2010’s excited to join Wheaties
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
As excited as the Brandon Wheat Kings were to grab defenceman Cruz Jim in the Western Hockey League draft on Wednesday, the feeling was mutual.
With the 12th overall pick, which had originally belonged to the Portland Winterhawks before the 2024 deadline deal involving former Wheat Kings captain Nate Danielson, Brandon added the explosive young defenceman to its stable of prospects.
“I’m beyond excited,” Jim said. “It’s something you dream about for a long time. I know Brandon is a really great spot, the fans are really passionate about the small-town hockey and I know it’s a great atmosphere and they have a great organization. I’m super, super excited.”
Jim was born and raised in Grande Prairie, leaving two years ago to live in Edmonton and play for the highly successful Northern Alberta Xtreme program.
Jim began to skate around age four and began to play soon after.
“It’s taken off since then,” Jim said. “I’ve always loved it, I always loved the game.”
When he was younger, Jim tried a variety of sports, from soccer, baseball to basketball, and even competitive swimming.
“I like them all and it was good to get those experiences but none of them ever really stuck with me like hockey,” Jim said.
On the ice, he actually played forward until U13, and then switched to defence. He would sometimes play forward in spring hockey but eventually settled on the blue-line for good. But he thinks the time up front helped his game.
“I think it’s pretty helpful having that perspective of what the forward go through,” Jim said. “It’s kind of eye opening. It’s good to know what they go through.”
While his younger siblings Mateo and Sola still play hockey and his old brother Ty did, no one has played at a higher level in an extended family that includes father Kyn and mother Melissa. Cruz said his parents were instrumental in putting him in a position to succeed.
“My parents have meant the world to me for as long as I can remember,” Jim said. “They’ve always been trying to give me the best opportunity to grow and find success, whether that’s driving everywhere for hockey or all that good stuff. They’ve meant so much to me.”
Jim used to get to some Edmonton Oil Kings when he was younger, enjoying the chance to see them in Rogers Place. It also gave him a sense of what may lie ahead.
“It was super cool looking up to those guys in the Western Hockey League,” Jim said. “When you’re younger, you hope to do the same one day. It’s the stuff you dream about and it’s super cool I got drafted now and hopefully I can make it happen.”
NAX had a sensational season, going 33-3-0-0, but the two-time Canadian Sport School Hockey League champions ultimately fell 4-3 to the Delta Hockey Academy in the final.
“I was really happy with it,” Jim said. “Our team found a lot of success. All the guys grew a lot and I felt like a grew a lot as a player but as a person as well. It was a super successful season in my opinion.”
After posting 17 points in 27 games in his minor U15 season, he exploded for 13 goals and 53 assists in 35 games with 42 penalty minutes with NAX this season, and added five points in five playoff games.
He also had an assist in a pair of callups by the U18 club.
NAX has a long history of getting players drafted, and Jim was well aware the scouts were watching all season. He just tried to put them out of his mind.
“I just try and enjoy the game and try not to think about it too much,” Jim said. “I just go out there and play my game and enjoy it while it lasts and try not to look into the stands.”
On draft day, his mother and brother Mateo drove down to Edmonton, and the three were together in a hotel room when the first round was held on Wednesday evening. They were watching together on his laptop when his name was called.
“It was awesome,” Jim said. “That’s the kind of stuff you dream about and think about for a long, long time and it was so special being there with them in that moment.”
While Jim has never set foot in Brandon, he was thrilled with his destination, and the fact he knew where his future path lay.
“It’s super exciting to be drafted by Brandon,” Jim said. “It’s definitely a relief. You’re waiting to hear your name be called and then they call you. so it’s a lot of relief there and then a ton of excitement for what’s to come. It’s just an awesome feeling.”
Another surprise lay ahead.
Jim actually lives with Brandon’s second-round pick, high-scoring forward Ahmad Fayad as he plays with NAX, and the two have become close friends. Jim was thrilled his buddy will also be coming to Brandon.
“I think it’s awesome,” Jim said. “It’s not something you totally expect at all. He’s a good player and we have a lot of chemistry together. I’m super excited.”
After he was drafted, Jim immediately heard from Brandon director of hockey operations Chris Moulton and head coach and general manager Marty Murray, plus senior scout Brennen York. In addition, he received texts from a pair of veterans, defenceman Gio Pantelas and forward Roger McQueen welcoming him to the organization.
When Moulton was asked about his first-round pick, he was effusive in his praise.
“On-ice leadership, great vision, just competes, doesn’t like to lose, wants the puck on his stick when the game is on the line.,” Moulton said. “He’s the total package when it comes to creating offence and helping his team have success. He does all the little things, checks all the right boxes.
“He’s one of those guys going into the last minute of the game, you have him on the ice. You always want those guys. He’s extremely good on the power play and gets pucks through. He’s going to help our offence for years to come.”
Jim also provided a scouting report.
“I think I’m a really dynamic two-way defenceman,” Jim said. “I think I have great vision with the puck on my stick and get up the ice quick and get back quick. I close time and space pretty well with my skating, I’m a really good passer, and I think I’m really creative. I can make time and space for my teammates and make some plays.”
At the same time, he sees area for growth and has targeted things he wants to be better.
“I’m always trying to work on my consistency with my offensive game,” Jim said. “Consistency is super important and something you can always get better, whether it’s changing your routine or more the mental aspect of the game.”
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Fayad shares WHL dream with buddy
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
There’s nothing quite like sharing life’s best moments with your friends.
With the second day of the Western Hockey League draft proceeding last Thursday, Ahmad Fayad was at school with his buddy Cruz Jim and other friends in Edmonton.
Fayad and Jim actually live together because the latter was billeting at the Fayad home so they could play together on the Northern Alberta Xtreme under-15 prep team.
As the young forward Fayad waited to see his name pop up on his phone, the Brandon Wheat Kings first-round pick Jim was sitting beside him.
“When I got my name called we both looked at each other and started jumping,” Fayad said when the Wheat Kings grabbed him too. “It was crazy. I billet him right now at my house and he’s a great kid and really smart. When I got my name called, we were so happy for each other.
“It was awesome. I just can’t believe it happened.”
Fayad was added by Brandon in the second round with the 38th overall pick.
The five-foot-eight, 175-pound forward, who was born and raised in Edmonton, began to skate at age four.
“My dad didn’t want me to play hockey and my mom forced me to,” Fayad said. “Now it’s the opposite. My dad wants me to play hockey and I love it. They both love it. Our whole family is just hockey, hockey, hockey.”
He began to play Timbits at age five, and since scoring goals was his focus, he’s always been a forward. He also played baseball for a bit but now golfs with his buddies during the summer instead.
He noted his family, which includes father Talal, mother Jehan, and sisters Eslaam and Raeanna, has been instrumental in his development.
“I would just like to thank them so much,” Fayad said. “They put so much effort and so much work into me, and I just try to do my best to help them out.”
While none of them took up the game, he has a pair of cousins playing junior hockey, with Adam Halat set to join the Saskatoon Blades after he was acquired from the Calgary Hitmen last December, and Noa Halat going to camp with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Drumheller Dragons.
Fayad admitted that since he lives in both a WHL and a National Hockey League city, that major junior wasn’t his focus growing up. “I never really looked at them too much,” Fayad said of the Oil Kings. “Usually we were just Edmonton Oilers fans but last year I started going to the WHL and learned a lot about them. I actually know a lot about the NHL, a lot of players back in the day too.”
Once Fayad began to see major junior as a pathway to his ultimate goal, his focus and his most immediate goal changed.
“Everybody dreams to play in the WHL and have a career,” Fayad said. “That’s my number one goal right now. If I can succeed there, I’m looking forward to going to the NHL and getting drafted and having a good career there.”
In 36 regular season games with NAX’s U15 prep squad, he scored 27 goals and added 54 assists for 81 points to lead the team, and was flagged for 32 penalty minutes. That was good for second place in the entire Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s U15 prep scoring race.
He also had five assists in five playoff games.
“I was pretty happy,” Fayad said. “Obviously offensively it went pretty good. There are lots of things to still work on and that’s what you have to do, try to improve.”
His numbers didn’t come out of the blue. On the U15 varsity team in his minor bantam season a year earlier, Fayad had 39 goals, 37 assists, 76 points and 22 penalty minutes in 28 games.
Fayad certainly knew he was in his draft year last season, and his family offered him some sage advice to deal with the extra pressure.
“Everybody was probably worried about the scouts but my uncle and my parents were saying not to worry about them,” Fayad said. “Let them do what they do and focus on what you do right now. Just focus on the game and try to get the win. Just focus, focus, focus.”
NAX, which always seems to have great teams and has become a reliable source of prep players drafted into the WHL, had a sensational season, going 33-3-0-0. Unfortunately for them, the two-time U15 prep champions ultimately fell 4-3 to the Delta Hockey Academy in the final.
“I was pretty happy with it,” Fayad said of the season overall. “Obviously we couldn’t get any luck in the final but we worked really hard and knew we should have won that game. We won a bunch of tournaments before so we knew we were capable of doing it, just that one game we had no luck.”
Fayad, who turns 15 in late July, is planning to return to NAX to play U18 next season. Brandon Wheat Kings director of player personnel Chris Moulton said the left-shooting forward has a lot of strengths to his game.
“Ahmad is very skilled, period,” Moulton said. “… He makes those around him better. He has incredible vision and he’s a competitor. He’s not afraid to go to the tough areas and to create offence. He gets in the corner and finishes his checks if he has to, he takes a check to make a play. His strongest attribute is his skill for sure.”
Fayad recognizes some of those attributes in his game.
“I think I’m a high IQ, puck-protecting forward who’s really skilled and can play where the puck is going to be and have a pretty good shot,” Fayad said. But he’s quick to add he’s far from the finished product, noting lots of hard work lies ahead as he refines his game.
“I think my skating,” Fayad said. “If I work on it, I think I could be pretty dominant. And my physicality. Every team wants a kid to be physical so if I work on that, I can make players be scared of me. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Fayad has played in Winnipeg before but has never set foot in Brandon. That will change late next August when he arrives for his first camp.
“It’s awesome,” Fayad said. “A lot of veterans texted me when I got drafted and it was really, really cool. I’m thankful the organization in Brandon trusts me by me picking. I would like to thank them by showing them my skill. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
There will be some familiar faces for him in the Wheat City.
He already knows the team’s first overall pick in the U.S. prospects draft, Levi Ellingsen, and has played against goaltender Joffrey Chan.
Of course his buddy Jim will also be at his side.
“It’s awesome,” Fayad said. “I’ve known him for a while and it’s great that we get to play with each other in the following years.”
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Chan family enjoys draft moment
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
You have to give credit to Joffrey Chan’s father: He can apparently see into the future.
The six-foot-one, 166-pound goalie, who grew up in Calgary but recently moved to Vancouver, was at home with his parents Ronald and Cynthia watching the Western Hockey League draft last Thursday on a live stream broadcast from YouTube on their TV.
When Brandon sent overage Czech forward Dominik Petr and a ninth-round pick to the Saskatoon Blades for their fourth-round pick, 83rd overall, Ronald knew what was coming next.
“Right before the trade happened, my mom went to go get some food,” Chan said. “My dad saw that Brandon traded up to get the pick, and my dad yelled at my mom to come back. We weren’t sure but we were really hopeful this would be when I got drafted and it was. It was very exciting.”
His mother had some sparklers she set off, with Chan noting it was a fun experience.
“Once my name was called, it was more at first just shock that I got drafted,” Chan said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I didn’t know how to react. I was kind of shocked at first and then I was really excited.”
Chan was born and raised in Calgary but his family, which also includes younger sister Nikki, moved to Vancouver two years ago.
He began skating at age six and was a forward for the first couple of years of his career. He didn’t become a full-time goalie until he was eight or nine, adding the appeal was simple.
“It’s the thrill of being able to steal a game for your team,” Chan said. “Being that difference maker and the last line of defence. I can save my teammates from a mistake or bail them out. That’s why I want to be a goalie.”
It’s an expensive position, in part because of the equipment, but also due to a cottage industry now tailored to young goalies hoping to get better. Chan understands the sacrifices his parents made to get him into the position he is now.
“When we were still in Calgary, my dad would sign me up for these camps that started at 6 o’clock in the morning before school,” Chan said. “He drove me two days every single week and always supported me, driving me around and watching my games.
“Even now, I notice my parents are always at the games and practices, a lot more than any other parent. He’ll wake up at 5 in the morning and watch my morning practices, and I don’t see anyone else there. I really appreciate him for that.
“Also, my mom took me to basically every single road trip and she is there to support me, congratulate me or console me if I don’t play my best.”
Chan also played baseball at a high level — he pitched or played first base or left field — once attending the Cal Ripken World Series of Baseball. But he quit the sport a year ago to focus on hockey, although he sees the benefits of the second sport.
“That definitely helped me,” Chan said. “When I was younger, I was always catching balls and playing baseball.”
Chan used to go Hitmen games when he was in Calgary and has a shirt he got when they were throwing them into the crowd. But it took him a while to learn about the league and the possibilities it presented, even as his goals began to take shape.
“It was always my dream, and it still is now, to play in the NHL one day,” Chan said. “When I was really young, I didn’t really think about WHL as much.”
But he certainly has a link.
Chan’s uncle is former Saskatoon Blades star Trevor Wong, who absolutely terrorized the Wheat Kings for three seasons after coming to Saskatchewan in a deal for forward Colton Dach in 2021.
The young goalie was well aware he was being watched by WHL scouts this season but dealt with it the same way he deals with other potential distractions.
“I try not to look at the stands or feel the pressure,” Chan said. “I prepare for every game the exact same. For my varsity year when there weren’t any scouts and my prep year when there were scouts, I treated every game the same preparation-wise. During the game, I just want to do everything I could to help my team win and keep my team in games.”
In 17 appearances with the St. George’s under-15 prep team on a team coached by former NHLer Todd Harkins, Chan posed a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with a 13-4-0 record.
“I was pretty happy with my season,” Chan said. “I had a really, really good first half and slowed down a little bit in the second half. Overall, I had a good season.”
He has played against Brandon’s NAX duo of Cruz Jim and Ahmad Fayad, but doesn’t know them personally, and isn’t familiar with anyone else in the draft class.
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton likes what Chan is and loves what he could become.
“He’s a very good goaltender with lots more to come,” Moulton said. “He’s a good goaltender now but there’s a larger ceiling for him. He played in a good program in St. George’s. He’s tall and he’s lean so he has lots of growth left. I just think right now he’s a guy who has a ton of upside.”
Chan has a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses, and is actively pushing to get better.
“I think my biggest strength is my explosiveness side to side and my size,” Chan said. “Also my athleticism. I can still get back to places and push well.”
“My to-do list is definitely my skating agility, just improving on my skating, and also my hockey IQ and knowing which hand shooters are and taking more scans and knowing where everybody on the ice is and where all the threats are,” Chan added. “And playing the puck.”
The first goalie was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, when the Moose Jaw Warriors selected Dylan Mingo of Peachland, B.C., That led to a run of eight netminders in the next 40 picks and Brandon’s trade to grab Chan.
And soon it will lead him to Westoba Place, where his uncle had so much success in another jersey.
“I’m very excited,” Chan said. “I’ve never been in a WHL facility before so I’m really looking forward to training camp and going there and meeting everyone and just taking in everything.”
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Olsen finds dream destination
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
When Logan Olsen was picked by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League draft last week, he ended up exactly where he wanted to be.
The 15-year-old defenceman from Warman, Sask., was at school on draft day because he had a test that day, and didn’t want to miss it. Later that day, he was monitoring the draft on his phone when Brandon had the 107th overall pick.
“I saw my name pop by Brandon and was really excited,” Olsen said. “It’s all good.”
His family shared the feeling.
“They were excited,” Olsen said. “That’s kind of where we wanted to go. That’s the main place I wanted to go and my family, especially my dad, was pretty set on Brandon as well.”
It turns out the reason is the team’s Saskatoon connection, which includes star forward Roger McQueen.
“It’s just a really good organization from what we’ve heard,” Olsen said. “We don’t team personally but we’ve heard of them. The McQueens say they’re happy in Brandon so once I heard that, my mindset was on Brandon.”
The five-foot-10, 145-pound blue-liner lived in Humboldt until he was six, when the family — including father Shayn, mother Carla and brother Carson — moved to Warman, a short drive north of Saskatoon.
He took to skates early.
“I used to walk around the house on the carpet with my skates on my feet,” Olsen said. “I think I was two, and then got on the ice around three.”
He began to play when he was four.
Olsen alternated through all the positions when he was young but ultimately settled on defence.
“I was always forward until I turned 10, which is when I changed, because my brother changed as well,” Olsen said. “I’ve stuck with it ever since, and I’m thinking that was a good thing.”
His older brother is a defenceman in the BCHL and is committed to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he’ll be a teammate of recently graduated Wheat Kings defenceman Luke Shipley in two seasons.
Both Olsen’s dad and uncle played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League as well, with his father a huge proponent of his hockey career.
“My dad is the backbone of everything,” Olsen said. “He’ll take a day off work to drive me to Edmonton or something. He’ll do everything he can to get me on the ice playing hockey, and the same with my mom. She’s not as involved as my dad but she still does anything she can for me to stay in it and keep working.”
He used to play soccer and baseball but eventually left them to focus on hockey. A big part of that focus was the WHL.
Since he lives just off Highway 11 and has Saskatoon south of him and Prince Albert to the north, he’s seen WHL games in both places.
“I try to make it to a Blades game once every two weeks if they’re home or near here,” Olsen said. “I went to P.A., a couple of times this year to watch the Raiders play.”
That gave him a pretty good sense as a young player that the WHL was a place he wanted to be. And it still is as he made the short trek to SaskTel Centre on the north side of the city.
“It’s everything I’ve looked up to,” Olsen said. “It’s so accessible here because it’s only a 15-minute drive to the rink and go watch the Blades play. Even in Humboldt, I used to come here and watch games the odd time.”
He also turned into a pretty fair player himself.
In 29 games with the under-15 AA Warman Wildcats — Saskatchewan doesn’t call it AAA like Manitoba but it’s the same level — Olsen had nine goals, 34 assists, 43 points and 46 penalty minutes.
The team went 25-4 to finish second in the North Division but was ousted in its best-of-three quarterfinal by the Saskatoon Outlaws.
“I was pretty happy,” Olsen said of the season. “I thought I had a good showing at the SaskFirst top 80 in Balgonie and I think the season was really good. I think we could have made it further in playoffs … I thought we played really good throughout the year. Me and my partner (Walker Bergen), who was drafted to P.A., we’re best friends and I thought we played really good together.”
With a top pairing like that, Olsen certainly understood the scouts were watching. He admitted it’s impossible to completely tune it out.
“It’s definitely there in the back of your head but I’m more focused on the task at hand, which is just playing hockey,” Olsen said. “I tried my best to think if I made a mistake, ‘Oh well, whatever, you can’t go back and fix it. There’s no point on sobbing on it.’ It definitely adds pressure but it’s nothing to really think about for me.”
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton certainly likes the result. He said Olsen is a well-rounded player.
“Logan has the ability to create some offence, he has the ability to make plays but he’s also not afraid to engage and defend hard,” Moulton said. “He plays with a competitive edge and works really, really hard. He’s just a really well-rounded player.”
Olsen, who has played against Cruz Jim and last year’s first-rounder Chase Surkan and knows of Ahmad Fayad, said he can play in any zone but likes to spark offence.
“I’d say I’m a 200-foot player who really likes to create offence and join the rush,” Olsen said. “I feel like I can see the ice really well and make good first passes. Coming out of our D-zone and seeing people in the neutral zone, I feel like I’m really good at that. I like to move around the O zone and create plays everywhere.”
At the same time, he understands his game has to continue to improve.
“I think skating means everything these days,” Olsen said. “Everything is so fast and good on their edges so I’m training my legs and core. I feel like you an always get stronger too so I’m hitting the gym a lot this summer.”
Next season he plans to play with his hometown U18 AAA Warman Wildcats, but another new adventure also awaits.
He’s one of the rare out-of-province picks who has actually seen a game in Brandon. On their way to a tournament in Brandon, he and his father elected to stay the night in the Wheat City and attend a game.
In August, he’ll return for his first WHL camp.
“I’m thrilled,” Olsen said. “I can’t wait.”
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Munday rebounds after terrible injury
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
If Mark Munday’s hockey path one day leads to the Brandon Wheat Kings, it will be a journey that included a devastating detour.
The five-foot-nine, 155-pound forward from Headingley, who the team selected in the seventh round of the Western Hockey League draft last week, was on the ice on Jan. 18 with Winnipeg Wild Red in a U15 AAA Winnipeg Hockey League game against the Parkland Rangers.
Late in the first period, his wrist was badly sliced by a skate blade.
After Munday skated back to the bench, an athletic therapist used towels to help slow the bleeding, and a nurse, a doctor and paramedic hurried down from the stands at Winnipeg’s Hockey For All Centre to help. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance and underwent a five-and-a-half hour surgery.
“The recovery has been slower than I want it but it’s coming along,” said Munday, who was in action last week at Manitoba’s Program of Excellence (POE) top-40 camp in Steinbach. “It cut my artery and partially cut my nerve so I got rushed off the ice to the hospital and got surgery. It was the most unfortunate injury I could have because a broken wrist, you can recover with full function. I’m recovered and playing hockey but it took me 12 weeks to get back on the ice for POE top 116.
“The strength is not fully back and two of my fingers I can’t straighten yet. I’ve had to adjust. It took a lot of hard work to get back and a lot of rehab every week and every day. I’m very proud of where I am now and look forward to making a complete recovery.”
Because he missed the last part of the season, Munday wasn’t sure what to expect on draft day. After all, out of sight can be out of mind.
“Draft day was a pretty stressful day,” Munday admitted. “I talked to a bunch of teams and didn’t know for sure where I was going. Brandon was my first option because it’s close to home, and if I’m playing on that team, my parents can come out, my family, and just being close to home and in the province is amazing.”
He was at home monitoring draft — he was actually sharpening his skates for the POE camp at Steinbach — when he got the call he had been taken.
“Draft day was very exciting,” Munday said of being taken 146th overall. “When I saw my name get called and I got called by the Brandon guys, it was a dream come true and to go to my favourite spot is even better. I couldn’t have scripted it better.”
Munday, who was born in Winnipeg but lives in nearby Headingley, began playing at age four after learning to skate on an outdoor rink his father Gerry built for Mark and his older brothers Mason and Brett.
It’s just one of the many ways his parents have supported their sons.
“My parents are obviously working very hard for me all the time to help pay for hockey,” Munday said. “They’ve taken me to lots of skates growing up. My mom (Darcie), when I was six or seven after daycare or school, she’d take me to Rink to practise skating.
“We’ve built an outdoor rink every year, including this year. My dad builds it for us, so he puts a lot of hard work into that and he builds it for me and my brothers and we have buddies over and we skate on it all winter long and it’s a blast.
“I’ve gone on lots of hockey trips and they’ve sacrificed a lot of time off work to help pay for those.”
In what must have been a logistical nightmare, all three boys were playing for a while.
“At one point, my dad was coaching all three of us growing up,” Munday said. “He was a busy man.”
Mason, 17, played with the Winnipeg Wild this season and is set to make the jump to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg Blues next season.
Mark also golfs during the summer and has played flag football and soccer but also participates in other less structured sports.
“Basketball in the driveway, pickleball, I love to be active all the time,” Munday said.
Athleticism certainly runs in the family. Munday’s uncle Mike played U Sports volleyball at the University of Manitoba and was a setter for Team Canada for eight years.
But Mark’s focus is on the ice.
Munday and his friends went to a lot of Winnipeg Ice games before the team moved to Wenatchee two years ago. As a result, he began to aspire to the WHL as a youngster.
“It’s probably the biggest goal I’ve been looking forward to for the last two years and working hard to get to,” Munday said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play in the league because it’s the next step to pro hockey.”
In his minor bantam season in 2023-24, Munday had 12 goals and 22 assists in 29 games for Wild Red.
Munday, who has always been a forward, was well aware his major bantam season would be different, but embraced the extra pressure of the WHL draft.
“You can’t put them fully out of your mind because you want to impress them and stand out,” Munday said of scouts. “You have to know they’re in the stands but you also have to block them out to a certain extent, where you can’t just think about them, you have to think about the team. You have to just play your game, you can’t play different just because the scouts are there.
“It’s exciting when they’re there. It gives you a challenge and it gives you something to look forward to. It’s just fun, it was really fun.”
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said Munday’s intangibles shone through despite the shortened season.
“Mark is an on-ice leader, lots of character, plays with maturity. He plays through injuries, he fights through adversity, he’s just a real quality hockey player and seems like a quality young man. He just brings what we want in a Wheat King, character and compete.”
In 22 games with Winnipeg Wild Red, Munday had 16 goals and 19 assists with 42 penalty minutes. He also had eight goals and an assist in six games at the highly regarded Graham Tuer U15 Challenge in Regina.
“The first half before I got injured, we went to Regina for a tournament,” Munday said. “There were probably 30 teams and we were big underdogs going in so we knew we were going to go there and work out tails off and see what happened, but we ending up winning it.”
They were the first Winnipeg team to win the event since the Warriors did it in 1992: The Brandon Wheat Kings captured it in 2000 and 2022 and the Yellowhead Chiefs did it in 2014, so Manitoba clubs have only won it five times in 32 years.
In addition, Munday had a goal and an assist in two games as a callup to the U18 Wild, giving him a chance to play with brother Mason.
“It was an amazing experience, especially because I got to play with my brother,” Munday said. “That was amazing, I haven’t played with him since I maybe got called up in 7-8s. It was so fun. My brother and I got to talk and I know lots of his buddies so it was fun playing with them, but it was a challenge too. It’s very fast hockey, high compete and it’s something new, and something I hopefully get to do next year.”
Munday knows some more players who could be future teammates after running into some of Brandon’s picks from the main draft and the U.S. priority draft in previous years.
He played with first-rounder Cruz Jim of Grade Prairie, Alta., last spring at a spring tournament in Boulder, Colo., and he also skated with Minnesota defenceman Ayven Hontvet for three years of spring hockey, and Hontvet actually stayed at his house.
In addition, Brandonite Brayden Watt was on Munday’s team at POE.
“I’m a good two-way player,” Munday said of his game. “I think I have a good IQ and am a good playmaker. I feel like part of my game I do really well is I can play with some grit and high compete. I like being gritty on the ice and working hard and I like to be a good teammate and a leader on the ice as well.”
At the same time, he understands he’ll need to get better to make the jump to the WHL.
“Something everyone could get better at is getting faster and becoming an even better skater with edge work,” Munday said. “Me personally, I can work on my shot as well, just even getting a harder shot and better release, and just working out over the summer and off-season, five times a week trying to get bigger, stronger, faster so I can get to the next level.”
He is already looking forward to coming to camp in Brandon in late August for many reasons, including one involving a couple of Wheat Kings veterans.
“I’m ecstatic,” Munday said. “I’m very excited. Brandon is my number-one spot, they’re a great organization, they have a very cool rink. I’ve been to I think two Brandon games a while back and it was very cool.
“Brandon looked very good last year and next year and even Roger McQueen reached out and Gio (Pantelas) reached out, and that was very cool. Roger McQueen is someone I look up to. He’s a very good player and it was very cool to hear from him.
“He just said congrats on the draft, enjoy the moment and I’m looking forward to meeting you and that means a lot.”
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Dosenberger overcomes technical draft delays
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
On Western Hockey League draft day, the universe made Logan Dosenberger wait.
He was sitting in his living room with the draft connected to the TV via computer with his father Kevin beside him. Then, all of a sudden, the draft wasn’t there.
“The TV goes black for some reason,” Dosenberger said. “I think the computer shut off. When I reloaded it on and scrolled down, I saw my name by Brandon and me and my dad were super happy.”
“It’s been a huge relief to finally have my future partially set out,” Dosenberger added. “It’s with a great organization. I love Brandon.”
The Wheat Kings took the left-handed defenceman from Regina with their second pick of the seventh round, 153rd overall. He was the third blue-liner the team took, after first-rounder Cruz Jim and fifth-rounder Logan Olsen.
The six-foot, 163-pound defenceman from Regina, who was born and raised in the city, began skating before he turned two.
“We’ve got pictures to prove it,” Dosenberger said. “It sounds pretty crazy.”
He began to play at three.
He played up front until he was seven or eight, and then made what proved to a permanent switch to the blue-line.
“It’s versatile,” Dosenberger said. “I can play strong defence but then I can also create offence. I enjoy playing all throughout the ice.”
There is some high-level hockey in the family tree: His uncle Lloyd Shaw was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 1995 after spending five seasons in the WHL as a rugged defenceman with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Red Deer Rebels.
Logan also golfs and plays some football.
The family also includes mother Dawn and older brother Corson, who played hockey when he was younger but now boxes.
“They sacrificed so much of their time to drive me to the rink and train me, and even just money to pay for workouts and for teams and ice times,” Dosenberger said of his parents. “They do everything they can to support my career. They’re the most important people and I’m thankful for them.”
That commitment to the game included holding Pats season tickets for about a decade, which gave him a major goal as he grew up.
“It’s been one of my main focuses that I keep in the back of my mind,” Dosenberger said. “When I’m so young it feels like I’ll never get to that point, but then as it goes on, I’ve always been wanting to play in there and develop my career and go through the WHL.”
In the 27 games with the under-15 AA Regina Pat Blues last season, Dosenberger had five goals, 23 assists and 18 penalty minutes. That improved on his numbers from a year earlier when he has two goals and 12 assists in 22 games as a minor.
“I thought it was good,” Dosenberger said. “I developed my offensive game. The year before, my role was more of a defensive guy. We had very elite forwards. This year I led the offence a bit more and still played defence. It was very enjoyable.”
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said Dosenberger is still finding his way and has the makings of a very good player.
“Untapped potential,” Moulton said. “He’s a good-sized kid, lots of skill, sees the ice, makes plays. I think we’re just scratching the surface with this guy. He has the ability to defend hard, he’s strong and will lean on kids. He’s got good feet. I see a huge ceiling on this guy.”
Dosenberger sees elements of that appraisal too, noting he’s a good skater who puts his own end first.
“I think I’m a two-way defenceman but I prioritize the defensive zone and moving pucks to my forwards,” Dosenberger said. “I like to join up into the rush when the time is right and try to create offence, and stay solid defensively.”
At the same time, he’s working to get bigger, faster and stronger, noting there’s always room for improvement.
“In my game right now, I want to work on physicality and being more physical,” Dosenberger said. “Also that comes with being in the gym and getting stronger. I also want to work on my shot’s power and speed. I can improve on everything because I’m never going to be perfect but those are the main things.”
After the draft, he had a few Wheat Kings veterans send him texts of congratulation, with Dosenberger calling his week-long tenure with Brandon a great experience so far.
In his minor bantam year, he played with two 2024 Wheat Kings draft picks, forward Chase Surkan and defenceman Ethan Young. That made it even better.
“When I go to camp, they’ll be super nice to have,” Dosenberger said. And rest assured, camp in August is already on his mind. He can’t wait to get to Westoba Place, even if his unlikely experience on draft day might guarantee a blackout at training camp.
“It’s going to be great,” Dosenberger said. “I’m already looking forward to it, just to get in the rink and see what the team is like and meet everyone. It will be good.”
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Magic skates spell success on ice
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
Brayden Watt’s skates apparently haven’t lost their magic.
The 15-year-old forward from Brandon, who was selected by his hometown Wheat Kings in the eighth round of the Western Hockey League draft earlier this month, started to skate when he was five due to an assist from a television show.
“My dad and my mom got me my first pair of hockey skates,” Watt said. “I called them the magic hockey skates because we used to watch this TV show called The Magic Hockey Skates so that TV show kind of got me into hockey. Ever since, I’ve just fallen in love with the game and I don’t want to stop playing.”
The 21-minute TV short originally aired in 2012 and was based on a 1991 children’s book written by Allen Morgan and illustrated by Michael Martchenko.
He also took some inspiration at Westoba Place. After all, it would be nearly impossible for a youngster growing up in hockey in Brandon to avoid forming some kind of relationship with the WHL.
“Since I put on my first pair of skates, I’ve always been a Wheat Kings fan,” Watt said. “I remember when my grandma and grandpa got me my first Wheat Kings jersey and I was so excited. I’ve always loved the Wheat Kings and love watching them play. It’s awesome watching a lot of other Dub players like Connor Bedard coming to town and the rink was packed. It’s just awesome with a WHL team so close to you.”
Naturally, that also sparked the dream that he too might one day play in the league.
“I’ve always thought of the Brandon Wheat Kings and wanted to play for them,” Watt said. “It’s always been my top goal. It’s been that and to make the NHL. I’ve always wanted to be a Brandon Wheat King.”
He also found inspiration in other places.
His cousin is Jaxson Brick, who was among the leaders on this year’s under-18 AAA Wheat Kings and has been listed by the Edmonton Oil Kings.
“He’s one of my role models,” Watt said. “I look up to him and want to be just like him always because he’s a great hockey player and an even better person.”
The five-foot-nine, 144-pound forward is also effusive in his praise for his family — father Marc, mother Nicki and sister Holland — and the impact they’ve had him during his hockey journey.
“My sister is one of my biggest supporters,” Watt said. “She’s always there for me and always looks out for me. She’s awesome, I love her so much. And then my mom and dad, I couldn’t do anything without them. Mom sacrifices so much for me just to play hockey and I love her so much, and my dad is my hero.”
He golfs a lot, getting out on the courses as quickly as he can when the season opens.
On the ice, Watt has always been a forward, except for one glorious game in net.
“We were up 12-0 and I let in 11 goals,” Watt said. “I think that was the last game of goalie I’ve ever played.”
In 31 regular season games last winter with the U15 AAA Wheat Kings, Watt had 21 goals, 41 assists and 29 penalty minutes, with five goals and three assists in five playoff outings.
“There were some ups and downs and bumps in the road but I thought it was a great season,” Watt said. “We were a family in the dressing room. We are all in on one goal, although sadly we couldn’t make that goal happen. It was a great year.”
After posting a 25-6-1-0 record in the regular season, the Wheat Kings were ousted in the playoffs after they failed to earn one of the top two spots in their pool during a new round-robin format used in the first round.
While he certainly knew the scouts were watching all season, Watt acknowledged the extra pressure but got around it with his approach to the game.
“I go out there and have fun,” Watt said. “I just love playing hockey and I just play my game and have fun with my friends. It’s something I enjoy, not really a job for me, it’s more of a hobby. I just love playing hockey so much and I don’t really let the scouts thing get to me. It’s always nice getting recognized but I just love the game.”
Even so, Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said it didn’t take long for him to notice the young forward.
“He’s just a well-rounded player,” Moulton said. “He really competes hard, he leads his team by example, he plays in all situations. I thought he was really good for his local team this year. I noticed him right away and identified him as a possible draftee the first time I saw him play. I really like his game. I think he plays 200 foot and he’s not afraid to engage or get involved.”
Watt sees some of the same things in his game.
“I think I’m a 200-foot player,” Watt said. “I’m good in the offensive zone and the defensive zone. I really have a strong IQ of the game, I’m a smart player and know where my teammates are all the time and am always trying to find them. I think I have a really good shot and am not afraid to shoot the puck but I always put my teammates first and like to see them succeed.”
On the other side of the equation, although he doesn’t think is skating is bad, he seems room for improvement.
“You can always be a better skater,” Watt said. “It’s just putting that work in to get faster, quicker with my first step and all that kind of stuff. I just want to be the best hockey player possible and work on all my skills on and off the ice.”
On the second day of the WHL draft on May 8, Watt was driving to Steinbach for Hockey Manitoba’s Pursuit of Excellence top-40 camp.
They were monitoring the draft on a phone and refreshing it every couple of minutes as his teammates started to be picked: Kevin Knee went to the Victoria Royals in the third round with the 88th overall pick, goalie Cooper Dryden was selected 130th by the Portland Winterhawks and defenceman Nash Lenton also went to Everett with the 161st pick.
“I was so happy for them, especially Kevin Knee, Cooper Dryden, Nash Lenton and those guys who all deserved it so much,” Watt said. “It was a long stressful day but I saw Brandon come up at 176 and I really thought I had a great chance there. We got to the hotel and I was watching that pick especially.
“It was the best feeling I think I’ve ever had in my life. I ran down the hotel hallway and my dad was on the phone, work-related, and my buddy (Knee) was in the hotel room next to me and heard me and came and celebrated with me. It was an unreal feeling.”
Watt is going to try out for a spot with the U18 Wheat Kings next season, but that will come after his first training camp with the WHL squad he grew up watching.
He’s eager to experience the level of competition, and to take one magic stride towards his WHL objective.
“It’s my number one goal and it’s always been my dream,” Watt said. “When Brandon drafted me, I thought in my head ‘It can come true!’ “I just have to put that work in and I have to come to the rink prepared every day and do all the off-ice stuff.”
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Hockey is the Green family business
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
While lots of Western Hockey League draftees have attended games in person, not many have looked behind the curtains like Liam Green.
The five-foot-six, 120-pound defenceman from Winnipeg attended many, many Ice games because his father Josh served as an assistant coach with the team. His dad’s involvement in the league as a coach — and as an outstanding major junior player nearly 30 years ago — made the WHL draft a big day for him.
The Brandon Wheat Kings obliged by taking the 15-year-old in the 10th round with the 222nd overall pick earlier this month.
“It was one of the things that was at the top of my list since he did it,” Green said. “Getting drafted is not the most important thing obviously, but it gets you in the door and a chance to try out and I’m real excited for that.”
Longtime Wheat Kings fans might remember Josh Green as a member of the outstanding Portland Winterhawks team that swept the Wheat Kings in the 1998 WHL final and won the Memorial Cup.
The elder Green, who stood six-foot-three and weighed 225 pounds, played 341 National Hockey League games over 11 seasons and retired in the spring of 2017 following four seasons in Finland.
After his playing career ended, he coached in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, in the WHL with the Winnipeg Ice and in the American Hockey League with the Bakersfield Condors for the 2023-24 season. He’s now part of the Laker Hockey Academy in Winnipeg.
“He’s the reason I do it honestly,” Green said. “I’m just trying to follow in his footsteps and play as a long as I can.”
Liam’s uncle Tim Green was also drafted to the WHL and played four seasons with the Tri-City Americans and Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The youngest Green was actually born in Sweden when his father was playing with MODO Hockey in the Elitserien, the nation’s top league. He also lived in the United States and Finland during his dad’s playing career, which ended after the 2016-17 season. They’ve been back in Winnipeg since.
Liam began to skate around age three or four. After playing goal once, he decided to stick to defence and has been there ever since.
He played a bit of soccer when he was really young but mostly just golfs now when he isn’t playing hockey.
His family also includes mother Krystin and brother Luca.
“Honestly, they were always being there by my side, whether that’s cheering me at the rink or calling me after games, they’re just always supportive,” Green said.
This season, Green had seven goals, 18 assists and 24 penalty minutes in 30 regular season games with Winnipeg Wild Red, and added five points and 14 penalty minutes in six playoff outings.
“I was pretty happy,” Green said of his season.
He was at school when the second day of the draft began on May 8, and when he got home, was sitting in his screen room with his dad and his brother watching.
“I wasn’t actually in the room at the time but then I heard my brother calling me and my dad was just standing there and telling me I got drafted,” Green said. “I gave him a hug and said thanks for everything.”
In the Wheat Kings draft class, he played with forward Mark Munday and knows of Brandon’s Brayden Watt.
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said the story of Green is his untapped potential and high ceiling.
“I thought he was one of the most improved players throughout the year,” Moulton said. “I thought his game grew, his puck skills improved, he looked far more confident by the end of the year. I think he’s a very complete defenceman who has the ability to contribute a little bit but also make good decisions and transition the puck up the ice.”
Green said he is a two-way player who can shoot the puck well and make good plays on the transition, but he is looking for more from himself.
“I probably just want to make smart plays,” Green said. “Instead of shooting it, maybe I can find a guy back door, something like that.”
He’ll have his first chance to display his talents to the Wheat Kings at training camp in late August, which right now seems like an awfully long time to wait.
“I’m so excited,” Green said. “I’m just eager to get started.”
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Will finds way in three sports
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
In the age of the 12-month hockey player, Tristan Will prefers to avoid specialization.
The 14-year-old forward from Woodbury, Minn., who the Brandon Wheat Kings took in the 11th round of the Western Hockey League draft with the 245th scheduled pick, still plays football and baseball as well.
“With me playing all three sports, there’s never really a break of any of the sports, whether it’s training for other sports or summer hockey or whatever is,” Will said. “I have a passion for all three sports and there being no break is not a problem for me. I still love to do all three.”
Woodbury is a city of 75,000 just east of St. Paul in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Minnesota Wild play at the Xcel Energy Center, which is a short drive from Woodbury. As a result, Will attends a couple of NHL games every season and also watches them on TV.
The youngster started to skate at age three and began to play a couple of years later.
He’s been a forward for his entire career, except for taking his turn in net in the youngest age groups.
“I just feel like I can help on defence and also play the offensive zone and create chances and help my team win,” Will said.
His father Adam grew up in nearby White Bear Lake, and he and his brothers all played in high school, with Adam and one of Tristan’s cousins continuing on to college hockey.
Will said he has learned a lot from his father and mother Sara, in a family that also includes 10-year-old twin sisters Siena and Kira.
“They’ve sacrificed a lot for me,” Will said. “They’ve given their time, effort, money, they’ve always looked out for me in whatever I’m doing and making sure what I’m doing will be best for me. They’ve never really been parents to go out and force things on me, they’ve allowed me to take charge of my own path in whatever sport it is.
“They’re big believers that hard work is what it takes to get to the places you want to be. That’s probably the biggest impact they’ve had on me, installing hard work in my mind and telling me that if I want something, I need to work hard for it.”
That advice has trickled into his game, which he said is based on his physicality and willingness to do what it takes to get the puck.
“I would say I have a pretty big frame and I like to utilize my size and my speed,” Will said. “I’m more of a grinder down low. I like to get into the corners and win battles, back check and forecheck, but I also feel that when I get the puck on my stick, I’m able to create chances all over the ice and put the puck in the net when I get a chance.”
Like all self-aware players, he said lots can be improved.
“I’m definitely working on making my game more smooth and making those decisions quicker because I know as I continue to move on to different levels, the game is only going to get quicker and those decisions are going to need to get quicker as well,” Will said.
Last season, the six-foot, 174-pound forward had 12 goals, eight assists and six penalty minutes in 16 games with Minnesota Moose 14U.
“This year was my first year of bantam so I was a younger guy on the team but I felt like I was able to perform well for the opportunities I was given,” said Will, who turns 15 on Dec. 18. “I felt like I kind of took on a leadership role, which I liked, and ultimately I was able to make the players around me better and help out in any way that I could.”
It was a young team overall after they graduated many of their veterans, but they lost in overtime in the game that would have propelled them into the state finals.
“It was a really fun season,” Will said. “We had a lot of wins and we also learned a lot along the way.”
He is hoping to play for Hill-Murray varsity hockey team next winter, as players on both sides of the border continue to wrap their heads around the new possibilities in the game.
The hockey landscape fundamentally changed last November when the NCAA changed its eligibility rules to allow major junior players for the first time in more than four decades.
That’s altered the thought process for many American players, who can now play in the WHL without impacting their college eligibility.
“That rule change definitely raises the interest in it,” Will said. “Why would you not want to play junior? Now that you can go and play college, that’s a big positive.”
He said there was talk in Minnesota hockey circles that the WHL draft was coming up, although he added he didn’t know a lot about it.
“I didn’t know how much of a chance there was that I would get drafted or what that really looked like because obviously I’ve never been through a process like this,” Will said. “It was definitely on my radar.”
After the Wheat Kings grabbed him, Brandon’s American scout Kori Pearson called to let Will and his parents know he had been picked.
“It was an honour to be taken by them and to possibly continue my career there,” Will said.
Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said Will brings a lot.
“He seems to have some skill, he has some vision, he has the ability to create,” Moulton said. “Getting to know the bits and pieces I know and using the wisdom from my American contacts and my scouts, they thought getting him as a late addition was a huge get for us.”
Will knows a number of Minnesota players who were also selected around the league, including Brandon’s second-round pick in the U.S. priority draft, Ayven Hontvet.
However, a final decision hasn’t been made yet about whether he will attend Brandon’s camp starting in late August.
“My family has to do a little research into it and see what the best thing for me would be,” Will said. “I’m not quite sure about that yet.”
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Anderson settles in, saves best for last
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
Taren Anderson admitted he sometimes felt the added pressure in his major bantam season last winter as the scouts were watching.
At times, that scrutiny brought some weight for the five-foot-nine, 141-pound forward, who was born in Regina and lived there for a couple of years before moving to Pilot Butte, a bedroom community of 2,300 located 12 kilometres to the east.
“It definitely did at times,” Anderson said. “Near the beginning of the season it was ‘Oh, there’s guys watching, I can’t make a mistake.’ After a few games, I got more comfortable and was like ‘Don’t worry about them, focus on the game right now.’ Once I started doing that, I just kept playing better and better.”
The Brandon Wheat Kings certainly thought so. They grabbed him in the 12th round of the Western Hockey League draft with the 268th scheduled pick. Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said Anderson brings a lot of intangibles.
“He was one of the leaders on his hockey team and always led by example,” Moulton said. “Not the biggest guy, yet he plays big. He’s super competitive, has grit and jam, just doesn’t take many shifts off. He was exceptional at the end of the season for his team. I never shy away from guys who are leaders.”
That’s exactly what Anderson sees in his own game.
“I think I’m a two-way forward,” Anderson said. “When I’m on the forecheck I’m pretty much unstoppable and I can beat anyone else to a puck. I’m a physical player who will use my body to create space for myself and when I have the opportunity to score, I’ll use my skill to score.”
Anderson began to skate right around age two at the time of the move, in part because it was so convenient in their new community.
“There was an outdoor rink not far from my house,” Anderson said. “I would just go there every day with my dad (Steve) and brother (Asher).”
He began playing hockey at four or five, and also was active in baseball and school sports.
Anderson initially lined up all over the ice, and actually wanted to be a goalie for a time, an impulse that his father persuaded him to abandon.
Along with mother Nicole, it’s certainly a hockey family. Asher, who is two years younger, also plays and Taren said his parents are incredibly supportive.
“They’ve taken a lot of weekends away from their lives,” Anderson said. “They could be just chillin’ at home instead of taking us to hockey rinks just for practice and for tournaments. They figure out a bunch of rides and stuff. I remember this year and last year, they went on a vacation to Mexico and they’re still making plans for me to get to the rink and helping me out that way.”
He began to contemplate a WHL future a year ago after his minor bantam season with the under-15 AA Prairie Storm. His teammate and good friend Carson Park was picked by Brandon in 2024 — plus the Storm’s Kayson Anderson went to the Edmonton Oil Kings — and that was when the light bulb went on for him that it could be him this year.
“I was like ‘I want to do this,’” Anderson said. “I just kept working on it.”
In 26 regular season games, he had 29 goals, 21 assists and 66 penalty minutes, and in 11 playoff games had 10 goals, 11 assists and 12 penalty minutes.
“I was pretty happy,” Anderson said. “I do wish I could stay a little more consistent. There were a couple of games I wish I could get back but that’s whatever now, and I just have to focus on the next one.”
He was held without a point in just five games all season, and had a five-point outing against the Humboldt Broncos on Jan. 4.
In the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League U15 regular season, the Storm went 22-4-1-0 to finish atop the nine-team South Division, then in the playoffs they beat the Regina Monarchs, Regina Pat Blues, Sask East Oilers and Saskatoon Bandits to earn the championship.
In the best-of-three final series, the Bandits beat the Storm 6-3 in Game 1, only for Anderson to score twice and add three assists in a 6-5 overtime victory in Game 2 to tie the series.
In Game 3, Anderson had four goals — including the winner — and an assist in a 6-3 victory.
After the game, he received the Prairie Storm Hockey Minor Association’s Adam Herold merit award, which is presented annually to a player who demonstrates leadership, volunteerism and community spirit, compassion, accountability, work ethic, sportsmanship and gratitude to those around them.
His buddy Park won it in 2024.
“I was happy with our team,” Anderson said. “Obviously we won so you can’t be too mad about that.”
On draft day on May 8, he went to school and was in his period six science class. The bell had just rung and he was staring at his phone when he saw his name pop up.
“I’m with three of my friends in that class and they all jumped on me,” Anderson said. “I got a call from my agent and as soon as I’m done the call, everybody fills the room, my whole friend group and starts jumping on me. I’m on the ground and my teacher was clapping and giving me high fives. It was kind of sick.”
It certainly didn’t hurt that he was following his buddy to Carson to the Wheat Kings, and then the team made sure he felt comfortable too.
“It was really cool because as soon as I looked at my phone after when I’m processing it, I get texts from the (Brandon) coaches, Roger McQueen, and it was super cool,” Anderson said.“Then I looked at SnapChat and I saw that Carson texted me. It was really nice to hear ‘I love it,’ and I look at my phone again and (2024 draft pick) Hudson Postnikoff and (2023 draft pick) Cameron Allard they all said congrats. It was nice.”
Anderson’s father actually works with Postnikoff’s father and Taren talked to Allard after signing with the U18 AAA Estevan Bears for next season. He also knows Logan Dosenberger and Cruz Jim a little bit from this year’s draft class.
“I feel comfortable now,” Anderson said. “I don’t have to worry about trying to go make another team, which is also the one reason I picked Estevan to go play in. I still have to worry about making the team but I don’t have to pick a team and try out for it. I have to try to make Brandon, I don’t have to worry about any other team.”
He has played in Brandon before, at a U13 spring tournament a couple of years ago. But his next trip to the Wheat City is the one that has captured his imagination.
“I’m very excited,” Anderson said. “I want to meet everybody and I want to have a good camp and show everybody what I’ve got and show that I can play there in a couple of years. I’ll just use Estevan to get better and better.”
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Ellingsen brings WHL attitude to the ice
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
Levi Ellingsen can only imagine what the moment will be like the first time he skates onto the ice at the Toyota Center.
The 15-year-old product of Pasco, Wash., grew up watching the Tri-City Americans, but the Brandon Wheat Kings grabbed him with the first overall pick in the Western Hockey League’s U.S. prospects draft earlier this month.
“I feel like it would be a dream come true,” Ellingsen said of skating out onto the Toyota Center ice. “Watching all those games in Tri-City and wishing I was out there, it couldn’t be a better team than Brandon. It sounds awesome, looks awesome.”
Fans might know Pasco as one of the three cities that host the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, which also include the communities of Kennewick and Richland. The five-foot-11, 158-pound forward began to skate around two and was playing as soon as he could at four or five. He was always a forward, noting he tried goal once but didn’t care for it.
He tried many sports growing up, including baseball, football, basketball and golf, but only the latter remains a passion. Hockey also stuck, which makes sense.
His older brother Connor was drafted by their hometown Americans in 2021 but never played a game. He spent last season in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
“Just watching my older brother have the career he had, I wanted to have the same impact that he did with Tri-Cities,” Ellingsen said. The family also includes father Derek, mother Elise, younger sister Elly and younger brother Nolan.
Ellingsen is thankful they allowed him to move to the STAR Hockey Academy 14U AAA, which competes in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.
“I give a lot of credit to them and I’m very grateful because they sacrificed a lot of money and time for me to move down here to Seattle,” Ellingsen said. “I try to make the most of what they give me. I’m really grateful for them.”
The Kent Valley Ice Centre that hosts the program is located about 360 kilometres from the Ellingsen home in Kent, which is about 1.6 km from the accesso ShoWare Center, home of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
In 34 regular season games last winter, he had 24 goals, 30 assists and 62 penalty minutes, with two goals, two assists and six penalty minutes in four playoff games. He also had five points in three games with the U17 prep squad.
“I was really happy with it,” Ellingsen said of his season. “We got third or fourth in provincial playoffs and I thought that was phenomenal. We had a really skilled group: I loved everyone. We connected well together. It was cool too because we had kids from all over the place, from Canada, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. It was cool to see the different cultures they bring to the team. We had a unique team.”
Next season, he is hoping to play at STAR again.
He certainly made a strong impression on scouts.
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said Ellingsen brings a lot of positive attributes to the game.
“When he tells you he thinks he plays like J.T. Miller and Sam Bennett, it pretty much explain who he is,” Moulton said. “He is skill and grit. He has a lot of skill, he has good hands, he has really good sense, he makes those around him better, he has a great release and he can score.
“On top of that, he’s fearless and he loves to engage physically and get involved. He has a greasy side that drives the opposition crazy that we love about him. He’s a really good package of that grit and skill.”
Ellingsen sees his game the same way.
“I’m a two-way player, 200-foot game, I like to hit,” Ellingsen said. “If I don’t hit, I feel like I’m not me. That’s just a part of me. I’m a little skilled but my physical attributes and physicalness and my grit would be my key to the game. And also my vision. I see the ice differently.”
Like most young players, he said his biggest focus is to improve how he gets around the ice
“You always have to work on your skating,” Ellingsen said. “Nobody is perfect at skating, except for (Edmonton Oilers forward Connor) McDavid. I feel like my skating needs some work and my puck handling a little bit.”
One thing Ellingsen definitely brings is a strong awareness of the WHL after attending many Americans games. In fact, it became a goal early on to play in the league one day.
“I was familiar with it just watching them as I grew up,” Ellingsen said. “Obviously my brother getting drafted and watching him as it all went down and the training camps and main camps, even the practices with them. It was cool to see what I was dreaming of doing when I got older.”
As a top prospect and with his WHL awareness, Ellingsen was certainly prepared for the U.S. priority draft. He knew there was a good chance he would be taken, it was just a matter of when and where.
“I woke up pretty early,” Ellingsen said. “I was excited and hoping my name was up there and hoping for all my teammates up there too. It’s cool that I was fortunate enough to get drafted but it was really cool to see a few of my teammates get drafted too.
Forward Daniel Makovetskiy of Renton, Wash. (43rd, Vancouver) and defenceman Thomas Ogee (218th main draft, Vancouver) were also taken from his team.
Of course, being the top pick in any draft is also a feather in his cap. He appreciates the Wheat Kings took a chance on him.
“It’s really a dream come true,” Ellingsen said. “Throughout the week I was a little nervous thinking that they weren’t going to pick me and all that but I’m really happy with what happened. I’m really fortunate and thankful for what they did. It should be a fun main camp and a fun couple of years.”
Ellingsen acknowledged the impact of the NCAA’s changes to its eligibility rules last November that now allows major junior players in for the first time in more than four decades.
That allows American players to play in the WHL without impacting their college eligibility, but it had less of an impact on Ellingsen, who was already leaning in the other direction.
“That rule change was really big for us,” Ellingsen said. “Just knowing that and having another option with the NCAA, that was awesome, but from the beginning I felt like the WHL was a better fit for me.”
He played against Brandon draft picks Cruz Jim and Ahmad Fayad in the CSSHL, and has already began to forge a relationship with the other draftees. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for his next chapter to begin.
“It sounds awesome there,” Ellingsen said. “Even the other draft picks texted me and they were just thrilled, and that was really cool to have them congratulate me. It was really awesome.”
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Hontvet sees new WHL possibilities
By Perry Bergson
The Brandon Sun
Ayven Hontvet is among the American hockey players looking at the Western Hockey League in a new way.
The Brandon Wheat Kings nabbed the six-foot-one, 220-pound defenceman from Warroad, Minn., with the final pick of the U.S. priority draft earlier this month, and with the changes to NCAA eligibility rules for major junior players last November, the WHL is being looked at it a new way.
“It’s definitely a viable option now because you can go,” Hontvet said. “A lot of guys in the U.S., obviously want to play college and go that way and get an education so I think now that you can do that, a lot more guys want to do that.”
That includes Hontvet.
“I think I’ll be at camp,” he said. Hontvet was born and raised in Warroad, which is nestled just south of Lake of the Woods, a short drive from the Canadian border.
He began skating around age two and started playing mites hockey at five, always lining up on the blue-line. Hontvet also played baseball and football — “because I’m big” — and golfs.
There is a hockey lineage in the family.
His uncle, Wyatt Smith, played 211 games in the National Hockey League after a collegiate career at the University of Minnesota. He retired after the 2010-11 season.
In addition, Hontvet’s great grandpa is Cal Marvin, a player and coach who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982 after nearly 50 years behind the bench with the Warroad Lakers senior team.
His family includes father Bryan and mother Lindsay, and brothers Barrett and Broden, who also played, although Barrett has since given it up.
“They’ve given me every opportunity I could have asked for,” Hontvet said. “They put me in all these tournaments, they bring me to the rink, I’m just really thankful for them.”
When he was eight or nine, he played with fellow Wheat Kings draft pick Mark Munday on the Manitoba Xtreme team in Winnipeg, which is only a 200-kilometre drive.
Both he and his game have grown since then.
“I have a big presence and like to play shutdown D and take care of my own end and make good outlet passes,” Hontvet said. “But I can also jump in to the rush because I have a big heavy shot and can score once in a while.”
He’s also acutely aware of what he needs to work on, which he said starts with his skating.
“I’m trying to improve on getting faster and keeping up more,” Hontvet said. “I think I can be a little bit slow so I’m really trying to get faster.”
Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton said Hontvet has a lot of really positive attributes.
“On top of the size, he’s a good player,” Moulton said. “He’s not just a big body, he’s a big body who can make plays, that is strong on pucks, that has a heavy shot. He is a big body with lots of really good tools.”
In 22 regular season games with the Minnesota Blue Ox 14-and-under AAA squad last winter, he had five goals, 21 assists and 19 penalty minutes in 22 games.
He certainly has a flair for the dramatic.
His Blue Ox under-14 team won the USA Hockey national 14-and-under championship in overtime, beating the Minutemen Flames after Hontvet tied the game with 11 seconds remaining in regulation.
In Minnesota High School Performance play, he had four goals and three assists in five games with District 16, and he had six assists in nine games with SDP Elite U15.
“I’m very happy,” Hontvet said. “We won our state tournament for the second time in a row and we played pretty good throughout the year.
“I thought I played really good,” he added. “I played good offence and defence. I was being more consistent.”
Hontvet talked to a few WHL scouts during the season, so he was well aware of the U.S. Priority draft. In fact, he was monitoring the draft with his buddies during a study-hall class.
Brandon ultimately took him with its second pick, 46th overall, making him one of less than four dozen players in the western United States to be selected.
“I’m honoured,” Hontvet said with a chuckle. “It was awesome.”
His parents and brothers were both working or at school but texted to congratulate him. And just like that, he has a new path his hockey career might take.
“I think it’s really cool,” Hontvet said. “I never really thought about it. It’s really cool it’s an option and they want me.”
