Kelly McCrimmon guided Brandon to a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Wednesday. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)
Fans at the Pacific Coliseum Wednesday were treated to one of the better teams in the WHL. The Brandon Wheat Kings have size, speed, a defence corps keen on jumping into the play and a solid, steady goaltender in Jordan Papirny.
Brandon won 5-2, but it didn’t feel like the Vancouver Giants were going to threaten the final outcome at any point.
Both teams had key youngsters away at the Under-17 world challenge in Sarnia. Vancouver was without left winger Tyler Benson and defenceman Ryely McKinstry. Brandon didn’t have centre Nolan Patrick, centre Tanner Kaspick and defenceman Kale Clague.
The Giants were also without team captain Dalton Sward (lower body), a centre and one of their overages.
The Giants (6-8-0-0) lost their fourth straight. Brandon (12-3-1-0) finished their five-game B.C. road swing at 4-1.
“I think our team, at this point in the maturation process, needs to be hungrier,” said Giants coach Troy Ward. “We’re not hungry enough prior to a game, or, as I just told them tonight, at practice. We’re just not there yet as a group and against certain teams like this we’re going to get exposed.”
Does that come from the older guys?
“I think our older guys can set the tone because they’ve been here. They understand what it takes. But in general, it’s everybody. If you’re not making head way by the time you’re 18 in the Dub, it’s tough to make it.
“It belongs to everybody.”
Here’s what Vancouver veteran Matt Bellerive had to say afterwards.
And fellow winger Brendan Semchuk made his WHL debut against the Wheat Kings. The Kamloops native was the 10th overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft, a pick, oddly enough that Vancouver received in a deal via Brandon. He can play five games with Vancouver until his minor hockey regular season is up.
