By James Shewaga /

The stakes have never been higher for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings.
As hosts of the 2010 Memorial Cup, the Wheat Kings were the only team out of the 60 in the CHL that began training camp knowing they will play in the Canadian major junior hockey championship next spring.
It’s a situation that has generated a whole new level of excitement among local Wheat King followers, with the club breaking a franchise record by selling more than 3,000 season tickets before training camp even opened.
It also created plenty of off-season motivation for the 18 returning veterans and the three dozen rookie candidates hoping to land a spot on this Memorial Cup team.
“It will be competitive and with what’s at stake, it ensures every player will have to be at the top of his game and fighting to be a part of it,” said Kelly McCrimmon, the head coach, general manager and owner of the Wheat Kings.
Gone are captain Keith Aulie, a Team Canada junior team defenceman who is expected to play in the AHL as a 20-year-old, while forwards Andrew Clark and Matt Lowry and bruising blueliner Chad Erb have graduated after completing their overage seasons. Meanwhile, veteran centre Nathan Green was dealt to the Red Deer Rebels in the off-season, while backup netminder James Priestner was shipped to the Prince George Cougars.
The spotlight now falls fully on 18-year-old star forwards Brayden Schenn and Scott Glennie — selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings and eighth overall by the Dallas Stars, respectively, in this year’s NHL Entry Draft — to lead this team, along with veteran forwards Matt Calvert and Jay Fehr, two of four overage forwards battling for three 20-year-old spots.
On the blue-line, 19-year-old Canadian junior team candidate Colby Robak is the top returning player, leading a group of seven players who suited up in 20 games or more last year.
The Wheat Kings also landed two top talents in the CHL Import Draft by picking up 19-year-old Swedish defenceman Alexander Urbom and 18-year-old flashy Finnish forward Toni Rajala, who broke Russian star Alex Ovechkin’s scoring record at this year’s world under-18 hockey championship.
Both NHL draft picks, Urbom landed in Brandon prior to training camp while Rajala’s arrival was temporarily delayed due to a knee injury.
“I think both players will have a tremendous impact on our hockey club and they are gonna be important players on our team,” said McCrimmon. “And obviously with what we have at stake this season, it’s going to be real positive if we, in fact, get those guys in 
our lineup.”
Among the top rookie hopefuls in training camp were Jordan DePape and Brenden Walker, who finished 1-2 in MJHL rookie scoring last year as 16-year-olds, as well as 16-year-old 2008 first-round WHL bantam draft pick 
Klarc Wilson.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN
The Wheat Kings were scheduled to make their pre-season debut at home on Friday, Sept. 4 versus the Regina Pats, with their season opener slated for Friday, Sept. 18 in Prince Albert, Sask., against the Raiders.