Reid Duke's GWG Lifts Wheat Kings Into Playoffs

It was just the next big moment for Reid Duke.
A week after signing as the first player in Golden Knights history, Duke delivered a decisive marker for the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday against the Moose Jaw Warriors.
With the teams deadlocked 1-1 in the second period, Duke scored the deciding goal to clinch a Western Hockey League playoff berth for his team.
As can be seen below, Duke (left) used teammate Nolan Patrick - the top ranked prospect in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft - as a decoy before depositing his team-best 37th goal past goalie Brody Willms to secure a wild-card spot for the Wheat Kings.

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The Wheat Kings went on to defeat the Warriors 3-1, with Duke's game-winning goal guaranteeing Brandon a first-round meeting with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The Central Division-winning Tigers currently have a record of 49-20-1-0 (99 points), and will begin their series with Duke's Wheat Kings (31-29-7-3) in Medicine Hat (Alberta) next Friday (schedule below).
The WHL playoff format consists of four best-of-7 playoff rounds, with the league champion moving on to the Memorial Cup.
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The Memorial Cup, the championship series of Canadian major junior hockey, will be held from May 19-28 in Windsor, Ont. It will feature the CHL's three league champions - WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League - as well as the host club (Windsor Spitfires), which was decided before the 2016-17 season started.
Duke and the Wheat Kings won the WHL championship last season, before falling in the Memorial Cup, and reached the WHL Final in 2014-15.
| Game | Visitor | | Home | Date | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Brandon | @ | Medicine Hat | Friday, March 24 | 7:30 | | 2 | Brandon | @ | Medicine Hat | Saturday, March 25 | 7:30 | | 3 | Medicine Hat | @ | Brandon (Dauphin) | Tuesday, March 28 | 7:30 | | 4 | Medicine Hat | @ | Brandon (Dauphin) | Wednesday, March 29 | 7:30 | | 5 * | Brandon | @ | Medicine Hat | Friday, March 31 | 7:30 | | 6 * | Medicine Hat | @ | Brandon (Dauphin) | Sunday, April 2 | TBD | | 7 * | Brandon | @ | Medicine Hat | Tuesday, April 4 | 7:00 |