ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: FORMER CAPTAIN MACOY ERKAMPS
(Courtesy of Perry Bergson, The Brandon Sun) — On May 13, 2016, Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison handed the Ed Chynoweth Cup to Brandon Wheat Kings captain Macoy Erkamps.
It was 9:42 p.m. local time in Kent, Wash., 11:42 p.m. at home in Brandon.
“It was just picture perfect for me,” Erkamps said of that moment. “It was my last year, I ended up signing an NHL contract, which you dream of, having such a great group of guys and staff, and doing it in front of the fans. It was just the perfect moment.”
The Wheat Kings had just defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds in Game 5 of the WHL final with a large number of cheering Wheat King fans in attendance.
Now 22 and toiling with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL, Erkamps remembers the road to a title wasn’t without its share of bumps.
“With the injuries and stuff that we had, we kind of beared down and it all worked out in the end, but it definitely wasn’t easy, that’s for sure,” Erkamps said. “There were some hardships.”
The playoffs didn’t start according to anyone’s plan from the Wheat Kings. The Edmonton Oil Kings swept the first two games in Brandon, putting the Wheat Kings in a massive hole as they headed to Edmonton for the next three.
“In the end, I think that was a big part of why we came together and did so well after that,” Erkamps said.
Brandon swept the contests in Edmonton and took Game 6 back in Brandon to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Erkamps also signed with the Ottawa Senators during the week when the team was in Edmonton, adding to the playoffs’ dream-like quality for the product of Delta, B.C.
After facing a big, hard-working Edmonton team, the Moose Jaw Warriors offered a completely different challenge in the second round, with two of the top snipers in the WHL in Brayden Point and Dryden Hunt.
“Shutting down Point was one of the biggest challenges that you could have in the WHL last year,” Erkamps said. “He was one of the best players in the league, if not the best. He brings a lot, and having (Brett) Howden and obviously Hunt, who can score from anywhere, shutting down those guys was tough. But we really committed to doing that job and I think our scoring kind of prevailed. Our focus on defence didn’t really take away from our offence.”
Brandon would win in five games.
Another different challenge lay ahead in the Eastern Conference final with the Red Deer Rebels, who would host the Memorial Cup. They were big, skilled and physical.
“That was the playoff series we were expecting from them,” Erkamps said. “They were physical and were going to play us hard. They knew we had a lot of scoring depth, so they were maybe finishing their checks more. It felt like that series physically was probably the hardest series of them all. It can kind of wear on you mentally, but we faced a lot of adversity and I think that really helped us in that series.”
Brandon would go on to win in five for the second series in a row, after suffering blowout losses in Game 3 to both Moose Jaw and Red Deer.
The league final offered a blend of the Wheat Kings’ last two series, with the high-end skill of Matt Barzal and a big, punishing group of Seattle forwards and defencemen.
The key to the series would prove to be Brandon winning the first three games, all by scores of 3-2 in overtime.
“Our guys stepped to a different notch in that series,” Erkamps said. “I think we brought our game to the highest peak. The Seattle series was definitely our strongest series.”
After dropping Game 4, Nolan Patrick broke a 4-4 tie early in the third period of Game 5 as the Wheat Kings went on to an 8-4 final and the league title. Jayce Hawryluk had three goals and two assists.
“To this point in my life, it’s probably the best team environment that I’ve ever had,” Erkamps said. “Winning in front of my family in my last year with that group of guys, it was something special. I’ll never forget it.”
Erkamps has texted back and forth with his former defensive partner, Ivan Provorov, who is now toiling in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Erkamps also made a point of congratulating the team’s award winners after their regular-season finale.
Last season was also a career year for Erkamps, who scored 13 goals and added 58 assists, more than doubling his previous career high of 32 points. He posted a plus-minus of plus-47.
“I went into that summer knowing that it was going to be a big year for me because it was my last year in junior and my last chance to prove to myself that I could do something with it,” Erkamps said. “I was fortunate enough to end up on such a good team with a great bunch of guys. They definitely helped on the way to where I’m at right now.”
Erkamps played 58 games in the ECHL this past year, scoring six goals and adding 19 assists. He also played eleven games with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League.
He admits it’s been an adjustment playing in the ECHL, which is a step below the AHL.
“It took a little while to get used to,” Erkamps said. “You obviously want to be in the highest league possible. There’s a little bit of disappointment but I took it with open arms and played well for a bit and got called up and saw some good opportunities. I’ve been working to get better down here.”
He’s played a lot of minutes recently and thinks it has helped his development.
There’s also the transition away from the rink. After being very well cared for by his Brandon billets Paula and Derek Thiessen (and their children Carter, Mckenna and Rylan), he now lives with another player in an apartment provided by the team.
“It makes you grow up a lot faster, let me tell you,” Erkamps chuckled. “Doing my own laundry, I got pretty spoiled with my billets in Brandon. Being more adult is the way I would put it. Making your own meals and trying not to eat out every single time, stuff like that.”
He said the nature of pro hockey and the movement of players makes the teams not as tight as junior squads.
As a result, he said the team success and the friendships he forged will always make the Wheat City special.
“Once you experience two playoff runs in that atmosphere, you kind of think of Brandon as your second home.”
