Let the playoffs begin. While most around the Battlefords are focusing on the closest geographical WHL playoff series between the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders, there are some who are looking across the Manitoba border for their hockey fix.
The reason - Jordan Fransoo of North Battleford played his first playoff games of his WHL career in Medicine Hat. Fransoo, a rookie defenceman, played 63 regular season games recording six goals and 12 assists along with a +4 rating and 72 penalty minutes with the Wheat Kings.
The Wheat Kings finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-31-1-8 record and met up with the Medicine Hat Tigers (46-18-4-4) in the first round of the WHL playoffs. On the weekend, Fransoo and the Wheat Kings split the first two games of the series in Medicine Hat and returned home Monday and Thursday for games three and four.
Fransoo was the Wheat Kings' fifth found pick in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. Last season, Fransoo played with the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League and had 11 goals and 20 assists with 31 penalty minutes in 42 games.
During the 2008-09 season, Fransoo played 28 games with the Battlefords Midget Stars and had five points, as a rookie.
