GAME 40 PREVIEW | Free ticket on the line as Blades host Wheat Kings

GAME 40 PREVIEW | Free ticket on the line as Blades host Wheat Kings

Key Players, Notable Stats, How to Watch and More

It’s Wednesday, and there’s a Saskatoon Blades game. That can only mean one thing.

Winning Wednesday is back at SaskTel Centre! Fans know the drill; if the Blades defeat the Brandon Wheat Kings in any fashion, every fan in attendance walks home with a FREE ticket voucher to our next home game! You won’t need to wait long to redeem is as the next home game is Friday, Jan. 16 against the Swift Current Broncos.

We want to remind fans our Winning Wednesday procedure to receive your free voucher is now completely digital. If the Blades win, stick around after the final horn and scan the QR code on screen to take advantage of the free ticket voucher. Fans will NOT be able to redeem a physical copy at the rink or The FEZ.

The Blades have won four of their last five games. The Bridge City Bunch hope to return to the win column following a 3-1 loss at home on Friday against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Blades have outscored opponents 15-5 in their four wins since the Christmas break, two of which came against Brandon. Saskatoon is up 3-2 in the eight-game season series and have won two straight versus the Wheat Kings.

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Standings

Ranked

The trio of Cooper Williams, Zach Olsen, and Brayden Klimpke have cracked NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings.

Williams ranked 42nd amongst North American skaters. The 2024-25 Western Hockey League (WHL) Rookie of the Year finalist is second in team scoring this season with 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 37 games. The 17-year-old centre has 91 points (34G, 57A) in 105 career WHL games. Williams was listed as a “B” rated prospect in Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings, indicating a second or third round pick.

Behind Williams at 43 is fellow Calgary, AB product Olsen. The 6-foot-1 winger set a new career-high in scoring this season with 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 38 games. Olsen put the league on notice with a four-goal game on December 9 on the road against the Moose Jaw Warriors. The right-handed shot was named first star in the 9-3 win, becoming the first Blade to record four goals in one period since the internet era began. The performance also marked Olsen’s first career hat-trick.

Klimpke is slotted at 79. The 2007-born defender leads the team in assists with 26 in 39 games, adding three goals along with them. The sophomore blueliner has seven goals and 51 assists for 58 points in 111 career games. Both Klimpke and Olsen were previously given “C” ratings by Central Scouting in their preliminary rankings.

Polling the rope

Sophomore defenceman Isaac Poll scored his first goal of the season in the 3-1 loss to Edmonton. Saskatoon’s 2022 first-round pick cut the Oil Kings’ lead in half in the dying seconds of the second period. The tally snapped a 30-game goalless drought dating back to last season for Poll. The 6-foot-3 defender returned to the lineup after the Christmas break after missing 25 games due to a lower-body injury. Poll has a goal and an assist with a +6 rating in 14 games this season.

The good guys

Calgary Flames draft pick Hunter Laing leads the team in scoring with 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points in 36 games. Alternate captain Rowan Calvert has the most goals on the team at 21 and a team-leading ten coming on the man-advantage. Second-year defenceman Jordan Martin has the best +/- at +9. Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Evan Gardner has a 15-9-2-1 record between the pipes with a .903 SV%, 2.83 GAA, and two shutouts.

The opposition

The Wheat Kings have lost five straight, getting outscored 23-8. Tonight’s the second half of a back-to-back for the Wheat Kings. Brandon lost 5-2 last night at the Art Hauser Centre to the East Division’s top Prince Albert Raiders.