When the Wheat Kings acquired Nolan Flamand from the Kelowna Rockets on January 10 of 2023, neither he nor the team knew exactly how good they were about to have it. Both would be more than happy with the move by the time Flamand’s career was over.
Flamand suited up in 162 games as a Wheat King, amassing 127 points, and led the team in both regular season and playoff scoring in 2024-25. In other words, the change of scenery turned out to be just the thing for him.
“When I got traded here, it was a time when I was still trying to figure out who I was,” said Flamand. “I was very grateful to come here and have the opportunity to reset in my career. Mentally, when I allowed myself to do that, it brought on this last year and even the year before, when I got back into my zone and got to be free and have fun with it. I think it showed and I’m pretty proud of myself.”
Having fun with it has been a huge part of Flamand’s philosophy, and no player was more visibly having fun than he was. His cheers when his teammates scored could sometimes be audible from the press box. His run-on-ice celebration when Giorgos Pantelas scored his first WHL goal became one of the made-for-video moments of the Wheat Kings’ season. And his enthusiasm for every day in both games and practices was infectious.
“I was just glad to meet all the great guys we had and be part of a great organization,” Flamand said. “The season could’ve gone either way better than it did or way worse, and it played out how it was supposed to be. It sucks that it got cut short, but I have a lot of great memories with all the guys. I hope the best for everybody else and I’m excited for what my future brings as well.”
Flamand was more than a source of laughs off the ice, however, he was also a source of stability on it. After sitting out the home opener as the Wheat Kings resolved their 20-year-old situation, he played in al 67 remaining games, hitting career highs across the offensive board. He led the team with 68 points on the season, but was quick to give credit to the young players for their contributions.
“I was so proud of everybody,” said Flamand. “I’m so proud of our rookies being able to take such a big leap in their careers. Because of injuries, a lot of guys had to take a big step that was almost too soon for them but they all accomplished it so well and did everything they needed to do. From our veterans, I was so proud of our 19 and 20-year-olds, how with injuries we’d be down and maybe looked out of it but were able to battle back in the tough situations. I was so proud of everyone and I think that’s why we came together so well.”
In an extremely close locker room, there was a special kinship between 20-year-olds Flamand, Luke Shipley, and Marcus Nguyen. All were counted upon to lead the team through its toughest battles against the injury bug, and they finished first, second, and tied for third in team scoring.
“I’d seen Luke Shipley before when I was younger and never knew what kind of human being he was but meeting him now, he’ll be a great friend of mine,” said Flamand. “Marcus, I used to play with him back in the bantam days. He was pretty funny back then and he’s still funny now, and I was glad that I was able to cross paths with him again and have the spectacular year together that we did.”
Flamand took a moment to pause when asked what he’s going to remember most about his tenure as a Wheat King. Consistent with his approach to the season, the bonds with his fellow Wheat Kings were the first thing that came up.
“Getting teams like this, having bus trips, the meals, the shoe checks, the hotel fun that you have, it’s special,” he said. “I see why all the older guys told me to hold onto it. Once you go pro, it’s a way different lifestyle. Embracing it now, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to do that with.”
