That includes blueliner Ryan Pulock, who remains with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
Drafted Players: D Ryan Pulock (NY Islanders, 1st Round, 15th overall in 2013; D Eric Roy (Calgary Flames, 5th Round, 135th overall in 2013); D Nick Walters (St. Louis, 4th Round, 116th overall in 2012).
Raiders/Wheat Kings’ Revisited: The Raiders lead the season series between the two teams after their 8-6 win on Friday. That was the first of six meetings between Prince Albert and Brandon during the 2013-2014 WHL regular season. Last year, Brandon went 2-4-0-0 against Prince Albert including a 1-2-0-0 mark at the Art Hauser Centre. Over the last six seasons (including 2013-2014), Brandon has a 19 -12-0-2 mark against the Raiders, 7-8-0-2 in Prince Albert.
What’s New in 2013-2014: Kelly McCrimmon is back behind the Brandon bench this season after a two-year break, replacing Dwayne Gylywoychuk as the team’s head coach. McCrimmon has a 333-261-42 record in his 11-plus seasons as a WHL head coach. Brandon had another key off-ice change during the off-season. Longtime Director of Player Personnel Al MacPherson retiring from the position. Wade Klippenstein has taken over as the team’s Director of Scouting.
Off-Season Activity: It was a busy off-season for several Wheat Kings’ players. Ryan Pulock and Eric Roy were selected in the NHL Draft on June 30th, with Pulock becoming the first Brandon defenceman chosen in the first round since Wade Redden in 1995; Jayce Hawryluk helped Hockey Canada U18 team to a gold medal at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in August while Pulock took part in Hockey Canada’s Junior Team Summer Development Camp in August. In addition, Brandon’s top three picks in the 2013 Bantam Draft – Nolan Patrick, Kale Clague and Tanner Kaspick – attended the NHLPA’s AllState All-Canadians Mentorship Camp and Richard Nejezchleb attended the Pittsburgh Penguins Development Camp and Rookie Camp.
Did You Know: Rihards Bukarts scored his first career WHL goal on Friday night’s loss to Prince Albert…Eric Roy has seven points (1 G, 6 A) through the first three games of the regular season and is tied for the scoring lead among defencemen. Roy has had back-to-back three point games for the first time in his WHL career…D Taylor Green made his Brandon Wheat Kings’ debut on Friday. Green was acquired from Seattle in August for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft…D Colton Waltz had two assists Friday, the first multi-point game of his WHL career…former Wheat King Brad McCrimmon was inducted posthumously into Prince Albert’s Wall of Fame on Friday night. McCrimmon began his junior career with the SJHL’s Raiders (1974-1976) before spending three seasons in Brandon and 18 years in the NHL.
FORWARDS 22Braid, Chance 14Conroy, Dakota 20Danyluk, Shane 29Draisaitl, Leon 19Gardiner, Reid 21Gennaro, Matteo* 18Hart, Jayden 8Leverton, Craig 25Perreaux, Carson 28Quinney, Gage* 16Vanstone, Tim 15Winther, Mike 17Yaremchuk, Lance* 27Zaharichuk, Darcy* # DEFENCE
HOMETOWN Chauvin, AB Edmonton, AB Salmon Arm, BC Cologne, Germany Humboldt, SK St. Albert, AB Spruce Grove, AB Dedben, SK Brandon, MB Las Vegas, NV Swift Current, SK Trochu, AB Prince Albert, SK Sherwood Park, AB
DRAFT Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2015 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Dallas '12 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014
POS HT WT HOMETOWN 5Andrlik, Tomas* D 5'11.5" 182 Plzen, Czech Rep. 23Busenius, Dylan D 6' 204 Sherwood Park, AB 2Dea, Tyler* D 6'4" 200 St. Albert, AB 4Guhle, Brendan* D 6'2" 178 Sherwood Park, AB 7Lange, Sawyer D 6' 193 Prince Albert, SK 6Morden, Evan D 6'2" 220 Swan River, MB 10Morrissey, Josh D 6' 180 Calgary, AB 3Stewart, Mackenze* D 6'5" 237 Calgary, AB # GOALTENDERS POS HT WT HOMETOWN
DRAFT Eligible 2014 Free Agent Eligible 2014 Eligible 2015 Eligible 2014 Free Agent Winnipeg '13 Eligible 2014
38Cheveldave, Cole 33McBride, Nick*
POS LW RW C C RW C C LW LW LW RW C LW/C LW/C
G G
HT 6'1" 6'1" 5'11" 6'1 5'11" 6'2" 6'2" 5'10" 6'3" 6' 6' 6' 5'7.5" 6'
5'10" 6'3.5"
WT 206 181 195 209 185 179 209 194 194 181 202 191 155 174
169 Calgary, AB 176 Maple Ridge, BC
DRAFT Free Agent Eligible 2015
Name 29 Leon Draisaitl 20 Shane Danyluk 25 Carson Perreaux 14 Dakota Conroy 21 Matteo Gennaro 18 Jayden Hart 15 Mike Winther 10 Josh Morrissey 5 Tomas Andrlik 28 Gage Quinney 19 Reid Gardiner 8 Craig Leverton 4 Brendan Guhle 16 Tim Vanstone 23 Dylan Busenius 7 Sawyer Lange 22 Chance Braid 6 Evan Morden 3 Mackenze Stewart Name 38 Cole Cheveldave
Pos GP G C 3 2
A PTS +/- PIM 5
7
-1
0
C 3 LW 3
0
5
5
3
2
3
1
4
2
2
RW 3 C 3
2
2
4
0
4
2
2
4
4
0
C 3 C 3
2
2
4
4
7
1
3
4
5
4
D 1 D 3
2
1
3
0
0
0
3
3
4
4
LW 3 C 3
2
0
2
4
0
1
1
2
3
2
LW 3 D 3
1
1
2
1
2
0
2
2
4
2
C 3 D 3
0
2
2
3
2
1
0
1
1
7
D 3 LW 3
1
0
1
2
4
0
1
1
-2
4
D 3 D 2
0
1
1
3
0
0
0
0
4
2
GP GAA W 3
4.00
3
L 0
OTL SOL SV % 0
0
.880
Brandon Wheat Kings Roster and Statistics NHL Draft
Name
35. Honey, Curtis
G 6'
174 Edmonton, AB
Eligible 2014
33. Papirny, Jordan
G 6'
170 Edmonton, AB
Eligible 2014
7 Eric Roy
Wt
NHL Draft
Goaltender (2)
Forwards (15) 13. Bukarts, Rihards 19. Cooper, Taylor 21. Coulter, Tyler 12. Gabrielle, Jesse 8. Hawryluk, Jayce 27. Kitt, Brett 26. Lindgren, Ryley
Pos Ht
Pos Ht
Wt
Hometown
Hometown
LW 5'9" LW 6'
189 Jurmala, Latvia 186 Sherwood Park, AB LW 5'11" 206 Brandon, MB LW 5'11" 201 Moosomin, SK C 5'10" 190 Roblin, MB LW 6'1" 192 Brandon, MB C 5'11" 183 East St. Paul, MB
Pos
GP G
A PTS +/-
D
3
1
6
7
4
LW
3
4
0
4
3
Eligible 2014
18 Richard Nejezchleb RW
2
2
1
3
-2
Eligible 2014
24 Jens Meilleur
RW
3
1
2
3
3
C
3
0
3
3
1
2
0
2
1
Eligible 2014
19 Taylor Cooper
8 Jayce Hawryluk
Eligible 2015
17 John Quenneville
C
3
Eligible 2014
13 Rihards Bukarts
LW
3
1
1
2
1
23 Tim McGauley
C
3
1
1
2
1
20 Chad Robinson
C
3
1
1
2
-1
0
2
2
-1
Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014
28. Lisoway, Quintin
C 5'10' 190 Neepawa, MB
Eligible 2014
23. McGauley, Tim
C 6'
182 Wilcox, SK
Eligible 2014
9 Rene Hunter
D
2
24. Meilleur, Jens
RW 6'1"
197 Elie, MB
Eligible 2014
5 Colton Waltz
D
3
0
2
2
-1
18. Nejezchleb, Richard
RW 6'2"
210 Praha, Czech Republic Eligible 2014
26 Ryley Lindgren
C
3
1
0
1
0
15. Palmer, Jack
RW 6'1.5" 183 Victoria, BC
15 Jack Palmer
LW
3
1
0
1
1
22 Braylon Shmyr
LW
2
0
1
1
0
17. Quenneville, John
C 6'1
186 Edmonton, AB
20. Robinson, Chad
C 5'11" 182 Minnedosa, MB
Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014 Eligible 2014
LW 5'8"
156 Calgary, AB
Eligible 2015
34 Dominic Thom
D
2
0
1
1
3
Pos Ht
Wt
NHL Draft
28 Quintin Lisoway
C
3
0
1
1
2
11. Green, Taylor
LD 6'7"
224 Port Coquitlam, BC
Eligible 2014
10 Kord Pankewicz
D
3
0
1
1
4
9. Hunter, Rene
RD 6'1"
208 Ebb & Flow, MB
Eligible 2014
12 Jesse Gabrielle
LW
1
0
0
0
0
10. Pankewicz, Kord
LD 5'11" 202 Drayton Valley, AB
Eligible 2014
2. Pulock, Ryan
RD 6'1"
218 Grandview, MB
NYI '13
11 Taylor Green
D
1
0
0
0
0
7. Roy, Eric
LD 6'3"
195 Beauval, SK
CGY '13
27 Brett Kitt
LW
1
0
0
0
0
34. Thom, Dominic
LD 6'2.5" 186 Calgary, AB
Eligible 2014
6 Riley Van Horne
D
1
0
0
0
0
6. Van Horne, Riley
LD 6'1"
175 Calgary, AB
Eligible 2014
3 Nick Walters
D
1
0
0
0
-1
3. Walters, Nick
LD 6'2"
202 St. Albert, AB
STL '12
5. Waltz, Colton
LD 6' 1" 187 Vermillion, AB
22. Shmyr, Braylon Defenceman (9)
Hometown
Eligible 2014
Name 35 Curtis Honey
GP GAA W 3
3.68
L 2
OTL SOL SAV% 1
0
0 0.911
Prince Albert Raiders Game Notes RAIDER REVIEW: The Prince Albert Raiders took a barnburner victory, 8-6 over the Brandon Wheat Kings at the Art Hauser Centre last night. 19-year-old centre Carson Perreaux scored his first career hat trick and added an assist for good measure, to top his hometown team. 16-year-old forward Matteo Gennaro opened the scoring, with 18-year-old forward Leon Draisaitl and Perreaux extending the Raiders lead to 4-0 before the first intermission. The Wheaties got on the board to start the second, but 18-year-old, forward Craig Leverton and defenceman Josh Morrissey each scored their first goals of the season to take a 6-1 lead. Brandon fought back, however, 3 consecutive goals before Morrissey added another. The ‘Kings kept coming, scoring another pair to get within one, but Perreaux’s empty netter sealed the victory for the Green and Gold. VS. WHEAT KINGS: The Raiders posted a 4-2-0-0 record against Brandon last season, including a 2-1-0-0 record at the Art Hauser Centre. Leon Draisaitl led the attack on the Wheat Kings in 2012-2013, with a goal and 6 assists against the Raiders’ East Division rival. The Raiders are 1-0-0-0 against Brandon so far this season. SIZZLING START: The Raiders are 3-0-0-0 to start the season for the first time since 2002-2003, scoring 20 goals to lead the league in scoring to start the year. LETTERED LEADERS: The team announced on Thursday that 18-year-old defenceman Josh Morrissey will be the Raiders’ new captain, with 20-year-old blueliner Dylan Busenius, 19-year-old forward Shane Danyluk and 18-year-old pivot Leon Drasaitl serving as the alternates. IMMEDIATE IMPACT: 16-year-old forward Matteo Gennaro is currently tied for second in WHL Rookies scoring with 4 points in 3 games. He is tied for first in Rookie goals, with 2, as well as plus/minus among first year players, with a plus-4 rating. MAKING THE LIST: 18-year-old imports, forward Leon Draisaitl and defenceman Tomas Andrlik, both made the preliminary ‘Players to Watch” list released by NHL Central Scouting earlier this week, with Draisaitl being listed one of seven WHL players in the “A” category and Andrlik being placed in the “C” category. ROSTER BREAKDOWN: The Raiders roster currently consists of 24 players, including 14 forwards, 8 defencemen and 2 goaltenders. The age breakdown is as follows: three 20-year-olds, eight 19-year-olds, six 18-year-olds, four 17-year-olds and three 16-year-olds. Alberta leads the way as the home of the most Raiders players, with 12 current players hailing from the province, while 2 are from British Columbia, 5 are home-grown Saskatchewan products, a pair of Manitobans, as well as a player from each the United States, Germany and the Czech Republic. EARLY PRAISE: The Raiders were ranked 3rd overall in the pre-season BMO Canadian Hockey League rankings this week, and were the top ranked team in the WHL, moving up from 6th spot last week. A HELPING HAND: 19-year-old forward Shane Danyluk, 18-year-old pivot Leon Draisaitl and 16-year-old defenceman Brendan Guhle are three of only six players in the WHL to have recorded shorthanded assists so far this season. UPCOMING GAMES: The Raiders will play their next two games at the Art Hauser Centre against the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings on October 2nd and 4th, respectively. They travel to Swift Current on October 5th before returning home to host the Vancouver Giants on October the 8th.
Brandon Wheat Kings Game Notes Brandon Game Notes: The Brandon Wheat Kings look to rebound from their first loss of the 2013-2014 regular season Saturday night when they complete weekend doubleheader in Prince Albert. The Wheat Kings came back from 4-0 and 6-1 deficits but came up short in an 8-6 loss to the Raiders on Friday night. Eric Roy led Brandon offensively with a goal and two assists while Richard Nejezchleb and Tim McGauley had a goal and an assist each.
Injury Report: None
Roster Moves: The Wheat Kings assigned D Kale Clague to Lloydminster (AMHL) and F Duncan Campbell to Brandon (MMHL) earlier this week, reducing their roster to 26 players (15 forwards, nine defencemen and two goaltenders). That includes blueliner Ryan Pulock, who remains with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
Drafted Players: D Ryan Pulock (NY Islanders, 1st Round, 15th overall in 2013; D Eric Roy (Calgary Flames, 5th Round, 135th overall in 2013); D Nick Walters (St. Louis, 4th Round, 116th overall in 2012).
Raiders/Wheat Kings’ Revisited: The Raiders lead the season series between the two teams after their 8-6 win on Friday. That was the first of six meetings between Prince Albert and Brandon during the 2013-2014 WHL regular season. Last year, Brandon went 2-4-0-0 against Prince Albert including a 1-2-0-0 mark at the Art Hauser Centre. Over the last six seasons (including 2013-2014), Brandon has a 19 -12-0-2 mark against the Raiders, 7-8-0-2 in Prince Albert.
What’s New in 2013-2014: Kelly McCrimmon is back behind the Brandon bench this season after a two-year break, replacing Dwayne Gylywoychuk as the team’s head coach. McCrimmon has a 333-261-42 record in his 11-plus seasons as a WHL head coach. Brandon had another key off-ice change during the off-season. Longtime Director of Player Personnel Al MacPherson retiring from the position. Wade Klippenstein has taken over as the team’s Director of Scouting.
Off-Season Activity: It was a busy off-season for several Wheat Kings’ players. Ryan Pulock and Eric Roy were selected in the NHL Draft on June 30th, with Pulock becoming the first Brandon defenceman chosen in the first round since Wade Redden in 1995; Jayce Hawryluk helped Hockey Canada U18 team to a gold medal at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in August while Pulock took part in Hockey Canada’s Junior Team Summer Development Camp in August. In addition, Brandon’s top three picks in the 2013 Bantam Draft – Nolan Patrick, Kale Clague and Tanner Kaspick – attended the NHLPA’s AllState All-Canadians Mentorship Camp and Richard Nejezchleb attended the Pittsburgh Penguins Development Camp and Rookie Camp.
Did You Know: Rihards Bukarts scored his first career WHL goal on Friday night’s loss to Prince Albert…Eric Roy has seven points (1 G, 6 A) through the first three games of the regular season and is tied for the scoring lead among defencemen. Roy has had back-to-back three point games for the first time in his WHL career…D Taylor Green made his Brandon Wheat Kings’ debut on Friday. Green was acquired from Seattle in August for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft…D Colton Waltz had two assists Friday, the first multi-point game of his WHL career…former Wheat King Brad McCrimmon was inducted posthumously into Prince Albert’s Wall of Fame on Friday night. McCrimmon began his junior career with the SJHL’s Raiders (1974-1976) before spending three seasons in Brandon and 18 years in the NHL.
