Congrats to Brandon

[2,5,andagame]

East Division Champs

[WHEATMAN]

Awesome to finally clinch it, The last while Brandon has made winning the Eastern Division a good habit, hopefully the boys can continue this streak and go into the playoffs with alot of confidence.

[Triton]

Their game is starting to take shape into playoff form.

[Triton]

Brandon, Manitoba -- For the second time in three years and the fourth time in the past six seasons, the Brandon Wheat Kings have captured the Western Hockey League's Eastern Division pennant.

The Wheat Kings clinched their tenth division title in franchise history Saturday night at the Keystone Centre, with an 8-5 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.

20-year olds Jeff Topilko and Rob Klinkhammer led the offensive explosion for the Wheat Kings, who will open up the 2007 WHL playoffs with games one and two of their best of seven opening round series on Friday and Saturday, March 23rd and 24th at the Keystone Centre.

While Klinkhammer enjoyed a career high, scoring twice and setting up three others, Topilko fired his second hat trick in less than a month, finishing the game with four points and capping off what has turned out to be a brilliant week. In three games, the former first round bantam draft choice scored six goals and 8 points in helping Brandon extend its current win streak to seven games.

Ryan Reaves, Daryl Boyle and captain Mark Derlago, with his league leading 41st goal of the season, also scored for the Wheat Kings, who led 3-2 and 4-3 at the period breaks.

Winners of nine of their last ten games (9-0-0-1), the Wheat Kings are currently third in the Eastern Conference - seven points ahead of the fourth place Calgary Hitmen.

Since joining the Western Canada Hockey League, the Wheat Kings have captured the Eastern Division ten times - 1977, '78 and '79, 1995, '96 and '97, 2002, 2003 and two years ago in 2005, when Brandon advanced to the League Championship Final before bowing out to the Kelowna Rockets.

This year marks general manager Kelly McCrimmon's second pennant as the club's head coach and eighth overall - one as a player (1979) and five others as general manager. Three of those pennants came with Bob Lowes, the club's all time winningest coach, behind the bench while two others came with Dean Clark serving as head coach. When Brandon won its first three pennants in the seventies, it was the late Dunc McCallum calling the shots from the bench.

The Wheat Kings currently have five games remaining in the 2006-07 regular season, including three at home - beginning this Wednesday night - against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. Wednesday's game is the FINAL RAIN CHECK game of the season, so fans can exchange any unused ticket at the box office for a free ticket to this game. Puck drop Wednesday is at seven.

Tickets to Wednesday's game are on sale now at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at ticketmaster.ca

And speaking of tickets, the Wheat Kings would like to remind their Season Ticket Holders that if you have reserved your 2007 playoff ticket package, you can pick them up from the Wheat Kings office on Monday, March 5th at 10 a.m. The office will remain open until 5:30 p.m. Monday night.

Playoff tickets meanwhile will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, March 8th at 9 a.m. at the Keystone Centre box office. Fans can also purchase by phone or online.