The best U18 male hockey players in Canada will be in Brandon next spring competing for a national title, as Brandon has officially been named the host city for the 2027 TELUS Cup. The Brandon U18 AAA Wheat Kings will be the host team.
At a press conference at the Keystone Centre, which will be the host venue for the event, organizers were joined by Mayor Jeff Fawcett, MLA Glen Simard, and members of both past and present U18 AAA Wheat Kings teams, including several members of the team that won silver at the 2024 TELUS Cup.
“We used to be a host centre, and I think that’s what we need to return to,” said Dan Trotter, chair of the host committee. “It’s all about community. Hosting these events brings people (together), it gives them something to do, something to watch, and something to get involved in.”
A months-long process of putting together a bid, headed up by former AAA Wheat King and longtime fixture in the hockey community Scott Hlady, culminated in what Hockey Canada told organizers was one of the best bids they’ve ever seen. And while there remains plenty of work to do in bringing together sponsors and volunteers, organizers are confident they can make this tournament one to remember.
“There were a lot of volunteers here today,” Trotter said, “and I wasn’t kidding when I said we’d need several hundred volunteers. It’s a week-long event. I think it’s great for the community. It puts us on the map again that we can actually pull this off. And this facility is second to none. It has everything you’d want to host an event like this. We’re really looking forward to it.”
Dan Trotter, chair of the host committee, delivers his remarks at the official announcement. (Photo by Rob Mahon)
From an on-ice perspective, the U18 AAA Wheat Kings shape up to be a quality host team. In addition to their appearance at the 2024 TELUS Cup, the team is a perennial contender in the Manitoba U18 AAA ranks.
“We feel that we’re a very competitive team year after year,” said general manager and board member Mike Brolund. “We’ve got a lot of U15 players coming to camp and trying out that won a championship last year. The U17 team that won a championship last year as well, we’ve got those players coming to camp. We’re hoping to have a really competitive camp with players battling for spots. Then it’s going to depend on who’s coming back from junior camps.”
Regardless of who returns from the junior ranks, the AAA Wheat Kings can count on plenty of experience among their staff members. Several of them, including head coach Travis Mealey, were with the team that went to Nova Scotia for the national tournament in 2024.
“They’ve all been there and they saw firsthand what is involved day-to-day,” Brolund said. “The hockey is one thing, but it’s the day-to-day, the meals, the mental preparation and how to get ready for it, and now being able to do that while getting to sleep in your own bed, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
The TELUS Cup will run from April 19 to 2025.
