Before training camp opened in 2025, Wheat Kings’ staffers were adamant they wanted a competitive camp with plenty of opportunities for undrafted players to play their way onto the radar or even onto the team. They got that competition, and the pleasant surprises that came with it, and they’re predicting more of the same for 2026.
85 players, divided into four teams, will occupy the ice at Assiniboine Credit Union Place beginning on Thursday night and running right through the weekend, culminating in the Black and Gold Game on Sunday. The expectation, even the insistence, is that they will come with their work boots on.
“I think that just our roster and listed players alone will make it very competitive,” said director of hockey operations Chris Moulton. “And then we have the addition of a lot of non-listed, non-roster players coming in that are capable. We have some really good junior-aged kids that are coming in that are going to push and we have some really good U18 kids that are going to come in and push, and that’s just to make our hockey team, never mind some of the young guys coming in to earn list spots. I think this might be our most competitive camp yet.”
Last year’s camp and roster are evidence that Moulton is dead serious when he talks about players earning spots on either the list or the team. Forward Gunnar Gleasman and defenseman Max Lavoie both earned spots on the Wheat Kings last season, with Gleasman returning as a 19-year-old. Carson Ralph, meanwhile, went from an unlisted invitee to a signed player before the preseason. In other words, no one is here just to fill a space on a checklist.
“My thing is, whatever we saw in you as a player, keep doing that,” Moulton said. “If you’re a hard worker, 200-foot guy, be that guy, compete and be hard to play against. If you’re a goal scorer, shoot the puck. The kids just have to do what they’ve done to get themselves here, then they should be ok.”
As was the case last season, the Wheat Kings have invited several players with Junior A experience to camp (Lavoie was one such player last season) and as was the case in 2025, they are there with the aim of cracking the roster. The battle between those players for roster spots will be one of many in-camp storylines.
“They’re coming to play, they’re not camp invites,” said Moulton. “That was the selling pitch for a lot of those kids. I’m not filling camp by adding an 18 or 19-year-old junior player, I’m bringing them in to push to be on our team. I really like the group of those guys coming in, guys that play with skill but are really competitive. They’re going to make camp really exciting.”
Fans will not be familiar with every name on the list of invitees, but there will be plenty they do recognize, including Colten Worthington, a former standout with the U18 AAA Wheat Kings who ripped up the MJHL last season with the Virden Oil Capitals. He spent most of 2024-25 with the Saskatoon Blades, where offense was hard to come by, but he rediscovered his touch to say the least with the Oil Capitals, posting 61 points in 48 games.
“He’s got his confidence back,” Moulton said. “Sometimes, when guys come to the league and it doesn’t work out, it takes a little time for them to go back and start really liking hockey again. When he went back to the Manitoba Junior League, it took a bit but he got back to a place where he was comfortable. He played a lot more, and he got his mojo back a bit. For a kid like that, as a 19-year-old coming in it’s a tough road ahead for him, but he’s worthy of an opportunity. He’s played in the league and he’s a good kid.”
Another battle to keep an eye on: the duel for spots up and down the roster among the 2009-born players who weren’t with the team full-time last year. Because a lot of the team’s 2009-born prospects got their feet wet last season, and many of them had fantastic, even record setting seasons in AAA. Now as 17-year-olds, those full time spots are there for the taking, and with the class of 2009-born players seemingly so strong, it should make for some intense battles.
“They came in as kids and now they’re young men trying to make our hockey team,” said Moulton. “I’ve spoken to every one of those kids individually and said don’t come in trying to make our team, come in and try to be an impact player on our team. I think every one of those kids can play in our league, it’s about what they can bring to our program. They’ve gone from just being excited to be around to now having a goal to stay.”
Moulton added he’s excited to get his first in-person viewing of European imports Kristoff Muissu and Ilari Kapanen, both of whom have already arrived in Brandon.
