Wheat Kings Captain Mantei named Tempo WHL Player of the Week
Calgary, Alta. – Brandon Wheat Kings Captain Quinn Mantei has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, January 26, 2025, the Western Hockey League announced Monday.
The defenceman erupted for a goal and seven assists in three games as the Wheat Kings closed a daunting road trip on a high note.
Brandon filled the net against the Kelowna Rockets in a dominant performance on January 21. With the Wheaties up 1-0 in the second period, Mantei picked up the first of four assists on the night with a play leading to a Luke Shipley goal. He picked up another helper on a tic-tac-toe powerplay goal with Dominik Petr and added a third assist on Nolan Flamand’s insurance marker. Mantei linked up with Shipley again to close the Wheat Kings scoring in a 7-3 rout. Mantei was named the third star of the night with his second-career four-point effort.
The Weyburn, Sask. product carried the momentum into Kamloops the following night. With the match tied at two in the middle frame, Brandon made the most of their penalty kill. Matteo Michels picked up a loose puck and streaked down the ice to feed Mantei for a lethal shorthanded wrister to give the visitors the lead. The Wheat Kings’ special teams continued to run wild as Mantei dished another powerplay assist, before finishing the night with a shorthanded assist on a Caleb Hadland empty-netter. Mantei picked up first-star honours with a three-point effort.
Brandon’s impressive run would come to a close in Prince George as they fell to the Cougars 3-2 in a tight match that featured a quick run of goals in the third period. Mantei assisted Carter Klippenstein’s eighth goal of the season to give the black and gold a 2-1 lead late, but the Cougars responded with a pair of quick tallies to seal the win.
🎉Welcome your BWK Home from their West Coast Road Trip!🎉
Ring in the Year of the Snake with a thrilling evening of high-energy action and celebration! 🎊
🔗Advance Ticket Pricing on now! https://t.co/vkZeErFQtY pic.twitter.com/xEX1ebgNuX
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) January 25, 2025
Mantei is in the midst of a career-best season with five goals and 24 assists for 29 points in 39 games. Originally drafted by the Wheat Kings with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, the 6-foot, 186-pound blueliner has played 225 games with Brandon over four seasons.
He’s amassed 12 goals and 84 assists for 96 points in the regular season, in addition to a trio of assists in two trips to the WHL Playoffs.
Off the ice, Mantei was named the 2023 winner of the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy as the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year after recording an overall average of 96 per cent in his core school subjects.
Mantei was named the 53rd Captain in Wheat Kings history prior to the start of the 2024-25 season. He’s also a two-time winner of Brandon’s Brad McCrimmon Trophy for the team’s top defenceman.
Brandon (22-16-3-2) is 5-5-0-0 in its last 10 games as they return home to host the Red Deer Rebels (16-24-4-2) on Wednesday, January 29.
2024-25 Tempo WHL Player of the Week
September 23, 2024: Roger McQueen, Brandon Wheat Kings
September 30, 2024: Nathan Behm, Kamloops Blazers
October 7, 2024: Shea Van Olm, Spokane Chiefs
October 15, 2024: Mazden Leslie, Vancouver Giants
October 21, 2024: Ben Kindel, Calgary Hitmen
October 28, 2024: Nathan Behm, Kamloops Blazers
November 4, 2024: Brady Birnie, Swift Current Broncos
November 11, 2024: Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars (Los Angeles Kings)
November 18, 2024: Tomas Mrsic, Prince Albert Raiders (St. Louis Blues)
November 25, 2024: Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)
December 2, 2024: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers
December 9, 2024: Tyson Jugnauth, Portland Winterhawks (Seattle Kraken)
December 16, 2024: Gracyn Sawchyn, Edmonton Oil Kings (Florida Panthers)
December 23, 2024: Rilen Kovacevic, Moose Jaw Warriors
December 30, 2024: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips
January 6, 2025: Evan Friesen, Wenatchee Wild
January 13, 2025: Andrew Cristall, Spokane Chiefs (Washington Capitals)
January 20, 2025: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)
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 offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 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 close to 60 years. The WHL is also a 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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