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View Full Version : Kelly's going local...



Triton
09-22-2005, 08:50 AM
The defending Western Hockey League Eastern Conference Champion Brandon Wheat Kings will have a league high eight local products on their roster when they take to the ice on Friday night to meet the visiting Regina Pats in this year's Coca Cola Home Opener at the Keystone Centre.

With one day to go before the curtain goes up on the 2005-2006 regular season, Wheat Kings' coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon still has 27 players on his active roster including eight from Brandon.

That represents not only the largest local contingent of any team in the WHL, it is believed to be the most local products ever to be on the Wheat Kings' opening day roster.

Among the eight are veteran goalkeepers Tyler Plante and Mike Nichol, defenceman Riley Day and forwards Derek LeBlanc, Mark Derlago and Cole Hunter. Rounding out the "Brandon Boys" are rookies Tyler Dittmer, Andrew Clark and goalkeeper Kurt Jory. While Clark and Jory spent last season with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Neepawa Natives, Dittmer skated with the Brandon AAA midget Wheat Kings - a team that he helped lead to the National Title the year before.

In fact, Dittmer is one of four current Wheat Kings that played for that gold medal winning team, joining Clark, Plante and Jory.