In their first opportunity to show their skills against an opponent comprised solely of their peers, a group of young guns rose to the occasion in the Wheat Kings’ prospects game. Their highest drafted player from 2024 led the way, and he had all the support he needed from an undrafted linemate.
Crosby Harrison scored twice, and Chase Surkan, Carson Ralph, Kingston Gunn, and Levi Ellingsen all scored for Gold in a 6-4 win. Max George scored twice for Team Black, who also got goals from Paxton Packulak and Hudson Postnikoff.
“It was really good, really competitive and quick,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “It’s been a long few days for these guys in camp and I thought they left it all on the ice today.”
Part of leaving it all on the ice was, for many, playing a heavy physical game. Packulak and George scored for Black in the first period, but the opening frame was defined as much by its big hits as its goals, with young Ellingsen setting the tone just 55 seconds in with a crushing body check.
“A lot of our younger guys, their MO is they play with hard skill,” Murray said. “It’s not surprising things got physical out there. I think Ellingsen set the tone in the first shift of the game and the kids played a very competitive, entertaining game.”
Trailing two entering the second period, Gold turned to the line of Surkan, Ralph, and Brock Kolibab. Surkan sniped their first of the game off the cycle, and his line had four or five grade-A chances.
“Chase is a first-round draft pick and he lived up to the hype all weekend,” said Murray. “He scored quite a bit throughout training camp so (today’s goal) wasn’t super surprising. Ralph has been kind of a pleasant surprise, kind of an underdog if you will being a listed player. He’s been excellent all week. He could look like a first-round pick the way he performed in camp.”
Surkan’s snipe started Gold on a four-goal run through the second period with Harrison, Gunn, and Ellingsen scoring in quick succession. Postnikoff would answer for Team Black in the third on a goal off a faceoff, but Ralph snapped a shot home on the power play in the third to restore the two-goal lead. The two teams traded power play goals after that, one each by George and Harrison who both picked up their second goals of the game.
The contest was the first time all weekend the young guns have had the stage all to themselves. They had been sharing the ice with players, in some cases, as much as five years older than them, and this was their moment to shine. Wheat Kings brass felt they used that moment well.
“I thought they handled themselves incredibly well throughout the weekend, playing against the older players, the veteran players,” Murray said. “It’s always nice to gauge them playing among their own age group, though we will take a number of them to the game tomorrow as well.”
The Black and Gold game begins at 11:00 AM at J&G Homes Arena.
