End Of An Era

The Brandon Wheat Kings and the McCrimmon name have been synonymous for my entire existence in terms of my hockey knowledge. That's not to say that there weren't owners of the team before nor will there be new owners in the history of the WHL franchise, but the McCrimmon name was the constant in Brandon when it cames to the Wheat Kings over the last three decades. If everything being reported today is true - and there's no reason not to believe it's true - it sounds as though the Brandon Wheat Kings will enter the 2020-21 season with new owners as the McCrimmon family steps back.

Brandon Wheat Kings owner and governor Kelly McCrimmon — yes, the same Kelly McCrimmon who is general manager of the Vegas Golden Knights — announced today that the team has been purchased by Brandon's Jared Jacobson of the J&G Group of Companies. If everything is approved, ownership will officially change hands on September 15 with Jacobson taking over the reins from McCrimmon. A new era of hockey will begin on that day.

"This was an extremely difficult decision for our family," said McCrimmon said in his statement. "The Wheat Kings have been our life, from playing here for two years and then operating the team for 31 years, 28 of those as an owner.

"There have been so many incredible moments, the victories, the people, the staff and of course the many players over the years that have worn our uniform. I started as GM when I was 28 years old. Brandon became our home, we love the city and we love Manitoba."

McCrimmon mentioned the need for strong leadership and the importance of finding someone who recognized the importance of the Wheat Kings to a city like Brandon, and Jared Jacobson appears to be a very good choice as the man to succeed Kelly McCrimmon as the owner.

Jacobson's biography from the J&G Group website reads,

"Born and raised in Brandon, Jared has been actively involved in the Jacobson & Greiner third generation family business from an early age. After completing his secondary education at Brandon University, Bachelor of Business Administration, in 2003 he returned to his roots and continued working for the business. Always looking to improve his industry knowledge, Jared completed his MREA and became a licensed Realtor. In 2004, Jared took over the operations of Jacobson & Greiner, which at the time included J&G Homes and Rona, under the mentorship of his dad, Jack Jacobson. Today, through Jared's leadership, determination and vision, the organization has grown to include 32 companies, encompassing all areas of construction. Jared focuses on maintaining the image as a quality builder, which has aided in the companies' growth over competition. He is hands on within the company and values the relationships he builds with his customers."

It's pretty clear that Jacobson has strong roots in the Brandon community, and his interests won't be moving the Wheat Kings to some other city in Canada that's closer to his home. Brandon, Manitoba is his home, and it looks like he'll be a solid owner with good financial backing and a passion for the game and the WHL in Brandon.

The WHL has built its brand on strong ownership groups who have a great local ties to their respective communities, and it seems that this transition from the McCrimmon family to the Jacobson family will continue that tradition. While the WHL and its owners will lament the loss of McCrimmon and his acumen both on the business and hockey sides of things, they are getting a guy in Jacobson who has some pretty good business credentials himself. Will it lead to future success for the Brandon Wheat Kings? We'll see how everything unfolds in time, but Jacobson is getting a WHL franchise that could be considered a model franchise in the WHL.

I'd normally wish Kelly McCrimmon a farewell, but he's not retiring at this time. He's simply making a change. Regardless, I wish Kelly and his family well in his current position as he's the man in Las Vegas when it comes to player decisions, and here's to a new era of Wheat Kings hockey under the watch of Jared Jacobson in Brandon!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!