The Chilliwack Bruins announced Thursday that 20-year-old defenceman Brandon Manning will return as the team’s Captain for the 2010-11 season. Manning took over the Bruins Captaincy in January of last season when then Captain Mitch McColm was traded to the Regina Pats.
Manning, the WHL’s eighth highest scoring defenseman last season with 54 points returned to the Bruins on Monday after attending the training camp of the NHL’s New York Rangers.
Nineteen-year-old Ryan Howse, 20-year-old Shayne Neigum and 18-year-old Kevin Sundher have been named the Bruins Assistant Captains.
Howse returns to the Bruins for a fourth season fresh off a team record 47 goal season. The third round draft pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft has five goals in the Bruins first two games this season.
Sundher, in his third season with the Bruins scored 25 goals and 36 assists last season and was a 3rd round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Neigum is in his fourth WHL season, his second with the Bruins after being acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings in May of 2009. Neigum scored 11 goals and 13 assists and added a team record 189 minutes in penalties with the Bruins last season.
The Bruins home opener is this Saturday when they host the Kamloops Blazers.