Montreal Canadiens prospect Klimpke named Tempo WHL Player of the Week fuelled by Co-op
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today Montreal Canadiens prospect and Saskatoon Blades defenceman Brayden Klimpke has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week fuelled by Co-op for the week ending Sunday, September 20.
Klimpke, an 18-year-old defenceman from Calgary, Alta., recorded five points (3G-2A) on the first weekend of the 2026-27 WHL Regular Season to help pace the Blades.
The 6-foot, 176-pound left-shot defender started his season with a three-point (1G-2A) effort Friday, September 18, as Saskatoon dropped a 5-4 road decision to the Brandon Wheat Kings. The third-year rearguard registered Saskatoon’s first goal of the campaign 10:11 into the first period, drawing the contest even at 1-1. After the Wheat Kings had built a 4-1 advantage, Klimpke set up veteran forward Hunter Laing on the power play to pull Saskatoon back within two goals 1:34 into the third period. Klimpke added another power-play helper seven minutes later, contributing to Ben Bowtell’s first goal of the campaign. Though Saskatoon ultimately fell short in their comeback, Klimpke was named third star of the game for his performance.
Klimpke kept his momentum going Saturday, September 19, in Moose Jaw as the Blades fell 7-6 to the Warriors in overtime. Once again, Klimpke was a catalyst on the power play, scoring his second goal of the season 2:56 into the first period, giving Saskatoon a 2-0 advantage. With the Blades trailing 6-5 in the third period, Klimpke found the back of the net – this time at even strength – tying the game 6-6 and forcing overtime.
Coming out of the first weekend of the 2026-27 WHL Regular Season, Klimpke leads all WHL defencemen in scoring with five points (3G-2A). He is tied for second in scoring among all WHL players, trailing teammate Hunter Laing, who leads the WHL with six points (3G-3A) in two games.
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft, Klimpke led all Blades defencemen in scoring during the 2025-26 season, tallying a career best 47 points (4G-43A) in 68 games.
A fourth-round pick (70th overall) of the Saskatoon Blades in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, Klimpke is embarking on his third WHL season, having registered 81 points (11G-70A) in 142 career regular season outings.
WHL Opening Week presented by RE/MAX continues Friday, September 25, when Klimpke and the Blades visit the Prince Albert Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre. Stream the action FREE on YouTube.
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 60 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.
