Klimchuk relishes challenge
Morgan Klimchuk hopes to continue breaking new ground in the WHL playoffs — even if it comes at the expense of some old friends.
The Calgary Flames prospect is slated to get his first taste of the second round on Friday night when the Brandon Wheat Kings play host to the Regina Pats in Game 1 of a best- of- seven Eastern Conference semifinal.
Klimchuk didn’t make it past the first round in three- plus seasons with the Pats, who traded him to Brandon on Jan. 2. The deal gave the veteran left winger hope that he might play for a league championship in his final junior season.
Little did he know the road to the Ed Chynoweth Cup would run through his old backyard, marking Regina’s first appearance in the conference semifinals since 2007.
“It’s definitely exciting for both the Pats and myself,” offered Klimchuk. “It’s the first time they’ve been to the second round in my time in the league. That in itself is a pretty big accomplishment.”
Klimchuk made the playoffs twice with the Pats, who were eliminated in the first round on both occasions. Those setbacks have helped confirm the reality of his fleeting junior career and the urgency to achieve post- season success.
“I’m excited about the opportunity,” he said. “( Getting this far) makes you want more and shows you how hard it is to win at this time of year. It really does bring the best out of you.”
It also reminds him there are guarantees.
“That’s something I dealt with last year in Regina,” he continued. “We were favoured to beat Brandon and we got swept in the first round. At the time it sucked but now it’s a little bit of a learning experience, something I can use coming into this series. You can never get ahead of yourself.”
Although Brandon is the obvious favourite on this occasion, Klimchuk regards the Pats as a “dangerous” opponent with the ability to pull off an upset.
“They’ve proven it all year, even when I was there,” he said. “A lot of people kind of wrote us off early in the year and we showed that we could win hockey games.”