At the risk of slandering my own profession, your average radio announcer is not a numbers whizz. As such, it’s always nice when you reach the point where the days left until the regular season can be counted on your own two hands.
Nine days from now, the WHL regular season will begin. Because they are the easternmost team in the league, the Wheat Kings will have the honour of opening the festivities against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Then we get to see what all the hype, speculation, and optimism are really worth.
For this season’s Wheat Kings squad, there is plenty of both hype and optimism. They have announced their intention to bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup, and owner and governor Jared Jacobson and head coach and GM Marty Murray have both said they intend to be at that tournament whether they’re hosting or not. This year’s iteration will be charged with taking a massive step forward and showing the hockey world they can make good on that intention.
Early signs (very early signs) indicate there’s more to that statement than just pomp and bluster. After years of building up to a window of contention, the Wheat Kings seem poised to open it this year. A reliable cast of returning forwards, a true number one stud between the pipes, and an up and coming list of young defensemen all feed that perception.
Before we officially dive into that season, I pass along my thoughts and observations on the Wheat Kings to this point based on the exhibition games, camps, and what I know of the players off the ice. If you’re asking my opinion, the hype is there for good reason.
-All eyes will be on Roger McQueen as the season begins. Not only was he the team’s leading scorer in the playoffs and among the returning leaders in scoring from last season (despite missing 15 games) but he’s a top prospect for the coming NHL draft. McQueen had a massive jump in productivity from his rookie year to his sophomore season, and if he can jump up again you’ll be hearing his name early on draft day; he’s a top-ten pick on most preliminary lists.
-Through two preseason games, the leading scorer for the Wheat Kings is Jaxon Jacobson. It’s not usually considered fair to expect a 16-year-old (and Jaxon isn’t even 16 yet) to be an offensive dynamo, but when you score twice in your WHL debut and put up six points in your first seven games, you naturally raise everyone’s expectations. His vision and shot have been on full display through two preseason games, and he’s been matched up favorably as teams don’t dare let their younger units play against lines like McQueen-Hadland-Nguyen. So, Jaxon has been doing just what he did last year; playing against competition closer to his own age and lighting them up.
-During the summer, Jacobson was at camp for Hockey Canada’s U17 program, and scouts and media members who watched the camp thought he did very well there. There was one other young Wheat King who caught their eye, however: 2023 first round pick defenseman Gio Pantelas. Pantelas was a standout at Wheat Kings main camp as well, and in the home exhibition game he played against Saskatoon. As Wheat Kings’ beat reporter Perry Bergson remarked to me, Gio looks a lot more like a 19-year-old than a 16-year-old. When you throw the kind of hits he was throwing all camp long, and when you look as poised with the puck as he does, it’s easy to assume he’s older than he is. It looks like the Wheat Kings have another stud on the right side.
-A few players look noticeably taller (Nicholas Johnson and Carter Klippenstein are two) but none more so than Brady Turko, who looks unrecognizable from the player that arrived at his first rookie camp measuring 5-foot-6. Turko is now closer to six feet tall, but his puck sense and offensive abilities remain his calling cards. He could be the kind of rookie that sneaks up on the league. As an early September birthday, Turko missed the cutoff for next year’s NHL draft by only three days, so this is his draft year as well.
-Some players look visibly larger and stronger, others look faster. Count Joby Baumuller among them. His skating, never a weakness, now looks like a real strength of his game. Couple that with his heavy shot and quick release, and he has the tools he needs for a big jump this season.
-I knew Marcus Nguyen was fast and skilled, but what I hadn’t seen as much of from him was the raw physicality he plays with. Nguyen went to the Peter Forsberg school of puck protection, which means he throws heavy reverse hits, and he’s strong enough to knock players off their feet doing so. Best of luck to him with the Florida Panthers at their rookie tournament games in Nashville.
-Speaking of the rookie tournament, those games are not all star games; they get nasty. Players are always trying to make an impression on their prospective NHL clubs, and that means players play on or over the edge. In other words, Charlie Elick should be right at home in those games. His snarly style and top-of-his-class skating could make him a standout in Buffalo, where his Columbus Blue Jackets will play.
-The Philadelphia Flyers play a unique rookie showcase in which they have only one opponent: the New York Rangers. They also only brought two goalies with them to the event, so expect Carson Bjarnason to be a busy man. He won’t mind, I’m sure. He’s been busy all summer already, splitting his time between Philadelphia, Carberry, and Michigan where he had a tremendous showing for Team Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase.
-One final note: the Wheat Kings face a very different sort of opponent this weekend in the Regina Pats. While it’s true the Pats will be missing some players due to NHL camp invites, they always play a heavy, workmanlike game. As the Wheat Kings and Pats have no love for each other, expect a grindier sort of series this weekend. This is where guys like Johnson, Klippenstein, and Ben Binder Nord can really show their worth. Each of them thrives in the dirty areas of the rink. Add Caleb Hadland to that list as well.
A lengthy opening to the Wheat Kings Blog here on Q Country FM! Stay tuned to this page throughout the season to keep up on the latest comings and goings of the team, hopefully from now until deep into the spring.
