Victoria and Brandon are the bookends of the Western Hockey League, a geographical divide from the far edge of the prairies to the West Coast that will be bridged tonight when the teams meet at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
But the Royals and Wheat Kings have a history together that belies their once-a-year meeting. That’s mostly through trades engineered by Wheat Kings owner, GM and head coach Kelly McCrimmon, who is kind of like the Monty Hall of the WHL.
The Kevin Sundher trade to Brandon in 2011-12 netted for Victoria graduated captain Jordan Fransoo and a first-round bantam draft pick that became current blue-liner and 2015 NHL draft prospect Chaz Reddekopp.
Last season, McCrimmon sent Victoria native Jack Palmer to his hometown Royals in exchange for a pair of fourth-round bantam draft picks.
But lowly Lethbridge has been McCrimmon’s favourite trade partner — some pundits say mark — in deals the past year that have netted for the Wheaties, among several other players, Minnesota Wild draft pick Reid Duke and Ryan Pilon, the latter a defenceman highly touted for the 2015 NHL draft.
Whatever McCrimmon is doing, it’s working. The Wheat Kings are second in the Eastern Conference at 10-3-1. The Royals are 8-6-1 and have won their last four games, making tonight an intriguing matchup on several levels.
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There’s more to the Wheat Kings approach than just swashbuckling through the trade market.
“For us, it’s all about the [bantam] draft and development. If you have that depth, then you can make the trades,” said McCrimmon, as his Wheat Kings prepared to practise at the Memorial Centre.
“That’s why we are able to make these moves. If you don’t have depth, and are too bare-bones, then you can’t make a deal.”
The Wheat Kings certainly aren’t shy on the trigger.
“Lots of my close friends on the Wheat Kings have been traded, as well,” chuckled Royals forward Palmer, when asked how many of the players on the Wheaties roster he still knew.
Yet, it’s the measure of McCrimmon that even traded players speak highly of him.
“[McCrimmon] is an unbelievable coach. It’s been a cool experience that both WHL coaches I’ve had [McCrimmon and Royals bench boss Dave Lowry] know the game so well,” said Palmer, son of former Victoria Cougars WHL great and former NHLer Brad Palmer.
McCrimmon’s Wheat Kings come at you from every corner of the rink.
“We have good balance with contributions from all four lines,” he said.
“We’ve had a good start to the season and I like our personnel.”
The Royals have allowed only five goals in the past four games. But that defensive wall will be put under considerable stress tonight by a Wheat Kings team that, by a wide margin, leads the league in scoring with 75 goals in 14 games.
“Brandon has a skilled team and this is a big test for us,” said Victoria defenceman Keegan Kanzig.
“We have to play smart, be well positioned and play the body.”
