By Western Hockey League

BRANDON, Man. – Braden Schneider has been named the captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the 2020-21 season.

The 19-year old defenceman becomes the 64th captain in franchise history after previous Wheat Kings captain, Connor Gutenberg, graduated from the Western Hockey League at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Schneider is entering his fourth season in the Western Hockey League after being drafted 12th overall by the Wheat Kings in the 2016 WHL Draft. A native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Schneider has played 185 games on the blueline for Brandon and finished the 2019-20 season with a season-high 42 points (7G-35A).

“Braden was a part of our leadership group last year and he’s a big part of our hockey club”, says Wheat Kings Head Coach, Don MacGillivray. “He’s coming back for his fourth year and is a respected leader on the ice and in our dressing room. He’s a player who has always done everything he’s asked and he was the obvious choice to lead our group this season. He’s a great person to show our players how to play in the Western Hockey League and how to be a Wheat King.”

In October, Schneider was drafted in the 1st Round (19th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. He recently played two games this season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate.

Schneider also won silver with Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship this winter in Edmonton, Alberta.

“It’s an honour to be part of the leadership group again this season”, says Schneider. “It means a lot to me that our coaching staff has put the trust in me to lead our group. With so much history in this club, it’s a really special honour to be named a captain of the Wheat Kings”.

Alternate captains to round out the Wheat Kings’ leadership group will be named at a later date.

The WHL’s East Division – which includes the Wheat Kings, Winnipeg Ice, Regina Pats, Prince Albert Raiders, Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos – begin their Regular Season schedule on March 12th in Regina, Saskatchewan. All East Division games will be played out of Regina’s Brandt Centre without fans in attendance due to COVID-19 precautions.

FORMER WHEAT KINGS’ CAPTAINS:

Bob Gray, Bob Chrystal, Reg Abbott, Aggie Kukulowiecz, Phil Hilton, Claire Smith, Max Szturm, Dunc McCallum, Ed Ehrenverth, Geo Peary, Ted Taylor, Bob Ash, Bill Fairbairn, Jack Wells, Jack Brownlee, Mark Kennedy, Aurel Beaudin, Bob Fitchner, Earl Morris, Dwayne Pentland, Ron Chipperfield, Rick Blight, Dan Bonar, Dale McMullin, Murray Thomson, Brad McCrimmon, Don Dietrich, Kelly McCrimmon, Ken Schneider, Tony Camazzola, Sid Cranston, Cam Plante, Lee Trim, Murray Rice, Terry Yake, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Cam Brown, Brian Purdy, Jeff Hoad, Marty Murray, Chris Dingman, Darren Van Oene, Dan Tetrault, Brad Twordik, Brett Girard, Ryan Craig, Tim Konsorada, Teegan Moore, Mark Derlago, Daryl Boyle, Keith Aulie, Matt Calvert, Brayden Schenn, Shayne Wiebe, Mark Stone, Ryan Pulock, Peter Quenneville, Macoy Erkamps, Nolan Patrick, Tanner Kaspick, James Shearer, Stelio Mattheos, Connor Gutenberg.

Braden Schneider has been named captain of the Wheat Kings for the 2020-21 @TheWHL season.

DETAILS ➡️ https://t.co/z6Cw5gxEEk#BWK ???????? pic.twitter.com/thMJ0uojlW

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) February 18, 2021