Brandon Wheat Kings
#2, 1175 18th St
Brandon, Manitoba
R7A 7C5
204-726-3535
Notable Former Wheat Kings
Brett Girard
Aaron Goldade 
Chris Dingman
Kelly Smart
Darren VanOene
Milan Bartovic
Dan Tetrault
Wheat Kings Message Board
2001-2002 Season Preview
Losses to:
Overage: Aaron Goldade, Brett Girard, Jamie Hodson
Expansion Draft: Mark Ardelan
Goal: Geoff McIntosh '83, Kristen Toews '83, Robert McVicar '82 (?).
Will he attend school or will McVicar play for the Wheaties? If not, a trade or leap of faith that either McIntosh or Toews can handle the load will be in order...just another reason why the Wheaties will struggle this season.
Defence: Wade Skolney '81 (?), Nolan Yonkman '81 (?), Kevin Harris '82, Brett Thurston '82, Brett Dickie '83,
Regan Leslie '83, Travis Young '83.
If both Skolney and Yonkman were to return, the defence would be okay; but with likely only Skolney back, some depth would be welcome. Harris, Thurston, Dickie and Leslie are capable, but a mobile d-man who can consistently move the puck out of his own zone would be an upgrade. Some size and toughness is another asset the Wheaties could use on the back end.
Forwards: Randy Ponte '81 (?), Travis Eagles '81 (?), Milan Bartovic '81 (?), J.D. Kehler '81 (?),
Ryan Craig '82, Ryan Diduck '82, Jari Jakes '82, Colin McCrae '82, Richard Mueller '82, Jordin Tootoo '83,
James Marquis '83, Houston Hair '83, Tim Konsorada '84, Lance Monych '84, Caine Pierpoint '84.
With the probable loss of Bartovic, though he missed a lot of games, the Wheaties will lose some offence; and with Ponte pondering his future it would be a big loss of leadership if he were to quit. The Wheaties won't have any big point producers, but they should be able to grind out some offence. Jakes will be better with a year under his belt, and promising youngsters Marquis, Konsorada and Monych should put up some points. Craig, Diduck and Tootoo will work hard and be physical, with Tootoo adding some offence as well. The forwards should be the strength of the Wheaties this year as they have a little depth.
Europeans: A scorer who can replace Bartovic, but hopefully one who is more durable.
Overagers: Pray that Ponte returns, and if he does it should be Ponte, Skolney and Eagles, though Kehler may edge out Eagles if offence is required. I would look for McCrimmon to upgrade over Eagles or Kehler if he can.
About the Wheat Kings
Although the Wheat Kings were born in the forties, the city of Brandon had been blessed with a number of fine junior teams over the years. Among them the Elks and Native Suns.
After a loss to Montreal in the 1949 Memorial Cup, the Wheat Kings continued their winning ways in the fifties by capturing the Manitoba Junior League title three times and finishing second in the Western Canadian finals. Because of increased travel, the Wheat Kings left the MJHL in 1954 and spent five years playing Intermediate "A". It was former Vancouver Canucks' general manager Jake Milford, who was the key in bringing the Wheaties back into the junior hockey business in 1958.
In the early sixties, Brandon won five more MJHL titles and earned the right to play in three western finals. Then came 1967, the Wheat Kings were admitted to the new Western Canada Hockey League where they've been ever since.
The '67-68 team was coached by Elliott Chorley and featured such players as netminder Ted Temple, defenceman Terry Marshall and forwards Ray Brownlee, Jack Borotsik and Larry Romanychuk.
Ron Chipperfield
Robbie Neale The first few seasons were lean years for the hockey club, despite the contributions of former stars Ron Chipperfield, Robbie Neale and Rick Blight. The highlights of the early going including the team's first winning season in '71-72, the record breaking goal scoring exploits of the Minnedosa Bomber (Chipperfield), and the opening of the brand new 5,000 seat Keystone Centre in 1972.
By the mid seventies, the Wheat Kings had gone through a rash of coaches with minimal success. Then came former Wheat King, ex-NHLer Dunc McCallum and the rest as they say is history.
With limited experience behind the bench, McCallum, who had a great eye for talent, learned quickly and it wasn't long before the Wheaties were the talk of western Canada.
Brian Propp 1976 proved to be a turning point of sorts for a franchise that had advanced past the opening round of the playoffs on just one occasion. One of the best forward lines ever to be assembled in the WHL, the combination of Ray Allison, Bill Derlago and Brian Propp finished 1-2-3 in the scoring race and helped carry the Wheats to their first ever league final, only to lose to the New Westminster Bruins in the championship.
The '76-77 campaign was the first of what turned out to be three consecutive division titles. Capping off the stretch was the '78-79 campaign when Brandon rolled to a record breaking 58-5-9 record.
After defeating Portland four games to two to claim it's first ever President's Cup, Brandon joined the Trois Riviers Draveurs and the Peterborough Petes at the Memorial Cup Tournament in Montreal. After posting a 2-2 round robin record, the Wheaties dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime decision to the Petes in the Memorial Cup sudden death final. Despite the loss, four Brandon players were chosen to the tournament all star team - Laurie Boschman, Ray Allison, Brad McCrimmon and goalkeeper Bart Hunter, a pre-tournament addition from Portland. Ron Hextall With the exception of the '83-84 season when Brandon boasted the likes of goal scoring machine Ray Ferraro and all star goalkeeper Ron Hextall, the eighties were not kind to western Manitoba's team. However, as disappointing as the eighties were for the franchise, the nineties have been anything but. After winning just eleven games in '91-92, general manager Kelly McCrimmon, the chief architect of the club's rebuilding program, hired former Regina Pats' captain Bob Lowes and as a result, the club has now gone six straight seasons with at least forty wins - one shy of the league record. Under Lowes, the Wheat Kings have won a league title, made two appearances at the Memorial Cup and has captured three of the last four eastern conference championships. Since Kamloops hosted the 1995 Cup, Brandon earned the right to attend as the host team (having lost to the Blazers in the WHL final). However, the following year the Wheat Kings cruised to a 16-3 playoff record en route to a 4-1 series victory over Spokane in the league finals. Brandon went 2-2 at the '96 Memorial Cup in Peterborough, losing 4-3 to the hometown Petes in the sudden death semi-final. After an early exit in the '97 playoffs, Brandon rebounded this past season to win another conference title before losing out to Portland in the league final. Although the city of Brandon was blessed with a number of fine junior hockey clubs (Native Suns and Elks) in the thirties and forties, it wasn't until 1947 that the Wheat Kings were born. The Wheat Kings picked up in the fifties where they'd left off in 1949 (Memorial Cup finals) by capturing the Manitoba Junior League title three times and finishing second in the western finals. Because of increased travel, the Wheat Kings bowed out of the MJHL in 1954 and spent five years playing intermediate "A". Former Vancouver Canucks' general manager Jake Milford was instrumental in getting the Wheat Kings back into the junior hockey business in '58.
In the early sixties, Brandon won five MJHL titles and played in three western Canadian finals. In 1967, the Wheat Kings joined the Western Canada Hockey League and have been a member ever since.
Former Wheat Kings to make it to the National Hockey League have included the likes of Walter "Turk" Broda, Bryan and Ron Hextall, Ted Taylor, Gordie Lane, Bill Fairbairn, Juda Widing, Larry Brown, Butch Deadmarsh, Ron Chipperfield, Rick Blight, John Paddock, Glen Hanlson, Bill Derlago, Dave Semenko, Brad McCrimmon, Brian Propp, Laurie Boschman, Steve Patrick, Wade Redden, Trevor Kidd, Terry Yake, Dean Kennedy and Jeff Odgers.
CITY OF BRANDON:
In May of 1881 General Thomas Rosser chose a location for a major divisional point of the CPR and named it "Brandon" for the nearby Brandon hills. The townsite grew so rapidly that it never attained the status of a village nor a town but became a city overnight.
Situated in the southwestern corner of the province, the city which is 130 km west of Winnipeg is located near the geographical center of Canada. There's approximately 42,000 residents in Brandon with an estimated training area population of 200,000.
Two-thirds of Manitoba's farmland is located within an 80 mile radius of Brandon. A broad range of agricultural products are grown there including cattle, hogs, chickens, geese, ducks, eggs, wheat, barley, corn, sunflower, canola and flax. Theres little doubt that agriculture is considered the backbone of the local economy and as a result many ag-related businesses, industries are located there.
Besides serving as host for the 19991 and '94 World Youth Baseball Championships, Brandon was site of the '97 Canada Summer Games.