For the past five seasons, only two teams have won the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Edmonton Oil Kings won the conference three straight years and then watched as the Brandon Wheat Kings took the next two, culminating with last year’s WHL Championship. The Wheat Kings have lost some big names heading into the 2016–17 season, but still have a shot of matching Edmonton’s three-peat.
Will they get a challenge from anyone this year? Which players should we be watching? Who’s going to come out on top? Let’s take a look at the conference.
Who’s going to win this thing?
The defending champs are losing names like Jayce Hawryluk, John Quenneville and most likely Ivan Provorov. All were key members of the team that hoisted the Chynoweth Cup in Seattle last spring and will be missed. They still have a strong team however and will be led by Nolan Patrick who is the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. The Wheaties have a solid defence and an experienced goaltender in Jordan Papirny. If you’re going to knock them off, you’re going to have a great deal of moxie.
One team that just be able to do it is the Regina Pats. Led by last year’s league leading scorer, Adam Brooks and Anaheim Ducks first-round pick Sam Steel, the Pats are ready. They upset Lethbridge in the first round last year and pushed Red Deer to the brink in a seven-game series in the conference semis. (Speaking of Lethbridge, the Hurricanes hoped for more last year and are the favorite in the Central Division, which puts them in the mix for the Conference title.)
Regina general manager and bench boss John Paddock has done a masterful job putting together a roster and this is the year it’s going to pay off. The Pats haven’t been to the WHL finals since the Cooperall days in 1984 and while they won’t break out the long pants this year, they will end up edging out the Wheat Kings and get to the finals.
Who could surprise?
Clubs like Lethbridge and Calgary will be strong, but neither would be considered a surprise. If you’re looking for a dark horse, look no further than the Moose Jaw Warriors. They lose Brayden Point and Dryden Hunt, but still have some firepower up front in Noah Gregor and Brett Howden. The weakness for Tim Hunter’s club last year was keeping the puck out of its net. If they’re going to be a surprise team they will need to find some defensive consistency and continued improvement from goalie Zach Sawchenko.
Pre-season all-conference team
Nolan Patrick, C, Brandon Wheat Kings
After picking up 102 points in the regular season, Patrick was named playoff MVP after adding 30 more points in 21 playoff games for the champs. He’s big, can skate and has the hands that allowed him to pot 41 goals. Now in his draft year, he’s being talked about as the top pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Brayden Burke, LW, Lethbridge Hurricanes
Despite being passed over by NHL clubs, the 19-year-old Edmonton product is coming off his best WHL season. He led the Hurricanes in scoring with a spectacular 27-goal, 109-point season last year, good for third overall as Lethbridge played its way back to being relevant.
Reid Gardiner, RW, Prince Albert Raiders
After setting career highs in goals (43), assists (49) and points (92), Gardiner should be in for an equally good campaign. As an overager in a season where there aren’t many great overagers, it will be interesting to track how Prince Albert fares in the standings. If they falter, does Gardiner become available?
Jake Bean, D, Calgary Hitmen
None of the 22 WHL teams drafted Bean during his Bantam year, but since he’s made all but Calgary wish they had. After an impressive rookie campaign, he blew up to light the lamp 24 times last season. The NHL didn’t make the same mistake as its junior brethren did, the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him 13th overall in June.
David Quenneville, D, Medicine Hat Tigers
Yes, there is still a Quenneville in the WHL, but this one wears a Medicine Hat sweater. A 14-goal, 55-point campaign for the Tigers last season got him selected in the seventh round by the New York Islanders. Now a year older, he will be one of the top blueliners in the East.
Stuart Skinner, G, Lethbridge Hurricanes
Skinner got everyone’s attention when he burst on the scene during his 16-year-old season and last year improved in every aspect. He posted a .920 save percentage and will be key to the Hurricanes going far this season. Not only can he stop the puck, but he can chip in on the offense as well:
What ifs?
What if Toronto signs Adam Brooks? The fortunes of the Pats will be severely dampened if the overage Brooks signs with the Maple Leafs before the season starts. He will attend camp with Toronto so there is always the possibility that ends up with the AHL’s Marlies. The Pats would lose a tremendous amount of experience, but not necessarily be sunk all together. They would still have scoring from Steel and 2017 draft eligible Lane Zablocki up front and Connor Hobbs on the back end.
What if Ivan Provorov doesn’t stick with the Flyers? It’s all but been assumed that Provorov would make the Flyers roster this fall but what if he doesn’t? He did show up in camp with the Wheat Kings before heading to Philadelphia so the door for a return may be open. Getting the defending WHL Defenseman of the year back would be a huge win for a Brandon team that will have to make up for some big losses from last year’s championship team. Provorov drives the offense for the Wheat Kings and a surprise return to the fold just might make that three-peat a real deal.
New faces in new places
The coach
It’s hard to replace a legend but that’s exactly the task that new Brandon head coach David Anning will be doing this season. After winning the league title, Kelly McCrimmon got snatched up by the expansion Las Vegas NHL team to be its assistant general manager. Anning spent the past three seasons as an assistant for the Wheat Kings so he’s familiar with the players he’ll be leading. He also knows the pressure and expectations for a team that just won a championship and has its sights set on repeating.
The rookie
Not only does Moose Jaw rookie Jett Woo have a name made for a marquee, but he has the skill as well. The Winnipeg native was the fourth-overall pick of the 2015 bantam draft and is ready for his rookie season. He’s scored at every level and there’s no reason to think that he won’t in the WHL. He’s only 16 so the expectations should be tempered somewhat, but he’ll be a fun player to watch develop.
The import
The early reviews on Swift Current import Aleksi Heponiemi are stellar. The 2017 draft eligible has had a pretty great pre-season so far. In five exhibition games he’s scored five times and added seven helpers. The Broncos will be pretty happy with that kind of scoring rate and, if he can keep it up, just might get Heponiemi climbing up the draft boards.
Five to watch for the 2017 NHL Draft
Nolan Patrick, C, Brandon Wheat Kings
Has the size and skill to score and as a late-birthday is more mature than most draft picks. He’s got a shot to not only be the top pick, but also to lead the league in scoring.
Nikita Popugayev, LW, Moose Jaw Warriors
The big Russian—standing at over six-foot-five—had a stellar rookie campaign for the Warriors last year. He scored 16 times and should see those numbers rise up now that he has a season in North American under his belt.
Ian Scott, G, Prince Albert Raiders
It’s not often that 16-year-old goalies stick in the WHL, but Scott did last year and even won 13 games for Prince Albert. He appeared in 26 games and will be sharing the crease with overaged Rylan Parenteau to start the season.
Lane Zablocki, RW, Regina Pats
After posting 18 markers as a rookie last year, Zablocki could be in for an even better output this season. He’s playing on a strong team, which will help him put up bigger numbers.
Jordy Bellerive, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes
The second-overall pick of the 2014 bantam draft is a big part of the excitement in Lethbridge. 11 goals as a 16-year-old is impressive and it won’t hurt playing with a strong offensive Hurricanes team.