dagley
02-14-2008, 03:15 PM
Kelowna, B.C. -- It may be a battle between the Wheat Kings and Rockets but tonight's Western Hockey League game at Prospera Place between Brandon and Kelowna will also feature the first ever game between the Schenn brothers.
18-year old defenceman Luke Schenn was not in the Kelowna lineup in December when the Rockets skated to a 5-4 victory over 16-year old Brayden Schenn and the Wheat Kings in Brandon. The highly touted blueliner, who is expected to be a first round selection in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft, was with the National Junior Team preparing for what turned out to be another gold medal performance at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Brayden meanwhile had a goal and an assist in a losing cause for the Wheat Kings, who will be playing the fourth game of this week's 5-game road trip.
“I've kind of been looking forward to this game for awhile,” Luke recently told Sportsnet.ca, adding that the family was planning to make the trip from Saskatoon. “It's definitely pretty exciting, expecially because it doesn't happen very often.”
“I think he knows all my tricks,” Brayden told Patrick King of Sportsnet earlier this month. “I just have to keep my head up.”
Schenn enters the game as the second leading scorer among first year players in the WHL with 23 goals and 58 points. He currently trails 18-year old Jamie Benn of Kelowna by two points and is second among rookies in goals, assists and game winning goals with four. A former first round bantam draft choice of the Wheat Kings (9th overall in 2007), he has developed into one of, if not the best 16-year old skater in the Canadian Hockey League. Schenn is eligible for the 2009 NHL draft.
While Luke and the Rockets look to close to within nine ponts of the front running Vancouver Giants in the B.C. Division, the Wheat Kings enter Thursday's game hoping to extend a pair of streaks. In addition to winning back to back games, including last night's dramatic 4-3 win over the defending Memorial Cup Champions in Vancouver, the Wheat Kings have managed to collect at least a point in five straight games (3-0-2-0) to vault past Moose Jaw and Swift Current and into sole posession of second place in the Eastern Division.
Brandon enters Thursday's game with a record of 34-19-2-2, good for 72 points. The Wheat Kings currently trail the Eastern Division leading Regina Pats by three points, with a game in hand. As for the Conference, Brandon has closed to within a single point of fourth place Medicine Hat - a team that the Wheat Kings will face on Saturday night.
In last night's win over the Giants, it was Keith Aulie scoring what proved to be the game winner at the 30 second mark of overtime. A bad angle shot bounced off a Giant in front of netminder Tyson Sexsmith, changed direction and found its way into the net. It was Aulie's fifth goal of the year and his first ever game winning goal in overtime. Schenn meanwhile set the stage for Aulie's heroics by notching the equalizer - on a beautiful centering pass from linemate Matt Calvert - with 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation time.
The club's “Baby Blue Line” of Schenn, Calvert and 16-year old Scott Glennie combined for seven points as Brandon defeated the Giants at Pacific Coliseum for only the second time in franchise history.
Netminder Joe Caligiuri turned aside 36 shots, including 27 over the course of the final two periods of play to pick up his second straight victory while 20-year old captain Daryl Boyle played in his 250th WHL game. His third period assist was the 97th of his 4-year career.
Tonight's game can be heard on 880 CKLQ, beginning with the pre-game show at 8:45 p.m.
18-year old defenceman Luke Schenn was not in the Kelowna lineup in December when the Rockets skated to a 5-4 victory over 16-year old Brayden Schenn and the Wheat Kings in Brandon. The highly touted blueliner, who is expected to be a first round selection in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft, was with the National Junior Team preparing for what turned out to be another gold medal performance at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Brayden meanwhile had a goal and an assist in a losing cause for the Wheat Kings, who will be playing the fourth game of this week's 5-game road trip.
“I've kind of been looking forward to this game for awhile,” Luke recently told Sportsnet.ca, adding that the family was planning to make the trip from Saskatoon. “It's definitely pretty exciting, expecially because it doesn't happen very often.”
“I think he knows all my tricks,” Brayden told Patrick King of Sportsnet earlier this month. “I just have to keep my head up.”
Schenn enters the game as the second leading scorer among first year players in the WHL with 23 goals and 58 points. He currently trails 18-year old Jamie Benn of Kelowna by two points and is second among rookies in goals, assists and game winning goals with four. A former first round bantam draft choice of the Wheat Kings (9th overall in 2007), he has developed into one of, if not the best 16-year old skater in the Canadian Hockey League. Schenn is eligible for the 2009 NHL draft.
While Luke and the Rockets look to close to within nine ponts of the front running Vancouver Giants in the B.C. Division, the Wheat Kings enter Thursday's game hoping to extend a pair of streaks. In addition to winning back to back games, including last night's dramatic 4-3 win over the defending Memorial Cup Champions in Vancouver, the Wheat Kings have managed to collect at least a point in five straight games (3-0-2-0) to vault past Moose Jaw and Swift Current and into sole posession of second place in the Eastern Division.
Brandon enters Thursday's game with a record of 34-19-2-2, good for 72 points. The Wheat Kings currently trail the Eastern Division leading Regina Pats by three points, with a game in hand. As for the Conference, Brandon has closed to within a single point of fourth place Medicine Hat - a team that the Wheat Kings will face on Saturday night.
In last night's win over the Giants, it was Keith Aulie scoring what proved to be the game winner at the 30 second mark of overtime. A bad angle shot bounced off a Giant in front of netminder Tyson Sexsmith, changed direction and found its way into the net. It was Aulie's fifth goal of the year and his first ever game winning goal in overtime. Schenn meanwhile set the stage for Aulie's heroics by notching the equalizer - on a beautiful centering pass from linemate Matt Calvert - with 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation time.
The club's “Baby Blue Line” of Schenn, Calvert and 16-year old Scott Glennie combined for seven points as Brandon defeated the Giants at Pacific Coliseum for only the second time in franchise history.
Netminder Joe Caligiuri turned aside 36 shots, including 27 over the course of the final two periods of play to pick up his second straight victory while 20-year old captain Daryl Boyle played in his 250th WHL game. His third period assist was the 97th of his 4-year career.
Tonight's game can be heard on 880 CKLQ, beginning with the pre-game show at 8:45 p.m.