5 hours Ago By Perry Bergson
When new Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jordan Gavin is playing his best hockey, he can be awfully impactful. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support.
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Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! When new Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jordan Gavin is playing his best hockey, he can be awfully impactful. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? When new Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jordan Gavin is playing his best hockey, he can be awfully impactful. The 18-year-old forward from Surrey, B.
C., was acquired with 18-year-old defenceman Merrek Arpin from the Tri-City Americans on Jan. 7 for 18-year-old defenceman Charlie Elick and a third-round pick in 2026.
“I feel like you’ll see my hockey sense take over the game,” Gavin said of his best nights. “I feel like I’m really good on the power play and making plays up there. I’m more of a pass-first guy and I feel like rush play and O-zone play is kind of my game.
I feel like I excel there most. When I’m making plays and flowing as the game goes along is when I’m at my best.” Gavin was taken one pick ahead of Elick in the 2021 draft, second overall, and they were teammates on Canada’s entry in the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Roger McQueen.
The Wheat Kings were in action against the Kelowna Rockets last night in a game that ended well after deadline. They finish up the trip tonight against the Kamloops Blazers and Friday against the Prince George Cougars. Gavin began to skate at age four and started playing a couple years later after taking skating lessons.
His grandfather Doug Gavin and father Kevin played too, and while neither did it at a high level, both were invested in the game and had a big impact on Jordan. “That’s how I got into the game,” Gavin said. “Obviously they’re super passionate about hockey so they’ve supported me through my whole career and got me to this point.
” The rest of his family includes mother Cindy and his three younger sisters, Jayla, Kaycee and Kensie. Gavin has shown an offensive flair at every level in the past six seasons. He had 66 points in 30 games in his minor under-15 prep season at Delta Hockey Academy in 2019-20, signalling what was to come.
For the abbreviated 2020-21 season, he moved to the U15 prep team with St. George’s School — former Wheat Kings defenceman Kayden Sadhra-Kang also skated there — and piled up an incredible 13 goals and 11 assists in just six games. He returned to the Delta Hockey Academy for the 2021-22 campaign, and had 48 goals, 57 assists and 105 points in 28 games in U17 prep, and had five points in two games with the U18s.
Gavin also suited up with the Americans for nine games that season after they selected him in December — that was the year the WHL draft was moved from May to give scouts longer looks at players during the pandemic — potting his first WHL goal in his sixth game on April 1, 2022. That made him the youngest player in Americans franchise history to score a goal. “I was lucky enough to get a couple of call-up games in my draft year and that got me a little bit familiar with the league,” Gavin said.
“Obviously the pace is incredible. That was definitely the biggest jump there and the competition is a lot better. It’s the best players from all over the west so it was definitely hard but I was supported by a good coaching staff and good teammates over there so they helped me get through it.
” Gavin certainly built on that early success. In his 16-year-old campaign in 2022-23, he finished sixth among WHL rookies with 54 points on 22 goals and 32 assists in 62 games. He improved both of those totals in his 17-year-old campaign, contributing 23 goals, 45 assists and 68 points in 68 games.
Gavin was the U.S. Division’s nominee for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy last spring as the most sportsmanlike player for the 2023-24 season after setting a league record when he became the first player to record a point-per-game season with zero penalty minutes.
He lost out to a two-time winner, Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager, who went on to win the Canadian Hockey League award. In 196 preseason, regular season and playoff games as a WHL player, he has six penalty minutes. (For the record, the penalties were for tripping, too many men and slashing.
) Gavin has also represented his country twice, as a member of Team Canada Black at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge — he had a goal and an assist in six games — and at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he won gold with Elick and McQueen. Marcus Nguyen played against him when the Brandon overage forward was still a member of the Portland Winterhawks. “Jordan is an unreal player,” Nguyen said.
“He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve played against. He has lots of skill and should be a great addition to our team.” Gavin played on a line with Jake Sloan for his whole Tri-City career, with wingers rotating in and out.
In one of those small-world moments, Gavin’s trade from Tri-City to Brandon was eerily familiar to the last deal between the teams in one significant way. Brandon acquired Landon Roberts of Souris on Oct. 31, 2021, and he left behind a beloved set of billets in Tracy and Mike Wilson.
By coincidence, Gavin also stayed with them. The five-foot-11, 179-pound forward had 14 goals and 16 assists in 35 games as an alternate captain with the Americans this season, and has one goal in five games with the Wheat Kings as he settles in with his new club. He was impressed with what he saw after he arrived in Brandon.
“It’s awesome,” Gavin said. “I think it’s a new dressing room and it’s definitely really nice. There are really nice facilities — the gym is awesome — and this rink is incredible too.
It’s been really nice to be around the nice facilities and get to meet the guys and hang around them.” While he’s played with different guys since arriving in Brandon, he’s spent the last two games skating with Jaxon Jacobson and Caleb Hadland. In a way, the trade came at the perfect time because he would have lots of time to get to know his new teammates as they hit the road for their annual Western Conference trip.
Gavin doesn’t expect it will take long to fit in. “I feel like for me it’s a couple of weeks of being around the guys and then you get more comfortable as you go along,” Gavin said. “Once you find your game, you get to know your role.
” The fact they’ve been welcoming certainly doesn’t hurt. “It’s a really good group of guys,” Gavin said. “They seem really fun to hang with and they are friends with everyone.
No one seems to be out of the group so I really like how close this group is. I think we have something special here.” Gavin was born on Nov.
13, so he becomes the latest in a line of Brandon players with late birthdays who will be under consideration as an 18-year-old for the National Hockey League draft. Anyone born on Sept 15 or earlier is eligible in their 17-year-old seasons. NHL Central Scouting listed Gavin as a ‘C’ prospect, or potential fourth-to-fifth-round pick, in the preliminary player list, and he was ranked 123rd overall among North American skaters in the mid-term rankings.
As the scouts watch, Gavin is happy he’ll be able to get a closer look at the Eastern Conference. “It’s super cool,” Gavin said. “I’ve only been on the west end of things.
Last year we went on the Alberta trip and this year we did the Sask trip so it was really fun getting to know the other teams. I guess now it’s my home and I’ll be seeing a lot of these teams. It’s definitely really cool to be able to experience the other side.
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