When the Brandon Wheat Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2015-16, Manitoba natives Jayce Hawryluk and Nolan Patrick were the team’s two leading scorers. When they hosted the Memorial Cup in 2010, Brandonite Matt Calvert was the team’s co-leading scorer in the regular season and their captain. The list of Manitoba natives to help the Wheat Kings to some of the biggest moments in their history is long and storied, and the Wheat Kings hope it is soon to grow.
Bolstered by a group of players burning through the U18 AAA ranks in the province, the Wheat Kings group of top prospects in Manitoba looks poised to help the team to big things for years to come. Four of those players have already signed with the team and appeared in games for the Wheat Kings this season.
“You just have to look down the road here to the U18 team in Brandon where they’ve got the best line in the league,” said head coach and GM Marty Murray. “They’re producing and winning, and I think that’s a big thing for us, that winning mindset. That’s going to be huge.”
That top line Murray mentioned for the U18 Wheat Kings is Jaxon Jacobson, Easton Odut, and Brady Turko, who have torched the AAA ranks all season long. Odut made his Wheat Kings debut last season and has played seven games this year as well, while Jacobson and Turko each made their debuts this season. Jacobson’s debut quickly went viral after he scored twice in his first WHL game.
“First and foremost, you have to get a good player,” Murray said. “It’s obviously nice to have players who are local, but you’ve got to make sure they’re the right players. Some of the guys under our umbrella are guys that are going to be good players for us down the road.”
Jacobson leads the way with a jaw-dropping, league-leading 65 points in 24 games. Turko follows closely behind with 61 points in 32 games, while Odut, who began the year in the WHL, has an impressive 40 points in 27 games. They’re not alone on that AAA squad either, as Ethan Stewart, who attended Wheat Kings training camp this past fall, has 43 points in 33 games himself.
“We’ve had a lot of local products that have earned their time with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and some of them have gone on to do bigger things in hockey,” said Pete Gerlinger, a former Brandon University standout and now the Wheat Kings’ colour commentator. “I really have always credited Brandon Minor Hockey and the coaches that went through the system. I was part of that coaching system for many, many years and there are some phenomenal coaches that dedicate their time to working with these kids.”
The potential future Manitobans on the Wheat Kings aren’t limited to just the Brandon area either. Dylan McFadyen of Winnipeg signed his WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement earlier this week and has been backing up Ethan Eskit the last several games. McFadyen has put up an impressive 0.919 save percentage in his first year of U18 hockey.
“When teams come into Brandon, you see there’s a lot of Manitoba influence on teams that are doing really well,” Murray said. “There are a lot of good players everywhere. We need to look in our own back yard first and if they meet the criteria we want a Wheat King to be, we give them consideration.”
The next home game for the Wheat Kings comes on Friday, February 2 when they host the Red Deer Rebels.
(Article courtesy of the Brandon Wheat Kings)
