Calling the past four months or so an “offseason” for Joby Baumuller feels inaccurate. Not only did he not take a ton of time away from the rink or the gym, he didn’t even spend that much time away from Brandon.
The 2007-born forward from Wilcox, Saskatchewan spent much of the summer traveling to Brandon for his training both on and off the ice, and he spent a lot of time training through the warm months. He’s determined that this year will be an important one for both him and his team.
“This is a big season for the Wheat Kings organization,” he said. “We have a great group of guys and it’s something I’m really looking forward to. Each and every one of us is pretty pumped for this year.”
A naturally active young man, it suited Baumuller just fine to be so busy over the course of the summer. In fact, like his buddy Caleb Hadland, he can go a little stir-crazy when he’s not working hard, so the time in the gym and on the ice was just what he wanted.
“When I’m away from the gym and not being active, I get a little bit OCD with some stuff,” he said. “I did find some time to get out to the lake and hang out with a bunch of buddies. It was nice to have a little break and get your mind away from things.”
On the ice, Baumuller has been honing his most potent weapon, his shot, quite a bit this offseason. He’s been working on getting it away faster, being more deceptive with his release, and getting more accurate. But he’s also been focusing on his footspeed, another area where he seems to be a step ahead of many of his peers.
“If I’m lifting weights, I’m trying to lift as quickly and fast as possible,” Baumuller said. “I’m on the track and trying to be more explosive with my first three steps. On the ice, it’ll translate to my first three strides.”
The third-year Wheat King is no stranger to improvement. He went from five goals in his rookie season to 18 goals in 2024-25, and 14 of those 18 came in the second half, once the post-Christmas schedule began. He finished his second season in Black and Gold with 18 goals and 34 points in 59 games.
“I knew I had to step my game up a bit,” said Baumuller. “The first half went a little bit slower than I expected and I came into that second half more positive and with more of a jump in my game.”
It came as a bit of a surprise, therefore, when Baumuller didn’t hear his name called at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He had been ranked by NHL Central Scouting throughout the season and had exploded offensively in the second half while still playing a steady physical game, and would have seemed a shrewd pick for any NHL team. Any disappointment he felt has long since turned to motivation, however.
“It’s going to be something I use as fuel for the whole season,” Baumuller said. “I’m going to try and make a statement about myself and prove some people wrong. I’m going to come into this season with more of a motivated personality and work my butt off to make that statement.”
The Wheat Kings certainly feel Baumuller can make that statement. Head coach and GM Marty Murray has regularly mentioned Baumuller as a player he’s counting on for an offensive leap forward. Baumuller sees his role as being about more than scoring goals, however. At a time where the hockey world is collectively leaning to a more physical bent (owing to the Florida Panthers hard-hitting style that won them back-to-back Stanley Cups) Baumuller is keen to be a physical factor as well as a goal scorer.
“I can be a guy who can bring a lot of energy,” he said. “I’m sneaky physical and I can fight at the same time, so I’ll stand up for guys this year. Being a guy who can also put the puck in the back of the net, I have a great shot and I can use that to my advantage.”
Whatever role he adopts on the ice, Baumuller knows he’s going to have veteran responsibilities off it as well. Now a third-year player and in the older half of an increasingly young league, he’s going to be someone the younger players come to for advice.
“Coming in as a 16-yer-old, I learned a lot from the older guys so I’m sure I can use that and give some advice to the younger guys,” said Baumuller. “I can also be a guy people can rely on. If you need to talk away from hockey, I’m always going to be there. At the end of the day, everyone on the team is a leader, but we’re going to need a lot of guys to step up at the same time this year and take on roles.”
