Game On Magazine - April 2017 GameOn-Apr2017-P001-144-ONLINE | Page 89

I came in
(to Brandon) just
thinking, obviously
trying to stay in the
line-up as much as I
can. I know I was going
to play any role I could
and just learn from the
guys. That was my main
goal coming in here
tion of several top players from last year’s
champs meant opportunities for
young prospects like Bettens to be
a regular on the Wheaties’
roster.
At press time, Brandon’s
third round selection
(50th overall) in the
2015 Bantam Draft had
posted four goals
and an assist in 55 games. Of
course,
the
first goal is one he vividly remem-
bers. “I re-
member we got the puck in deep and
I think
it was Cole Reinhardt who threw it up to
the point,” said Bettens of the play back on
Nov. 19, a Wheat Kings’ home game at Westman
Communications Group Place against the Saskatoon
Blades.
“(Zach Wytinck) shot it and I just got a re-direct (that went in…
past Logan Flodell of the Blades). I was pretty pumped up at that mo-
ment, to get the monkey off the back. But (the goal celebration) was
terrible.
I was so
panicked. It
was just emo-
tion, screaming,
jumping up into the
glass and then waiting
for the boys to come in for
the huddle. It was a great mo-
ment and the celly, well yeah, I
definitely need to work on that.”
He also needed to learn to keep a level
head in the midst of a series of distractions,
all beyond his control.
The first one was the Nolan Patrick situation. A fel-
low Winnipegger, Patrick was the 2016 playoff MVP, as a
17-year-old sophomore, but it turns out he played much of the
2017 PLAYOFF EDITION
GAME ON 89