WHL East Division Recap

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The health benefits of kale are widely known.

Kale definitely did the Brandon Wheat Kings a world of good this week.

The Western Hockey League champs welcomed back 18-year-old defenceman Kale Clague back to the lineup.

Clague scored three points in each of this first three games of the season as the Wheat Kings won all three games to vault past the Saskatoon Blades in the East Division standings.

Clague was named the WHL and CHL player of the week after he tallied six points in two games over the weekend.

 

Pats stay hot; Mem Cup bid plans hit a snag

While much of the talk this week in the Queen City concerned the Regina Pats (9-0-3-0) Memorial Cup bid, the Pats extended their winning streak to five games and remain without a regulation time loss this season.

The Pats opened the week with a 4-2 win at home to Spokane and followed it by prevailing 8-5 in Medicine Hat in a wild contest.

Led by the most potent offence in the WHL, the Pats have moved into first place and are three points ahead of Swift Current. Austin Wagner had six points in the two games and Lane Zablocki notched a hat trick against the Tigers.

Pats 20-year-old captain Adam Brooks, the WHL’s reigning scoring champion, showed off his versatility by filling in on Regina’s injury-ravaged defence in both Pats wins this week. The Pats’ defence was missing James Hilsendager and Brady Pouteau this week.

While the team’s sights are firmly set on this season’s Memorial Cup, the organization is looking to host the centennial edition of the Memorial Cup in 2018. Those plans hit a snag.

The Pats’ lease for the Brandt Centre expired on May 31. The organization has been operating under the conditions of the previous five-year deal. Lease negotiations between the club and Regina Exhibition Association have been frequently fractious in years past.

The Pats need to have a lease in place by Oct. 31 in order to be able to bid on the 2018 Memorial Cup which coincides with the franchise’s 100th anniversary.

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Broncos lose three straight to finish trip

The Swift Current Broncos (8-4-1-1) will be happy to be back in the cozy confines of the Credit Union iPlex this week.

The Broncos finished their B.C. road trip with three straight losses which ended a streak of four-straight wins and seven straight games where they managed to earn at least a point.

The Broncos capped the trip with a 2-1 overtime loss to Vancouver, which came on the heels of a 9-2 loss in Victoria and a 5-4 loss to Kamloops.

Travis Child had started five of the first seven games in goal, but Taz Burman has gotten the nod in six of the last seven games as the 19-year-olds duel for the starting role.

The Broncos will play four straight home games this week starting by hosting Spokane and Seattle Friday and Saturday.

Warriors lose game and captain

It was a quiet week for the Moose Jaw Warriors. After taking the weekend off, the Warriors (7-3-2-2) only needed 28 seconds to grad a lead on the Spokane Chiefs.

Captain Brett Howden opened the scoring, but left the game in the first period with an apparent leg injury. The Chiefs scored twice in the first 1:08 of the second period and cruised to a 6-2 win.

Howden’s injury is not believed to be serious and he is expected to be available in the lineup Friday when the Warriors host Saskatoon.

The Warriors and Wheat Kings announced that they will complete Brandon’s home opener on February 8, 2017 at 6 p.m. at Westman Place.

Fog on Sept. 24 prevented the game from being completed. Action will resume with the Warriors enjoying a 2-1 lead with 5:37 left in the second period. The two teams will also their regularly scheduled game that same night.

Lewis enjoying a break-out start to season

The Wheat Kings (6-4-2-0) saw their four-game winning streak snapped in Red Deer Wednesday in a 6-2 loss.

Despite missing captain Nolan Patrick, they were able to pick up six points while playing four games in six nights. They opened the week with a 6-1 win over Lethbridge and followed it with a 6-0 win over Spokane. They hit the road for the first of four straight away from home and beat Edmonton 5-3.

Their only loss of the week was not the fault of Logan Thompson who made 51 saves to keep the score respectable against Red Deer.

Ty Lewis has been a big bright spot for the Wheat Kings so far. The 18-year-old finished with 23 points last season, but is currently riding a nine-game scoring streak. He had a hat trick against Spokane — which was his sixth straight game with at least a goal — and three assists against Edmonton. Lewis has eight goals and eight assists so far this season.

Tanner Kaspick has nine goals and seven assists in 11 games so far.

Brandon product Duncan Campbell, who was one of four overagers on the Wheat Kings roster, has decided to join the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League.

Blades struggling to score or win of latesaskatoon

Early in the season the Saskatoon Blades were finding a way to win a lot of low-scoring games. That hasn’t been the case of The Blades (6-6-1-0) only managed four goals in three games this week and lost them all.

The closed out their five-game B.C. road trip with a tight 2-1 loss to the front-running Prince George Cougars. Two nights earlier they lost 5-1 to Kamloops and then returned home and lost 6-2 to Spokane.

The Blades have only given up seven goals combined in their six wins this season.

Injuries continue to plague the Blades. Ryan Graham and Cameron Hebig still haven’t played this season. Jesse Shynkaruk, a 20-year-old forward missed the last two games, and young defenceman Jake Kustra has missed the last four games.

While the Blades were in Vancouver they swapped 18-year-old forwards with the Giants and allowed each to return home. The Blades deal Surrey, B.C. product Josh Bruce to the Giants for Sasaktoon’s Gage Ramsey.

Raiders playing tight games

The Prince Albert Raiders have played a lot of close, low-scoring games this season. They finished their week by winning one of them.

The Raiders (4-7-1-0) ended the three-game Alberta road trip with a 3-2 win in Calgary. They opened the week with 3-1 losses in Edmonton and Red Deer.

The Raiders also acquired 20-year-old left winger Cavin Leth from Seattle in exchange for 18-year-old right winger Zack Andrusiak and a third round pick in 2018.

Adam Kadlec, recently acquired from Prince George, scored his first Raiders’ goal in their win.

Nicholas Sanders made his Raiders debut in goal in Red Deer and made 32 saves in the loss.

Simon Stransky has seven goals this season, which accounts for 23.3 per cent of the Raiders’ 30 goals this season.