April 28 PREVIEW: Blades vs Wheat Kings 5 PM

The Brandon Wheat Kings (18-3-2-0) face the Saskatoon Blades (15-5-2-1) in their final game of the season after already clinching the East Division on Sunday. In their convincing 5-1 win over the Pats, the Wheat Kings eliminated any chance of the second-place Winnipg ICE from catching them in the standings and secured their 14th WHL division banner in club history. The third-place Blades were a strong contender for the division this season and along with the Wheat Kings and ICE, were part of the race for the top spot down the stretch. The East Division banner and Subway Cup will be presented to the Wheat Kings in a ceremony following today’s game.

Curtain ‘Calls
Lynden McCallum will play in his final Western Hockey League game today in the midst of a goal scoring tear. The 21-year old was named WHL Player of the Week after scoring 9 points (7G-2A) last week and now leads the league with 19 goals in 21 games, the most goals he’s scored in his four seasons in the WHL. The Brandonite has recorded 6 multi-point games this season and has been an invaluable part of Brandon’s offence that has outscored every other team in the East division with 102 goals.

The Graduates
Along with McCallum, Marcus Sekundiak and Reid Perepeluk will also skate in their final Western League games tonight. Sekundiak will wrap up his major junior career with his 213th game played for the Wheat Kings after joining the club as a 7th round(#154 overall) draft pick in the 2015 WHL entry draft. An alternate captain and the reigning Most Inspirational Player chosen by the club last season, Sekundiak’s role as a quiet leader with the team will not soon be forgotten as he wraps up his fourth season in Brandon.

Perepeluk joined the Wheat Kings last season via a deadline trade with the Prince George Cougars and will play in his 44th game for the black and gold today. The physical 21-year old has been a wrecking ball for the Wheat Kings providing a gritty, checking presence and a lunch pail mentality since arriving in Brandon.

Previous Meetings this Season
The Blades were the leading team in the division for much of the season and have beaten Brandon in two of the their three meetings so far.

April 11, 2021 – Wheat Kings 2 – 3 Blades

April 4, 2021 – Wheat Kings 3 – 1 Blades

March 22, 2021 – Wheat Kings 4 – 6 Blades

Leading Scorers

Lynden McCallum leads the WHL with 19 goals while Ben McCartney ranks second in league scoring with 37 points, 6 back from Winnipeg ICE forward Peyton Krebs.

Kyle Crnkovic and Tristen Robins have been the Blades’ most dangerous weapons this season teaming up for a combined +/- of 14. Robins has been held off the scoresheet just twice this season and Crnkovic has recorded 9 multi-point games this season.

Last 5 Games