What a difference ten years makes. In 2008 two unusually talented local teenagers teamed up as part of the 2008-09 edition of the AAA U18 Wheat Kings. Though the club fell short of its ultimate goal in losing in the semi-final of the league now known as the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League, Joel Edmundson and Michael Ferland’s time spent with the team served as an important springboard to what would become National Hockey League careers.
A decade after their time in AAA the two former teammates find themselves among the four teams left standing for a much bigger prize in the Stanley Cup- Edmundson with the St. Louis Blues and Ferland with the Carolina Hurricanes. In 11 games in the playoffs to-date Edmundson has notched three assists while the Swan River-born Ferland has made it into just three games due to injury so far.
Local connections to the final four don’t end there, with Carolina also featuring Brandon-born Jordan Martinook and former Wheat King Brayden Schenn playing a key role for St. Louis.
When it comes to Edmundson, the last Brandon-born player to play this far into the playoffs was Bryce Salvador in 2012 with his New Jersey Devils losing in the Stanley Cup finals to the Los Angeles Kings. Prior to that you’d have to go all the way back to 1992 when Bill Ranford served as the starting goalie for the Edmonton Oilers in their conference final loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Edmundson, Schenn and the Blues open their Western Conference Final series against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Ferland skated with the Hurricanes at practice yesterday, was quoted as saying he’s ready to play and is currently listed as questionable for tonight’s game 1 in Boston against the Bruins. While not many are likely interested in getting too far ahead of themselves, you can bet that more than a few local hockey fans would have a vested interest in seeing both clubs go one step further and go head to head for hockey's ultimate prize later this month!