Anthony Wilson concluded his Western Hockey League career with his hometown Swift Current Broncos this season.
The Broncos concluded a challenging rebuilding season with a 4-1 win on Saturday to eliminate the Moose Jaw Warriors from playoff contention.
“It was special obviously. All the guys kind of wanted to go out on a high note. I think that is a huge jump for the group too, our younger guys and going on to next year. For them, and even for me, it was exciting to win our final game,” said Wilson.
The overage forward met with the media on Monday, two days after his WHL career came to an end after 300 regular season games.
“They’ve obviously been pretty bittersweet. It always sucks knowing you’re season is going to end, so for us to kind of have a set date on it was pretty tough. I was just trying to soak it all in and enjoy that last game in Moose Jaw.”
He saw improvement from the young team down the stretch.
“We made a lot of big jumps. It was pretty special to see. There’s a lot of talent in that pipeline. I’m excited to watch the next year and the year after that and all the players kind of making progress and finding their game, so it will be really exciting.”
He is hoping that the Broncos can get things turned around quickly.
“There’s a lot of talent in the pipeline with prospects. You have your guys like [Carter] Moen and Burchy [Brock Burch] and [Brendan] Rudolph and those guys. They’re going to be big parts of the Bronco team. I’m excited for them for sure.”
Wilson was drafted by Victoria in the third round in 2020 and broke into the WHL in 2021-22 with the Royals. He has since had stints with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Regina Pats, and Lethbridge Hurricanes before returning home for his final WHL season.
“It was special, especially for my final year, my friends, family all getting to watch, a five-minute drive from the rink. Obviously growing up here it was pretty cool. To do it alongside Hudson [Darby], Parker [Rondeau], those hometown guys, that made it pretty special. It’s something that I’ll definitely never forget.”
Wilson finished with 15 goals and 23 assists in 61 games with the Broncos this season.
“Off the ice I tried to bring a lot of leadership. Obviously we had a super young team, so I tried to kind of establish that, along with our leadership group too. We had a lot of good leaders that helped the young guys out,” said the assistant captain. “I just tried to bring a complete game, whether we needed a little bit of scoring, or grittiness, fore-checking, just kind of an all-around game. It was good. I tried to find my game and I thought I made really big strides this season.”
Wilson noted the continued support of the Broncos fans during his return to Swift Current.
“The fans show up night in and night out. Like I said, our team was young this year. We didn’t make the playoffs, but it kind of shows the last game of the season it’s a sold out barn. It just kind of shows their support and it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. So we couldn’t do it without the fans and we appreciate them a lot.”
The well-travelled Wilson is unsure where his next hockey home will be.
“I’m still a little bit undecided. I’m not sure whether to go the NCAA route or the U Sports route. A little bit up in the air still, but I’m just kind of taking my time and making sure I make the right decision.”
