B2 ■ SPORTS THE BRANDON SUN ■ MONDAY AUGUST 9 2021 TRY TO BEAT THAT!: THE 1978-79 BRANDON WHEAT KINGS Chartier overcame injuries to help team BY PERRY BERGSON and I think it was because of gritty gamer. When he was at his his helter-skelter way of play. best, he was irritating the other Dave Chartier was one of He wasn’t going to hold up for team. He was talented, a great Brandon’s two ultra-talented anybody’s money. Sometimes skater, scored big goals, worked 17-year-old forwards in the he ran around likely a little bit hard, was a team player.” 1978-79 season, a year he simply out of control and likely deliv- KELLY McCRIMMON: “Dave had a lot of bad luck. ered some hits where he got the turned into a great player. He The St. Lazare product broke worst of it because he was run- was 17 on that team and we his wrist and tore a tendon in ning at somebody and wasn’t in didn’t have many 17-year-olds. his knee, playing in 48 games, proper position but he was the He could play anyway you want- usually in the team’s bottom energizer bunny that every team ed. He was really talented and a six. Still, Chartier was able to needs. Quick to smile, quick to great skater. Once he got to ju- contribute 14 goals in 48 games laugh, he could score.” nior hockey, he became a physi- while fi nding a way to annoy op- TIM LOCKRIDGE: “Charts cal, hard-to-play-against player ponents. was a great hockey player … He who could fi ght. He wore his He blossomed into a WHL su- was the nicest guy in the world, Dave Chartier heart on his sleeve every night perstar in the next two seasons, and a guy I played against a cou- and was a fan favourite. He was scoring 39 and then 64 goals in Dave Chartier, who was one of two 17-year-old rookies the ple of years after that, and we called up the year before and a passionate, talented player.” the following pair of seaons with Wheat Kings had up front, struggled with injuries but still man- would go out and talk. He was (in the dressing room) he was WES COULSON: “Dave was Brandon. aged to score 14 goals in 48 games. (Brandon Sun fi le photo) just happy to be there and along banging and saying ‘Come on, good, he was quick. I didn’t hang The Winnipeg Jets drafted for the ride.” let’s go!’ and I remember Bil- around with him too much be- him in the 10th round, 191st He was a s— disturber on the ice couple of injuries here and there RICK KNICKLE: “You always ly (Derlago) looked at him, ‘Hey, cause I think he was going to overall in 1980, and he played but wouldn’t really fi ght until a but he was fast and he knew his have an agitator but Charts was cut that s— off.’ We all started school at that time, so the only one game with the NHL club little bit later. When he did, he role. I loved him for that. He more than that. He was another laughing … He was a good kid. time you would see him was at during the 1980-81 season, but a learned how to fi ght really good gave an effort every game.” good teammate, a French guy He was a good skater and a good the rink … He was feisty. I can knee injury ultimately derailed and really quick. He had the best GREGG DRINNAN (Brandon from St. Lazare who fi t right player.” remember in Montreal we went his pro career after four seasons. toe drag. He had a real wide- Sun): “Dave had a funny skat- in because he backed up a lot DAVE STEWART: “Charts out for dinner and we took him He worked in a potash mine legged skating style but was real ing style. Lots of times it was like of stuff. You earn your respect. kind of kept to himself. He liked because he could speak French in Saskatchewan for decades talented and a tough kid.” he was running on his blades. If I played with Charts too with to chirp. He wasn’t a drinker, so we knew we would get the and lives in Binscarth. LAURIE BOSCHMAN: “Dave there was a pest on that team, the Travellers when he was a which was very unusual back right food … He got banged up STEPHEN PATRICK: “Dave was very animated and could it was him. He was the guy who 16-year-old … He was a hard- then for junior hockey players. a few times because there was had a ton of talent, which I don’t skate like the wind and had a be whacking the other guy on nosed guy, a good guy, another He never did much partying nothing he wouldn’t try to run think he knew when he was pretty good shot.” the back of the legs, not on the guy who wanted to be a good with us. He had a lot of talent. over or go through.” there for the fi rst year, but his BRIAN PROPP: “(Dave Chart- front of the legs, and giving him teammate and fi t in.” He was a good skater.” » [email protected] stats will show you otherwise. ier) worked out hard and had a a little dig. He had injuries a lot, MIKE PEROVICH: “Dave got DON GILLEN: “(Dave) was a » Twitter: @PerryBergson Kempthorne joined Brandon’s 20-goal club Roberts was Brandon’s forgotten man BY PERRY BERGSON BY PERRY BERGSON Brad Kempthorne split the If there’s a mystery man on the 1977-78 season between the 1978-79 Brandon Wheat Kings, Brandon Wheat Kings and it’s Larry Roberts. their farm club, the Manitoba The Winnipegger came into Junior Hockey League’s Bran- the Western Hockey League as a don Travellers. top prospect after scoring more He was called up for the than 70 goals in his fi nal season 1978 WHL playoffs, contribut- at the under-18 level, and con- ing six points in eight games, tributed 20 goals and 33 assists and graduated to the big club in 70 games with the Calgary in time for the 1978-79 season. Wranglers during the 1977-78 The lanky 18-year-old from season. Boissevain provided an injec- In an obscure bit of Wheat tion of skill and scoring ability Kings trivia, he was the only in the bottom six, contribut- player acquired by the team that Larry Roberts was the only player the Brandon Wheat Kings ing 22 goals and 31 assists in season who joined them full traded for who stuck with the club in the 1978-79 season. (Bran- 56 games. He was selected by time. don Sun fi le photo) the Atlanta Flames in the fi fth Brandon picked Roberts up round, 96th overall, in the 1979 on Oct. 18, 1978 from the Bill- but Gordie Howe didn’t always draft. ings Bighorns, who had ac- look like he was going 100 per Kempthorne, who didn’t re- quired him in the summer as cent but he was certainly work- spond to repeated requests to Talented Boissevain product Brad Kempthorne was one of part of a three-team deal with ing hard.” be part of this series, returned nine 20-goal scorers for the Wheat Kings, notching 22 goals the Calgary Wranglers. Brandon STEPHEN PATRICK: “(Larry) for the 1979-80 season, and and 31 assists in 56 games. (Brandon Sun fi le photo) traded the rights to 17-year-old had a lot of talent in minor hock- was traded with Brant Kiessig Regina product Darren Babyck ey. The two best kids at that age to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Af- guys and the city guys … He to the Pats, with Regina shipping group in Winnipeg at 15 were ter graduating from the WHL, was a good player.” 18-year-old John Eger to Billings. Dave McDonald and Larry Rob- he embarked on a six-year MIKE PEROVICH: “I played Roberts became a depth play- erts. Larry could score and he professional career. with Kemper in pro. He was a er on Brandon’s championship had great hands but I don’t think He now owns and operates good guy. He was drafted by team with 18 points in 55 games, his skating improved from 15 to Hammer’s Bar & Restaurant in Atlanta so I played with him in and was traded to the Seattle 18.” Bartonville, Ill. my last year in Denver. He was Breakers the next season for TIM LOCKRIDGE: “Larry was LAURIE BOSCHMAN: “Brad a funny guy. He was quiet and 17-year-old winger John Strait, a pudgy little guy. He came from worked hard.” was a right-handed shot, tall, on Nov. 19, 1979. Larry Roberts was a highly Winnipeg and he didn’t play in WES COULSON: “(Brad) lanky, good sense of humour.” After playing 26 games with touted player as he came up the third period a lot. He was a was a big kid and good skater. RICK KNICKLE: “He was a the Breakers, he disappears off through minor hockey in Win- nice, easy-going guy.” I’m not sure who he played talented player. Me and Kem- online hockey databases for nipeg, and he scored 20 goals WES COULSON: “(Larry) was with but there were a lot of per got along really well.