WHL notes: Brandon beefs up by adding Reid Gow, Morgan Klimchuk

The Brandon Wheat Kings will make their Memorial Cup charge with a defenseman who served as Spokane Chiefs captain last season.

Brandon traded for the rights to 20-year-old Reid Gow on Monday, giving the Spokane Chiefs a fifth-round selection in the 2015 or 2016 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

Gow, of Killarney, Manitoba, opted not to return to Spokane this season after playing 229 games over four seasons, capped with 2013-14 when he scored 62 points as captain.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Gow told James Shewaga of the Brandon Sun on Tuesday. “I’m very excited. There’s lots going on here in Brandon and I’m really happy to be here.”

Gow, selected 16th overall by the Chiefs in the 2009 bantam draft, played 18 games with the University of Manitoba this season before joining Brandon.

He made his debut Tuesday as Brandon lost to Everett 5-0. Everett’s second goal, on a power play, came after Gow was called for a hooking penalty.

Brandon (29-8-3-1), which owns the Eastern Conference’s top record, also acquired wing Morgan Klimchuk from Regina last Friday. Klimchuk, a first-round draft pick of the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames, quickly showed his value by scoring the winning goal Saturday during a 7-4 win over the Calgary Hitmen.

Rockets gain boost

The Kelowna Rockets, the only WHL team with a better record (31-6-3-0) than Brandon, added firepower Tuesday by acquiring center Leon Draisaitl from Prince Albert.

Draisaitl, 19, was released back to the league by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers on Sunday and is expected to be in the lineup today against Vancouver. Draisaitl played 37 games with the Oilers this season.

“Most people don’t realize how fast he is,” Vancouver’s Jackson Houck told The Vancouver Province’s Steve Ewen. “People do know about his hands and his vision and how he finds people with the puck and makes everyone around him better.”

Saturday’s the trade deadline.

Around the league

In other trades Tuesday, Portland acquired goalie Evan Johnson and a fourth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft from Calgary for Brendan Burke; Portland also acquired defenseman Adam Henry from Saskatoon for a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft; Saskatoon also sent center Alex Forsberg, a 2015 third-round pick (from Portland) and a 2016 fourth-round pick to Victoria for forward Brayden Dunn and a 2017 first-round pick; Kamloops sent defenseman Connor Clouston to Moose Jaw for a fifth-round bantam draft pick; and Regina acquired forward Taylor Cooper from Lethbridge for defenseman Brady Reagan. … Victoria defenseman Travis Brown was named WHL Player of the Week after recording two goals and three assists during home wins against Spokane on Friday and Saturday. … Portland’s Adin Hill was named WHL Goaltender of the Week after notching shutouts over Tri-City and Seattle. … Tri-City goalie Eric Comrie posted wins over Germany and the U.S. during Team Canada’s gold-medal effort at the World Junior Championship in Toronto.