Prince Albert native and Brandon Wheat Kings forward Matt Henry was handed an eight game suspension on Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. (Scramble Studio/Brandon Wheat Kings)

By Logan Lehmann

Suspension

WHL suspends P.A. product Matt Henry following failed PED test

Mar 29, 2024 | 2:31 PM

The Brandon Wheat Kings are going to be down a man for the first round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs.

On Friday afternoon, the club announced that Prince Albert-born forward Matt Henry was suspended for eight games after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance (PED).

“The Brandon Wheat Kings and the WHL take the issue of performance-enhancing drugs very seriously. We believe in maintaining a level playing field for all athletes and in fostering a culture of healthy, fair competition,” said the team in a release.

“Matt has expressed his regret over the situation and has agreed to participate in counseling to address this issue. The Brandon Wheat Kings fully support Matt in his journey to understanding and overcoming this challenge. We are committed to his health and well-being and will be with him every step of the way.”

Henry is in his second season with the Wheat Kings with 94 career games under his belt and in those games, the 19-year-old has three points (2g, 1a) and 240 penalty minutes, where he led the league in PIMs in 2022-23 with 140.

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Prior to playing in the WHL, Henry played U15 with the Prince Albert AA Raiders for two seasons before playing in U18 AAA with the Battlefords Stars in the SMAAAHL. In the 2021-22 season, he got the call to the SJHL where he played 52 games for the Battlefords North Stars, netting 16 points (4g, 12a) and racking up 216 penalty minutes.

“Moving forward, the Brandon Wheat Kings will continue to work closely with the WHL to enhance our education and prevention programs related to performance-enhancing substances. It is our priority to ensure that each of our players has the knowledge and support they need to make informed decisions about their health and careers,” the team continued.

“We ask for the media and our fans to respect Matt’s privacy as he embarks on this process. We believe in Matt’s ability to learn and grow from this experience.”

Brandon is set to kick off their WHL playoffs on Friday night in Moose Jaw against the Warriors.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com