Silvertips take on Wheat Kings in WHL showdown Friday on TSN+
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Phenom Landon DuPont and the Everett Silvertips look to build on their lead atop the Western Hockey League as they host the Brandon Wheat Kings on TSN+ on Friday.
The Silvertips enter Friday’s action with points in their past nine games, including six wins.
They lead the league with a 30-5-6 record, including wins over the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans in last weekend’s action and a shootout loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Driving the play is DuPont, who has been a standout defenceman in his rookie season in the WHL.
DuPont was drafted first overall by the Silvertips in the 2024 WHL Priority Draft using the Kamloops Blazers’ draft pick that they acquired through a trade involving Olen Zellweger in 2023.
The 5-foot-11 defenceman became the second player to be granted exceptional player status in WHL history, along with Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, which allowed him to play in the league as a 15-year-old.
He is the ninth player in CHL history to gain exceptional status, joining the likes of Bedard, John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, Joe Veleno, Shane Wright, and Michael Misa.
DuPont has come as advertised in his first season, leading all rookies with 11 goals and 43 points in 37 games, which is also fourth among all WHL defencemen. He is eligible for the NHL Draft in 2027.
Fans with an eye on the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles will have a chance to watch top prospect Carter Bear showcase himself as he continues his draft season.
Bear, 18, is second on the team in scoring with 27 goals and 57 points in 34 games and is one point behind overage forward Tyler MacKenzie for top spot.
The 6-foot winger is ranked No. 15 on TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s January list.
Everett has been backstopped by netminder Jesse Sanche, who leads the league with a 2.21 goals-against average and .917 save percentage to go along with a 15-3-2 record.
Brandon enters Friday’s action in seventh place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 20-13-5 record. They are coming off a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals on Wednesday.
The Wheat Kings have undergone a spat of injuries throughout the season, including top NHL prospect Roger McQueen.
McQueen, 18, hasn’t played since Oct. 11 while he’s been dealing with a back injury. Prior to the injury, he had eight goals and 11 points in eight games.
The 6-foot-5 centre is a highly rated prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft, sitting at No. 8 on Button’s most recent list and ranked No. 6 in TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie’s pre-season rankings.
In McQueen’s absence, veteran forwards Marcus Nguyen and Nolan Flamand have carried the load offensively for the Wheat Kings.
Nguyen, 20, played his entire WHL career with the Portland Winterhawks prior to this season and has 21 goals and 40 points in 38 games this season.
Flamand is in his second full season in Brandon after being acquired from the Kelowna Rockets in 2023. He has 13 goals and 37 points in 37 games this season.
Carson Bjarnason has carried the crease for the Wheat Kings this season, going 8-8-2 with a .910 save percentage and 3.08 goals-against average. He also represented Canada at the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa as the team’s third goaltender.
The CHL on TSN returns on Saturday with the Medicine Hat Tigers taking on the Calgary Hitmen in a battle of the top two teams in the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference. Viewers can watch LIVE at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with a subscription to TSN+.