It’s a good thing Nigel Boehm got some relaxation in during the offseason, because there won’t be many relaxing moments in the season itself. In fact, it promises to be a pivotal one for both him and the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The hard-hitting defenseman from Corman Park, Saskatchewan enters his third season as a Wheat King with the most games played in Brandon colours among any defenseman the team has, and as one of the more experienced players overall. He’ll have plenty of responsibility when the season begins, but before he hits the ice he made sure to recharge his batteries.
“I’ve been trying to get up to the lake as much as possible,” Boehm said, “get out on the golf course and go surfing with some buddies, and just enjoying some time with my family.”
That’s not to say Boehm has been idle in the offseason, however, and when he says he’s put the work in on something, you can take it to the bank. Last offseason, the former second-round pick packed on nearly 15 pounds of muscle in preparation for his sophomore season. That gave him a little more freedom in keeping his agility up this summer.
“This offseason wasn’t really about weight, it was more about making sure I was staying fast and agile, staying mobile,” said Boehm. “I want to be in the best physical shape for coming into the season.”
And what a coming season it promises to be. Boehm, a late birthday who missed the cutoff for the 2026 NHL draft by a matter of days, will be eligible for the draft for the first time in 2027, a process he’s watched several of his fellow Wheat Kings go through over the last two seasons.
“It’s on my mind a little bit but I’m not trying to stress about it too much,” Boehm said. “I’m just trying to go out there and play my game and help our team as much as I can, and we’ll go from there.”
By now, Wheat Kings’ fans know what Boehm means by “my game”. He hits hard, skates well, blocks shots, is a general pain to play against, and will drop the gloves if the occasion calls for it. But as an older player facing his draft season and with the Wheat Kings having lost their top two scorers among defensemen from last year, is there a temptation at all to become more offensively focused? To hear him tell it, not at the expense of what’s made him successful to begin with.
“You’re always trying to up your skill,” he said, “and I feel going into this season, the offensive side will be a big thing for me to improve on. But sticking to the things I’m good at I think will be a key this year, and the offensive aspect of it will be something to work on, something to strive for, and we’ll see where it goes.”
If Boehm wants to stick to the defense-first, physical style that made him a WHL regular at 16, he won’t have far to look for a role model. The Wheat Kings added former NHLer Aaron Rome to their coaching staff this offseason, and Rome made a pro career out of a rugged, abrasive defensive style.
“I can speak on behalf of all of our guys coming in on the back end, we’re all looking forward to working with him and learning from him,” said Boehm. “I think he’s got a good set of skills that we can all learn from, and especially playing at the level he played at even guys like our forwards and everyone will be able to learn from the things he does. He’s a great role model for us and we’re lucky to have him.”
Speaking of role models, that’s a role Boehm himself could quickly find himself in. Not only is he a third-year player on a blueline that promises to feature rookies in prominent roles, and not only does he play a responsible game, he’s also the Wheat Kings’ reigning scholastic player of the year.
“All the time I’ve put in over the last two years, learning from our older veterans over those years, I feel speaking for all of our veterans that we all feel ready to take on a leadership role,” he said. “A big thing on the back end will be speaking up and helping the younger guys, just talking with them, making sure they’re comfortable. Leading by example will also be another big key to that.”
And both by example and otherwise, Boehm knows he wants to help lead the team on a long playoff run this season.
“The big goal this year for us is we want to be a big contender in the league,” he said, “and I think that goal is achievable for our group.”
