The Brandon Wheat Kings made a blockbuster deal prior to the Western Hockey League trade deadline. Saskatoon native Brayden Schenn is heading home to play for the Blades.

 

 

Brandon receives the Blades` first round bantam picks in both 2011 and 2012. As well, the Wheat Kings get Saskatoon`s second round pick this year and the Blades` first round selection in the 2012 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. In addition to the four draft picks, the Wheat Kings obtain the Blades` top two 15-year old prospects - center Tim McGauley of Wilcox, Saskatchewan and Kelowna defenceman Ayrton Nikkel. McGauley and Nikkel were the Blades two top picks in last year`s WHL Bantam Draft, going 20th and 42nd overall respectively.



A member of the Regina AAA Pat Canadians, McGauley has scored seven goals and 13 points in 30 games. During the 2009-10 season, the 5`10`` 165 lb McGauley scored 56 goals and 103 points for the Lumsden - Bethune Contacts. A 6`170 lb blueliner, Nikkel has ten goals, 30 points and 57 penalty minutes in 33 games this season with the Program of Excellence Midgets in Kelowna.

 

 

Chosen the Most Valuable Player at this year`s World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, Schenn spent three full seasons in Brandon, before spending the first two months of the 2010-11 regular season with the National Hockey League`s Los Angeles Kings. In two games with Brandon before leaving for National Junior Selection Camp in Toronto, the three-time Wheat Kings scoring champion had a goal and 4 points.



During his WHL career, the former first round bantam draft choice of the Wheat Kings has scored 95 goals, 264 points in 197 games. In 33 playoff games, the former Eastern Conference First-Team All Star has eighteen goals and 40 points.

 

 

 

CJRB's Barry Lamb asked Brandon head coach & general manager Kelly McCrimmon to comment on the trade that sent Brayden Schenn to Saskatoon.

 

 

 

 

In addition to Schenn, the Blades receive Brandon's third round bantam pick in 2012.

 

 

This is the second deal made by the Wheat Kings in the past five days. On Wednesday, Brandon sent overage defenceman Darren Bestland to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for 20-year old center Matt MacKay and a fourth round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam draft.

 

 

The Wheat Kings will meet the Blades tonight in Saskatoon.

 

 

 

photo courtesy www.wheatkings.com