A crowded dressing room for the Brandon Wheat Kings has gotten a lot less so as of yesterday. With the final pair of preseason games ahead, the opening night roster is taking shape as the Wheat Kings have reassigned a pair of players, and said farewell for now and good luck to three others.
15-year-old forwards Prabh Bhathal and Chase Surkan have been reassigned to their respective U18 teams for their first season of hockey at that level. Surkan was impressive at camp, but was unable to suit up in the two exhibition games after suffering an injury in the Black and Gold game.
Bhathal got into both exhibition games against Saskatoon this past weekend and, despite being the youngest player on the Wheat Kings’ roster, did not look out of place. He picked up two assists in the win over the Blades at home on September 6, then sealed the deal with an empty netter on September 8 in Saskatoon.
In addition, the Wheat Kings have sent three players to NHL camps. Defenseman Charlie Elick, fresh off being drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, is attending their camp and playing on their rookie tournament squad in Buffalo. Elick was a second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in this most recent NHL draft.
Goaltender Carson Bjarnason, a second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023, will be part of their camp for the second time as well. This season, the Flyers will play rookie showcase games against the New York Rangers in their own separate rookie event.
Lastly, forward Marcus Nguyen has caught the eye of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers and earned an invite to their rookie tournament team for the event in Nashville. Nguyen attended their prospects camp in the summer shortly after being acquired by the Wheat Kings from the Portland Winterhawks.
The next action for the Wheat Kings is this Friday on home ice against the Regina Pats. It will also be the first broadcast of a new season on Q Country 91.5 FM.
