Regina’s Culling has found new home in Swift Current
Matthew Culling has a history with the Regina Pats, but his future rests with the Swift Current Broncos.
The 17-year-old forward is a key building block for the defending WHL champions, who’ve started the long process of reconstructing their roster after the graduation of several high-profile veterans.
Culling — acquired this summer from the Edmonton Oil Kings — is part of a strategy to bring younger talent back into the organization, replacing the prospects and draft picks that were sacrificed last season to bolster the lineup for a championship run.
The move to Swift Current has been an adjustment for Culling, who grew up cheering for his hometown Pats and spent two seasons wearing their colours with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians.
Now his loyalties belong to the Broncos, who’ve had “a big rivalry ” with Regina over the past three seasons.
“I made the switch,” Culling said with a smile after dropping a 2-0 decision in Regina last weekend. “It was awesome growing up watching the Pats and coming to the games when I was younger. (Now) it’s super cool and surreal to play in the same building and play against them.”
Culling was originally selected by Edmonton in the 10th round of the 2016 bantam draft. After more than two years as a prospect with the Oil Kings, Culling was traded to Swift Current on Aug. 21 as part of a four-player deal.
The Broncos also received prospect Chase Lacombe and two draft picks (a second-rounder in 2020 and a fourth-rounder in 2019) in exchange for defenceman Jacson Alexander, prospect Chad Smithson and a sixth-round pick in 2020.
“It was pretty unexpected but I’m happy about it,” Culling said of the trade. “I didn’t really know what to expect but so far everything has been awesome. I’m super glad to be part of the Swift Current Broncos now.”
The Broncos are glad to have him. “He’s the kind of guy you want to build your franchise around a little bit,” said head coach and director of hockey operations Dean Brockman, who’s in his first season with the team. “He comes to the rink, he’s very professional about it, he works hard every day, he’s a student of the game. What we like about him the most is he loves to play and it’s infectious.”
Culling is off to a solid start in his rookie season, notching one goal and six assists in 22 games. It’s a big change after he was among the top scorers in the Saskatchewan midget AAA league last season with 25 goals and 62 points in 43 games.
“(The WHL) is for sure a bigger, tougher, stronger and faster league,” said the 5-foot-10, 165-pounder. “You just have to make the jump and play with confidence every night and good things will happen.”
The Broncos are prepared to be patient.
“He has been thrust into some situations or roles that maybe as a younger player he just needs to adapt to a little bit,” Brockman added. “We tried to kind of protect him or insulate him a little bit. As he gets more comfortable ... he’ll just play more and more.”