The Virden Oil Capitals got a good look at their young talent during week one of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League exhibition season.
The team played youthful lineups in three preseason contests last week. Virden lost 5-4 in overtime to Portage in a rookie game and 9-0 and 8-3 to Steinbach.
“We got a lot of different guys in,” said Oil Capitals head coach Troy Leslie when asked about what he was most pleased with regarding week one. “We got a lot of our youngers guys in.”
As of Monday, Virden had 28 players in camp. The Oil Capitals are looking to get down to at least 25 by the Sept. 22 season opener. The remaining players include three goalies, eight defencemen, and 17 forwards.
“We have got a lot of good, young players,” Leslie said.
He said it was good getting the youngsters experience during this past week.
“It is to get the guys to realize what it takes to play in the league.”
A number of players impressed in the last week or so. Leslie said that hometown product Tanner Andrew, a 17-year-old forward, had a good camp. Sixteen-year-old forward Dylan Halliday has been released to his hometown Brandon Midget AAA Wheat Kings, but he made an impression, Leslie said. He was also pleased with Waskada defenceman Justin Lee, a 17-year-old; Jayden Wojciechowski, an 18-year-old blue liner from Thunder Bay; Jack Einarson, a 17-year-old forward from Gimli; and Riley McVeigh, the 19-year-old Calgary product who is the team’s returning goalie.
The Oil Capitals were slated to play three more exhibition contests this week. Fans should expect to see more veterans in the lineup.
“We are going to use these three games to get close to our game day roster,” Leslie said.
Season Opener
The Oil Capitals’ 2017-2018 campaign kicks off with a home and home series against the Dauphin Kings. The first game is Sept. 22 in Dauphin. Virden hosts on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Tundra Oil and Gas Place.
Exhibition Games
The Oil Capitals opened the exhibition season with a 5-4 overtime loss on the road to Portage in a rookie game on Sept. 5. Einarson lit the lamp twice, while Andrew and Owen Lee also scored for Virden. In net for the Oil Capitals, Riley Buhay made 18 saves on 20 shots while Dawson Green stopped nine of the 12 shots he faced.
Virden fell 9-0 on the road in Steinbach on Sept. 8. The Pistons outshot the Oil Capitals, 32-17. Wesley Ellingsen had 17 saves on 21 shots while Oak Lake’s Riley Wallace had six on 11 shots for Virden. Leslie said that it was a good experience for Wallace and noted that Steinbach is a tough place to play.
The next night, in Virden, the Pistons won 8-3. The game was tied 2-2 after the first period, but Steinbach scored two in the second and four in the third. Halliday, Kirklan Lycar, and Kolton Kanaski had Virden’s goals. Oil Capitals goaltenders McVeigh and Iris Sighn each allowed four goals.
The Oils Capitals were slated to play Portage on Tuesday after the Empire-Advance’s deadline. On Friday, the squad travels to Dauphin. The two teams meet again on Saturday in Virden to wrap up the preseason.
Hore Trade
Last week the Oil Capitals picked up 19-year-old forward Graeme Hore from Dauphin for future considerations. The Wawanesa product had nine goals and 21 points in 46 games for Dauphin last season.
“Graeme adds leadership and experience and will be a welcome addition to our team,” Leslie stated about the former Southwest Cougar midget AAA player in a media release. “Graeme will provide offence and is very responsible defensively. He’s a real 200-foot player.”
Catching Up With
Chase Wichelmann(2012-2013) is an investment banking analyst for BMO Capital Markets in the Twin Cities. He captained the Oil Capitals in their inaugural season in Virden.
“My favorite part about Virden was the people,” the former defenceman wrote in a social media interview. “Being a new team we were welcomed with open arms and really felt at home in the town. Also, I was blessed to have a great billet family, the Toughs, who were an awesome support system and I'm happy to say I still keep in touch with them today.”
After his time with Virden, Wichelmann went on to study at Minnesota’s St. Olaf College. A knee injury ended his hockey career in his first season there, but the St. Paul, Minn. product succeeded in the classroom. Last spring he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics with a finance emphasis.
