The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), with the exception of two seasons in the mid-1960s when they played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The team was a successor to the Brandon Wheat City senior team that participated in the 1904 Stanley Cup Challenge, losing to the Ottawa Senators.

Brandon Wheat Kings
CityBrandon, Manitoba, Canada
LeagueWestern Hockey League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionEast
Founded1936 (1936)
Home arenaWestoba Place
ColoursGold, black, white
     
General managerMarty Murray[1]
Head coachMarty Murray
Websitewww.wheatkings.com
Franchise history
1936–1938Brandon Wheat Kings (MJHL)
1938–1940Brandon Elks (MJHL)
1940–1966Brandon Wheat Kings (MJHL)
1966–presentBrandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Championships
Regular season titles5 (1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1995–96, 2014–15)
Playoff championshipsEd Chynoweth Cup
3 (1979, 1996, 2016) Conference Championships
3 (2004–05, 2014–15, 2015—16)

The team was known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the late 1930s. They won eight Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior Champions in 1939, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1960, 1962, 1963, and 1964. They appeared in the Memorial Cup six times: 1949 (as an MJHL team), 1979, 1995, 1996, 2010, and 2016, losing each time. The team plays its home games at the Keystone Centre. They also played at Wheat City Arena until 1969, and the Manex Arena from 1969 to 1972. Between 1973 and 1980, the Wheat Kings owned and operated a farm team in the MJHL, called the Travellers.

The 1949 Brandon Wheat Kings won the Abbott Cup defeating the Calgary Buffaloes. They went on to lose the Memorial Cup to the Montreal Royals. The 1949 Brandon Wheat Kings were inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in the team category.

The Wheat Kings hold the CHL record for most points (125) in a single season, setting the mark in 1978–79.

The Western Hockey League announced on October 16, 2008, that the Wheat Kings had been chosen to host the 2010 Memorial Cup championship at the Keystone Centre.[2] They reached the final game, losing to the Windsor Spitfires.

The Brandon Wheat Kings mascot is Willie, a coyote/wild dog hybrid.

Season-by-season record edit

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1936–37 15 10 3 2 - 74 32 22 4th MJHL
1937–38 16 13 3 0 - 116 52 26 1st MJHL
1938–39 18 14 4 0 - 102 60 28 1st MJHL Won League
1939–40 24 10 10 4 - 99 95 24 4th MJHL
1940–45 Leave due to World War II
1945–46 10 7 2 1 - 102 35 15 2nd MJHL
1946–47 16 13 2 1 - 122 50 27 1st MJHL Won League
1947–48 24 15 9 0 - 115 99 30 2nd MJHL
1948–49 30 27 3 0 - 172 72 54 1st MJHL Won League, Won Abbott Cup
Lost Memorial Cup final
1949–50 36 27 9 0 - 181 113 54 1st MJHL Won League
1950–51 36 26 8 2 - 231 123 54 1st MJHL
1951–52 36 21 14 1 - 160 144 43 2nd MJHL
1952–53 36 24 11 1 - 164 123 49 1st MJHL
1953–54 36 13 22 1 - 132 151 27 2nd MJHL
1954–58 Granted Leave
1958–59 30 15 14 1 - 152 122 31 3rd MJHL
1959–60 32 23 6 3 - 185 79 49 1st MJHL Won League
1960–61 32 24 8 0 - 219 136 48 1st MJHL
1961–62 40 26 12 2 - 238 137 54 1st MJHL Won League
1962–63 39 32 7 0 - 206 124 64 1st MJHL Won League
1963–64 30 27 1 2 - 209 67 56 1st MJHL Won League
1964–65 56 30 21 5 - 230 216 65 3rd SJHL
1965–66 60 32 21 7 - 283 262 71 3rd SJHL
1966–67 57 47 9 1 - 416 178 95 2nd MJHL Lost Final
1967–68 60 21 33 6 - 238 279 48 8th Overall Lost quarter-final
1968–69 60 18 40 2 - 224 350 38 4th East Lost quarter-final
1969–70 60 23 34 3 - 234 272 49 4th East Lost quarter-final
1970–71 66 20 46 0 - 247 387 40 5th East Out of playoffs
1971–72 68 35 33 0 - 338 331 70 3rd East Lost semi-final
1972–73 68 29 30 9 - 307 304 67 4th East Lost quarter-final
1973–74 68 27 37 4 - 305 348 58 5th East Out of playoffs
1974–75 70 24 35 11 - 276 320 59 4th East Lost quarter-final
1975–76 72 34 30 8 - 341 303 76 2nd East Lost quarter-final
1976–77 72 54 10 8 - 447 242 116 1st East Lost final
1977–78 72 46 12 14 - 424 299 106 1st East Eliminated in divisional semi-final
1978–79 72 58 5 9 - 491 230 125 1st East Won championship
Lost Memorial Cup final
1979–80 72 33 37 2 - 319 343 68 5th East Eliminated in East Division semi-final
1980–81 72 29 40 3 - 342 352 61 6th East Lost East Division quarter-final
1981–82 72 34 38 0 - 372 413 68 5th East Lost East Division quarter-final
1982–83 72 21 51 0 - 327 460 42 7th East Out of playoffs
1983–84 72 44 26 2 - 463 246 90 3rd East Lost East Division semi-final
1984–85 72 17 54 1 - 264 481 35 8th East Out of playoffs
1985–86 72 24 46 2 - 324 438 50 7th East Out of playoffs
1986–87 72 19 49 4 - 282 443 42 8th East Out of playoffs
1987–88 72 26 43 3 - 348 371 55 6th East Lost East Division quarter-final
1988–89 72 25 43 4 - 286 331 54 7th East Out of playoffs
1989–90 72 28 38 6 - 276 325 62 7th East Out of playoffs
1990–91 72 19 51 2 - 265 380 40 8th East Out of playoffs
1991–92 72 11 55 6 - 246 356 28 8th East Out of playoffs
1992–93 72 43 25 4 - 347 258 90 2nd East Lost East Division quarter-final
1993–94 72 42 25 5 - 291 251 89 2nd East Lost East Division final
1994–95 72 45 22 5 - 315 235 95 1st East Lost final
Lost Memorial Cup semi-final
1995–96 72 52 19 1 - 369 231 105 1st East Won championship
Lost Memorial Cup semi-final
1996–97 72 47 24 1 - 339 208 95 1st East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1997–98 72 45 21 6 - 322 235 96 3rd East Lost final
1998–99 72 39 29 4 - 293 267 82 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1999–2000 72 25 38 4 5 212 260 59 6th East Out of playoffs
2000–01 72 32 32 5 3 244 242 72 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2001–02 72 43 23 4 2 261 210 92 1st East Lost Eastern Conference final
2002–03 72 43 17 9 3 258 187 98 1st East Lost Eastern Conference final
2003–04 72 28 32 9 3 230 224 68 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2004–05 72 45 21 5 1 255 199 96 1st East Lost final
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 30 32 6 4 218 259 70 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2006–07 72 41 20 3 8 258 214 94 1st East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2007–08 72 42 24 3 3 253 209 90 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2008–09 72 48 19 3 2 295 220 101 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference final
2009–10 72 50 18 1 3 321 204 104 1st East Lost Eastern Conference final
Lost Memorial Cup final
2010–11 72 32 31 1 8 281 275 73 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2011–12 72 39 28 1 4 273 257 83 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2012–13 72 24 40 4 4 189 284 56 6th East Out of playoffs
2013–14 72 34 29 6 3 271 269 77 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2014–15 72 53 11 4 4 340 219 114 1st East Lost final
2015–16 72 48 18 4 2 319 197 102 1st East Won championship
Lost Memorial Cup round-robin
2016–17 72 31 31 7 3 225 247 72 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2017–18 72 40 27 3 2 272 255 85 4th East Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2018–19 68 31 29 4 4 230 243 70 4th East Out of playoffs
2019–20 63 35 22 4 2 227 173 76 3rd East Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 24 18 4 2 0 104 61 38 1st East No playoffs held
2021–22 68 35 28 3 2 218 242 75 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2022–23 68 26 33 8 1 212 242 61 5th East Out of Playoffs
2023–24 68 33 28 6 1 225 244 73 3rd East TBD

WHL Championship history edit

Current roster edit

Updated January 26, 2024.[3]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Drafted
17   Joby Baumuller RW R 16 2022 Wilcox, Saskatchewan Eligible 2025
64   Carson Bjarnason G L 18 2021 Carberry, Manitoba 2023, 51st Overall, PHI
2   Jackson Desouza D R 21 2023 Erie, Colorado Undrafted
7   Charlie Elick D R 18 2021 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2024
1   Ethan Eskit G L 18 2021 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2024
25   Nolan Flamand RW L 20 2023 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Undrafted
10   Caleb Hadland C L 18 2021 Sylvan Lake, Alberta Eligible 2024
67   Matthew Henry LW L 19 2022 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Undrafted
74   Brett Hyland (A) LW L 21 2018 Edmonton, Alberta 2023, 200th Overall, WSH
26   Nicholas Johnson C R 19 2024 Calgary, Alberta Undrafted
19   Carter Klippenstein C L 17 2021 Lethbridge, Alberta Eligible 2025
44   Andrei Malyavin D L 20 2022 Voronezh, Russia Undrafted
8   Quinn Mantei (A) D L 18 2020 Weyburn, Saskatchewan Undrafted
35   Dylan McFadyen G R 15 2023 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2027
13   Roger McQueen C R 17 2021 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2025
88   Matteo Michels C R 18 2023 Colleyville, Texas Undrafted
82   Dominik Petr C L 18 2023 Ostrava, Czech Republic Undrafted
5   Rhett Ravndahl D R 19 2024 Birch Hills, Saskatchewan Undrafted
18   Rylen Roersma C L 19 2019 Lethbridge, Alberta Undrafted
27   Luke Shipley D R 19 2022 Powell River, British Columbia Undrafted
6   Seth Tansem D R 18 2023 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2024
20   Hayden Wheddon C L 18 2023 Stonewall, Manitoba Undrafted
14   Jayden Wiens C L 20 2023 Carrot River, Saskatchewan Undrafted

Team records edit

Team records for a single season
Statistic Total Season
Most points 125 1978–79
Most wins 58 1978–79
Most goals for 491 1978–79
Fewest goals for 212 1999–2000
Fewest goals against 187 2002–03
Most goals against 481 1984–85
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic Player Total Season
Most goals Ray Ferraro 108 1983–84
Most assists Brian Propp 112 1977–78
Most points Brian Propp 194 1978–79
Most points, rookie Brian Propp 135 1976–77
Most points, defenceman Cam Plante 140 1983-84
Best GAA (goalie) Tyler Plante 2.58 2004–05
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

NHL alumni edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Wheat Kings hire Marty Murray as General Manager". Wheat Kings. August 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Brandon Wheat Kings to host 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup". WHL. October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.[dead link]
  3. ^ Brandon Wheat Kings, Brandon Wheat Kings, retrieved January 26, 2024
  • 2005–06 WHL Guide

External links edit