BRANDON SUN – WHEAT KINGS ALL TIME DREAM TEAM
Brandon, MB. — In a unique promotion to celebrate the team’s 50th season in the Western Hockey League, the Brandon Wheat Kings and The Brandon Sun are partnering on a project that will allow fans to pick the franchise’s Dream Team.
The online project will give fans the chance to vote for their choices for the team’s top two goalies, six defencemen and 12 forwards from their years in the WHL. Voting will continue until Dec. 31, with the results to be unveiled in the closing weeks of the regular season at home games.
Brandon Wheat Kings owner Kelly McCrimmon said the Dream Team project is a neat project for the organization and its fans.
“This has been a real exciting initiative in partnership with The Sun,” he said. “It’s provided an opportunity to talk about so many of the great players who have come through the organization. We think our fans are going to really enjoy this and help us to pick the top 20 Wheat Kings of all time.”
Fifty players were chosen from the team’s history since it entered the Western Canadian Hockey League in time for the 1967-68 season. The WCHL’s name was shortened to the Western Hockey League in 1978.
Voting, which will officially begin on Monday, September 26th, does not include players from the team’s rich history prior to 1967, which includes names like Juha Widing, Bill Fairbairn and Dennis Hextall.
The 50 players who can be voted for were selected from a longer list by a committee of Sun and Wheat Kings staff, along with other local experts. Current players were not considered.
The choices are, by position and in alphabetical order:
- Goalies (two of four) — Glen Hanlon, Ron Hextall, Trevor Kidd, Tyler Plante.
- Defencemen (six of 15) — Keith Aulie, Daryl Boyle, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Don Dietrich, Burke Henry, Dean Kennedy, Justin Kurtz, Brad McCrimmon, Cam Plante, Dwayne Pentland, Ivan Provorov, Ryan Pulock, Wayne Ramsey, Wade Redden, Colby Robak.
- Forwards (12 of 31) — Ray Allison, Rick Blight, Dan Bonar, Laurie Boschman, Matt Calvert, Dave Chartier, Ron Chipperfield, Ryan Craig, Cory Cyrenne, Bill Derlago, Chris Dingman, Eric Fehr, Ray Ferraro, Scott Glennie, Kelly Glowa, Jayce Hawryluk, Bobby House, Mike Leclerc, Byron Lomow, Dale McMullin, Marty Murray, Robbie Neale, Steve Patrick, Brian Propp, Darren Ritchie, Peter Schaefer, Brayden Schenn, Mark Stone, Ryan Stone, Jordin Tootoo, Terry Yake.
Fans are encouraged to vote online as often as once per day until the deadline for their favourite players.
If hockey fans aren’t active online, the Sun will also publish ballots throughout the season that anyone interested can cut out, fill in and drop off at BDO Fan Services at games.
The results will be tabulated in January.
The Brandon Sun will also be doing a feature story on a former Wheat Kings player from throughout their WHL history every Tuesday for the entire season.
Sun publisher Jim Mihaly said it’s a terrific partnership between the team and the newspaper that has covered it for eight decades.
“The Sun has a long history for its amazing coverage and presence in the community and area we have served for the past 134 years and counting,” Mihaly said. “We are proud of our partnership with the Brandon Wheat Kings. We are excited to be a part of the 50th anniversary of the Wheat Kings hockey club in the WHL and teaming up to assist in the assembly of the top 20 Wheat Kings from those years.
This will engage our readers and fans alike to have a say in who makes the Dream Team.
“A great partnership all around.”
To vote, fans are encouraged to visit wheatkings.com Saturday’s announcement comes on Brandon Sun Home Opener Night as the Wheat Kings host the Moose Jaw Warriors Saturday night at 7:30pm.
