Ask coaches around the WHL and they’ll tell you, it’s the post-Christmas portion of the schedule where rookies really tend to hit their stride and show off the potential that had their teams so excited for them in the first place. That looks more and more like the case for Prabh Bhathal.
While the Brandon Wheat Kings have struggled in early January, the 2009-born forward has been playing some of his best hockey lately. He earned some time on the ice as the sixth man in an empty net situation against the Saskatoon Blades, and continues to impress his coaching staff.
“I feel a lot more comfortable as the year has progressed,” Bhathal said. “I’m really enjoying Brandon so far and I feel a lot more comfortable on the ice.”
That comfort has been visible to plenty of observers. A rotating cast of players on the so-called fourth line has been doing good work keeping the Wheat Kings’ opponents hemmed in their zone and generating chances, and Bhathal has frequently been at the centre of it (sometimes, though not always, literally).
“He’s using his size, he’s a strong kid, and he looks like he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “He’s been around the puck all night, he’s been creating shift in and shift out. We’ve talked about consistency, I think he’s been consistent from shift to shift.”
Finding that consistency has been a function of adjusting to life in the WHL, including its increased moment-to-moment scrutiny. Bhathal was a dominant player at the U15 and U18 levels in Manitoba, but once he got to Brandon he started to see what it was like to have his shifts and his teams’ plays analyzed more intensely.
“There’s definitely a bit of a difference with skill and speed and whatnot, but the biggest change has been a lot more systems, a lot more video,” said Bhathal. “It really feels like you’re playing professional hockey out here. Even if you’ve played in the the lower junior leagues, this feels like a step above that in terms of the quality of coaching you get here.”
Bhathal did play eight games with the Wheat Kings last season, picking up a goal and an assist, and getting some time on the road with the team (his first WHL goal came in Prince Albert). But now that he’s a full-time member of the team, it means he’s got full-time travel on his hands as well, which means seeing new cities and new rinks, something he’s enjoyed.
“The Edmonton rink is up there (as a favorite) for sure,” he said, adding, “I like the rinks that let the bus right into the rink. But the Oil Kings rink is my favorite by far. It’s shocking in terms of how big the room is and how cool the arena is.”
Bhathal and the Wheat Kings will host the Regina Pats on Saturday night in pursuit of their first win of 2026. Puck drop is 6:00.
