Wheat Kings forward Surkan named Sandman WHL Rookie of the Month for September / October
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today Brandon Wheat Kings forward Chase Surkan has been Sandman WHL Rookie of the Month for September / October.
Surkan, a 16-year-old product of Regina, Sask., recorded 19 points (12G-7A) and a plus-1 rating in 11 games during the combined months of September and October. His 12 goals were tied for second among all WHL skaters and led all WHL rookies.
The 5-foot-8, 167-pound left winger didn’t waste any time making an impact in his WHL rookie season, stringing together a three-game point-scoring streak to start the campaign, including two goals on opening night.
Since opening night, Surkan has only been held off the scoresheet twice. Across 11 games, he has registered six multi-point efforts, including a career high five points and his first WHL hat trick (3G-2A) in an 8-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on October 26.
Surkan has made his biggest impact on the man advantage with 83.3 per cent of his goals coming via the power play. With 10 power-play goals to his credit, Surkan leads the entire WHL heading into the month of November.
Perhaps more impressive than Surkan’s 10 power-play goals is his shooting percentage, which sits at 37.5 per cent as of the end of October.
On two occasions this season, Surkan has been named Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week – grabbing honours on September 29 and October 27.
Surkan’s outstanding start to the season was rewarded October 15 when he was identified as one of 19 WHL players selected to represent Canada at the 2025 U17 World Challenge. The annual U17 showcase got underway from Truro, N.S., Sunday, November 2, with Surkan collecting three assists to help Canada Red claim an 8-4 triumph over Finland. Next up, Surkan and Canada Red will take on the United States on Tuesday, November 4 (7:30 p.m. AT).
Selected by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round (14th overall) of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, Surkan made his WHL debut in 2024-25, skating in three games.
Through the month of October, Surkan and the Wheat Kings went 5-6-1-0 and remain firmly entrenched in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Heading into Tuesday action, the Wheat Kings (6-7-1-0) sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Though they will be without Surkan through November 8 as he competes for a gold medal with Canada Red at the 2025 U17 World Challenge, the Wheat Kings return to the ice Wednesday, November 5 (7 p.m. CT), when they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to Assiniboine Credit Union Place in Brandon.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
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